Online courses have become so popular that they’re now a standard for many people. Whether it’s college courses or just something fun people want to learn, many are now choosing to pursue online education exclusively. This includes people with professional licenses who need to earn regular continuing education units (CEUs) to stay current.
Everyone from networking experts to healthcare professionals are now able to complete their yearly CEU requirements online. This is a big deal for people with busy lives and families to take care of outside of work.
For example, live CEU courses for respiratory therapists are an easy way to meet state requirements without going anywhere for courses that don’t need to be hands-on training.
Many healthcare professionals work long hours and don’t always have the time or energy to drive to a location to learn new information.
If you’re wondering whether or not to take online courses to earn CEUs, here are some considerations to help you make that decision.
- Con: Not all CEU requirements can be completed remotely
Whether or not you can meet your CEU requirements online will depend on your industry. Some professions require you to take in-person courses because they require hands-on work. Even if someone is offering a course online stating it will satisfy your requirements, make sure you double-check with someone in your industry to make sure that’s true.
There is no online substitute for learning that needs to be done in person, so while many professionals can take most CEUs online, sometimes there are requirements that won’t make that possible. Be aware of this possibility and check with the organization that administers your certification.
- Con: Some courses need to be taken live
Most online courses are pre-recorded and you can just play them at your own leisure. This is really convenient, and it’s easier for everyone, including the people who create the content. However, prerecorded courses don’t always qualify for CEUs. For example, using respiratory therapists as an example again, some of their CEUs must be earned by taking a live course where the instructor is available to answer questions in real time. The content of the course is usually pre-recorded because it’s a structured lesson, but the instructor is present to teach the course and answer questions.
If you aren’t sure whether or not a course is live, or you don’t know if you even need to take a live course, check with your licensing institution before signing up for anything online. If you do need to take a live course, make sure the course you’re looking at is live and will satisfy your CEU requirements.
- Pro: Earning CEUs online is easy and convenient
The biggest benefit to earning your CEUs online is that it’s the easiest and most convenient method. All you have to do is go to the website to sign up, and then take the courses you need at your own pace. Some companies will play prerecorded courses at a set time on certain days, and others will let you play them whenever you want.
You don’t have to leave the house, get a babysitter, and drive to some random building or college campus after work when you’re already exhausted – it just makes life easier.
- Pro: Earning CEUs online is fast
Not only will you find online CEUs more convenient, but it will be much faster. Since you don’t have to go anywhere, you don’t have to plan it out for a specific day in the future. There won’t be any need to take time off work or wait a few weeks to a month to get the right work schedule to accommodate your needs. You can just take your courses online and be done fast.
- Pro: You’ll be less likely to fall behind
If you’ve ever fallen behind on your CEUs, you know you can’t do that again. If you’re lucky, your organization will let you slide, but sometimes, you don’t have a choice and are forced to start over as if you are just getting licensed for the first time.
With access to online courses, you don’t have to worry about falling behind just because you can’t make it work with your schedule or you start the process and then forget. Earning your CEUs online is easy; all you have to do is sign up and take your course.
Online CEUs will make your life easier
Should you do it? Yes. Earning your CEUs online is the easiest way to meet your requirements quickly and easily without leaving your home.
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