Learning in a Live Online Course – A Participant’s Perspective

Whether you’ve had the chance to experience it or not, you’ve no doubt heard of Zoom by now. In a world of social distancing, Zoom has become an integral part of many people’s daily lives. Of course, Zoom (or MS Teams or any other virtual meeting platform) is never going to be an exact replacement for human interaction, but given the current circumstances, it’s doing a pretty good job.

When taking online courses, you’ll never have to sit in traffic, worry about icy roads, or spend an hour finding a parking space downtown. Instead, you can focus on learning in the comfort of your own home where you can control your learning environment. With Zoom meetings, it’s also easier to ask questions of your instructor, using the chat or the “raise hand” feature. Your instructor will get a notification whenever you ask a question, which means it’ll never get missed.

“Great workshop. Pleasantly surprised with how well it worked via Zoom.” — Tania

I find that when I’m in a Zoom course, it’s easier for me to engage with the content. When I’m in the comfort of my own home, I have an added sense of confidence. I found that throughout the course I took, I was actively engaged and answering questions. This allowed me to get more out of the experience than I would have in person.

If you’ve never had a Zoom experience, don’t worry! The first few minutes of every course are spent giving you a rundown of everything you need to know for a successful virtual session. You’ll be given a tour of various buttons and features, and the instructor will answer any questions you might have.

You shouldn’t let Zoom stop you from engaging with PMC Training courses. The instructors have put effort into making sure nothing is lost with the transition to online learning. You’ll get the same quality, without the hassle of leaving your home.

How Instructors are Making Virtual Learning Engaging

Moira W. has been instructing PMC courses for years, she has a clear passion for both grammar and teaching. It was obvious throughout the workshop that Moira knew what she was talking about, and cares that the participants do, too. The instructor pulled in stories from her editing career and personal life to make us feel as though she was a friend who simply wanted to share some beneficial advice.

“Moira was a great instructor.  She was motivating, interesting, well spoken and extremely well organized.  I loved the online format and the break out rooms.  I thoroughly enjoyed the course.” — Cheryl

She had such a handle on the functions of Zoom that it seemed like she had been delivering these courses virtually for years. I had been using Zoom for months before I took this course, yet Moira was still showing me things I didn’t know. When you take any course with a PMC instructor, you’ll come away with not only new workplace skills, but also a new proficiency with Zoom!

Moira also teaches Business Writing for Impact and Influence, Effective Oral Briefings, Minute Taking for Better Meetings, Proofreading and Editing, Report Writing, Succeeding at the Federal Public Service Writing Skills Tests and more.

Business Grammar That Matters

Before attending PMC’s Business Grammar That Matters, I thought I knew everything there was to know about proper grammar. I often told people that I find grammar fun and I would frequently offer my editing services to the less grammatically inclined. It turns out that I didn’t know as much as I thought. Even as a native English speaker, I learned things throughout the course that I didn’t know before.

Not many people get excited when they think about grammar, but once you start to learn about it, you might realize that it isn’t as daunting or as boring as you thought. This course is well-structured, comprehensive, and actually quite fun.

Throughout the day we covered a variety of grammatical topics, from the proper use of punctuation, to how to ensure a sentence agrees in both tense and voice. I was taught everything I need to know in order to write in a concise and professional manner. Business Grammar That Matters made me feel like I was given the tools I need to make myself understood in the workplace.

I was also given exercises that corresponded to each unit of the course. Something I found incredibly helpful was that the first exercise was used to establish my base grammatical knowledge. This test included information that was covered throughout the rest of the day and was revisited after the appropriate grammatical concept was taught. I really got a sense that the instructor had thought through her teaching method and wanted me to notice my own progress.

I would strongly recommend this course to anyone who is looking to improve their written communication skills. In the age of COVID, where so much of our interaction happens electronically, it’s important that we are able to understand each other as clearly as possible. The last thing that you want is to be misunderstood due to a grammatical error. Don’t let poor grammar stand between you and success, take this course and feel confident every time you write.

Live Online Courses Have a Lot to Offer

There are many reasons to sign up for one of PMC’s live online courses. You get great instructors and amazing content without the hassle of leaving your house. The most important benefit of online learning is that you don’t have to put your personal and professional development on hold in the midst of a pandemic. There is no better time than now to sign up for a PMC online course and discover the myriad of benefits that come with online learning.

Molly Desson has been tasked with attending a few of PMC’s live online courses and writing about her experience.  Molly has a BA in Classical Studies from the University of Ottawa.  Prior to pursuing a writing diploma, she handled social media accounts for Pro Physio & Sport Medicine Centres.