Online courses, distance learning courses and coaching are booming. When it comes to quality, look for these characteristics.
There are numerous offers on the education market. But which ones are good and how can you tell?
The search can begin, for example, with the various directories and comparison portals on the Internet. Both the employment agency and private portals list training options and helpful information on their websites.
Evaluations of other graduates can provide information about the content and the fulfillment of expectations. However, this does not make the assessment clear: “It is difficult to say whether a course is good or bad because that depends entirely on my own requirements,” explains Fabio Astuni from the Cologne-based Fernstudiumcheck portal.
Further training: define your own quality criteria
So at the beginning clarity has to be created: “What is my current situation like? How flexible am i? What do I want and what do I need in my situation? “
The search would then be easier to manage with your own quality criteria. The experiences of others on opinion portals can be very subjective and differ from one another, warns Astuni.
However, there are also institutional certifications of further training measures that can be used as a guide. For example, some courses are certified by the TÜV.
Mainly, however, the state central office for distance learning, the ZFU, is responsible for the approval of distance learning courses. In addition to seals of approval, the ZFU also publishes information for those interested.
Fernuni: Pay attention to official approval
The ZFU points out, for example, that every distance learning course must be approved in Germany – except when it comes to so-called “hobby courses”, in which entertainment and leisure activities are in the foreground.
In the event of admission, however, it can be assumed that a course offers up-to-date subject-specific content that corresponds to the Vocational Training Act and is imparted with pedagogical supervision and practical relevance.
On request, information material about each approved distance learning course can be obtained from the ZFU. However, the ZFU seal itself is expressly not a state recognition of a professional qualification, but merely serves consumer protection. So initially it only guarantees a minimum level of quality.
Online courses: Check out the community and compare degrees
In addition to the ZFU-certified and often very expensive and extensive distance learning courses, there is also a wealth of online courses that either come from international areas or simply concern a more specific skill.
These non-state-certified courses can also be considered and are often more financially accessible – in other words, cheaper. Astuni recommends making sure that courses run for at least one month and end with a certificate or – better still – a bachelor’s degree or other degree.
Bad courses can be avoided by always considering several portals and paying attention to the quality of the websites. If there is a central point of contact or a community, for example an online campus or chat, this can contribute to the success of further training.
Coaching: First contact should be free
Anyone who wants to work with a personal coach is also faced with a wide range of different coaching concepts and experts. Here, too, there are coach databases where the search can begin.
When asked what makes a good coach, Dawid Barczynski from the knowledge portal Coaching-Report in Osnabrück refers to formal qualifications in addition to technical qualifications.
You don’t have to show them to be able to call yourself “coach”: Since the term is not protected, there are coaching certificates on the market that often say little about qualifications and competence.
In order to avoid charlatans in the coaching world, Barczynski recommends paying attention to membership in a coaching association or an existing coaching training.
Good coaches should of course also have personal skills. According to Barczynski, this shows the legitimacy of a coach: Good coaches held a free, non-binding preliminary talk in which trust and understanding could be built up.
According to Barczynski, black sheep often push for hasty contracts which one should oppose and insist on thinking time. All-rounders and coaching gurus should also be treated with caution. Real experts are usually specialized.
Such an initial discussion would reveal whether a coach can explain his methods sensibly and self-critically.
