As political commentators never cease to remind us, we live in a ‘knowledge economy,' where there is an increasing need for specialized skills and a flexible workforce.
This point is neither new nor in any way revelatory – it is the sort of rhetorical boilerplate any speaker can say – but it does, however, elicit an important question: How can we, as a society, make access to education more convenient, interactive and profitable (intellectually and monetarily) for the many parties involved in this situation?
The answer rests with online learning that is dynamic by design, engaging by circumstance and fulfilling by any standard of success. That is, the platform for this particular brand of online learning should attract a multitude of users, who can convene in an open marketplace of ideas, where companies can sell their existing training programs and software, teachers can become entrepreneurs, and students – of every interest, age and occupation – can bid for services from experts of great renown.
That vision is the inspiration behind my role as the Founder of Monimus.com, which furthers the opportunities described above with innovative technology and other notable features. In fact, I write these words as a university lecturer, who has a personal interest in popularizing education and enhancing the way we use and experience online learning.
To that end, we can give every person with a specialized skill – every latent tutor in, respectively, engineering, mathematics, computer science, history, law, languages and the humanities, to cite a mere handful of examples – the ability to be a teacher and an entrepreneur.
Meaning: If you are proficient in a particular discipline, and if you choose to respond to a query for your services or decide to openly promote your expertise (and the cost for your services), then you may have a sudden demand for your help from users around the world. That is the power of engagement, in pursuit of education, for the success of everyone.
This milestone, one I repeatedly refer to as The Classroom of Tomorrow Made Available Today, is also an exciting period for companies with a commitment to online learning.
These organizations have content, which they have either created in-house or purchased from a vendor, and this material can be a source of recurring revenues – it can be a high-paying dividend – if other businesses or individuals have a platform to buy and access these courses.
To repeat: Welcome to online learning in its most dynamic, interactive and efficient form.
Increasing the Investment and Value of a Skilled Workforce: A Vibrant Marketplace of Teachers and Students
The overriding principle to this piece is not about technology (though it is a critical component to this discussion) or business (though opportunities abound for everyone to enjoy the rewards from this platform).
Rather, the universal theme is about the emergence of a vibrant marketplace for teachers and students; that education does not have an expiration date, and a skilled workforce is the reward of establishing an informed workplace.
This type of online learning is infinite in its offerings, and organic in its vitality: It is a way for executives to build trust with their employees; and to promote the most portable commodity, intelligence, by celebrating the talents of individual instructors and the merits of specific courses.
This model is a guide for companies to realize benefits for the economy as a whole, actualized with quality and focused on excellence. That philosophy applies to any business with an interest in its own longevity and integrity.
Online learning is the catalyst for applying these tools. Knowledge is the ultimate compass, with wisdom as the top destination.
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Keith Williams is the Founder of Monimus.com, an innovative online learning platform where users can educate, engage and succeed on multiple levels.
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