Learning is not limited to the four corners of the classroom.
In life, learning new things happens across all stages of life and in a variety of settings.
Graduates must seize opportunities for personal and professional growth, helping them to stay updated in their fields, explore new interests, and maintain a balanced and fulfilling life.
Lifelong learning is continuous, voluntary, and self-motivated.
Here are some lifelong learning classes that they can explore.
Masterclass
A masterclass is a specialized, high-level workshop or series of lessons taught by an expert or master in a particular field, such as music, culinary, entertainment, film, and even business.
In this kind of class, highly experienced or professional experts in a certain field will be the ones who will personally teach you.
Enrollees can expect specialized content including advanced techniques, insights, and knowledge in certain subject areas.
Students can also expect interactive learning, including live demonstrations, practical exercises, and most all, live question-and-answer sessions. Instructors will also be giving direct feedback and critique after.
Online platforms like MasterClass.com offer pre-recorded video lessons, while live masterclasses might be part of conferences, workshops, or special events. This however had already emerged via face-to-face prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Short online courses
In this course, learners only need a computer, laptop, or even mobile phone, and stable internet to enroll and complete in a relatively short time.
Short courses online often range from a few hours to a few months.
It is a modern educational method where students, especially those living from distant areas gain new knowledge, enhance existing skills, or explore new interests.
Some of the advantages of enrolling in these courses include flexible learning, diverse formats, a variety of subjects, and accessibility. In addition, it is cost-effective, as some even offer it for free.
Some schools in Davao City have already offered short online courses including Ateneo de Davao University, and MapĂșa Malayan Colleges Mindanao while Tesda through its Online Program (TOP), and the University of the Philippines with the Open University (UPOU) programs are also available for Dabawenyos.
Many local and international platforms offer a variety of courses that can also be accessed such as Coursera, edX, Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, and Masterclass.
Specialized Workshops
Workshops are mostly short-term yet intensive as it is specialized and designed to provide in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience in a specific area or skill.
Compared to the typical classroom setup, it is a more specialized and interactive meeting in which a group of people goes through a series of activities to solve a problem or work on a project.
Similar to masterclasses, workshops are often led by facilitators who are industry experts, professionals, or highly experienced instructors, and can range from a couple of hours to multiple days. It can range from a single session to a series of sessions over several days.
Another advantage of hands-on learning is that it provides practical exercises, activities, and interactive components.
Specialized workshops provide opportunities to develop and refine specific skills, which helps participants stay current with industry trends and best practices.
Some of the specialized workshops include Technical and IT Workshops, Health and Wellness, Crafts and do-it-yourself (DIY)
Companies offer specialized workshops as part of employee development programs, usually conducted annually or certain period.