It is no doubt that the inception of the unexpected COVID-19 has brought greater disruption to our daily living than we have anticipated. From the initial measures to partial lockdown, then an almost full lockdown of remote working and home-based learning across the island. Overnight, virtual learning became the essential service for training providers and learners to learn and connect virtually. Beyond COVID-19, will virtual learning or work become the new normal?

We need to first establish that COVID-19 or not, we are heading into a digital future. Standing on this fact, it is even more important for us to sharpen our virtual learning skills to prepare ourselves to be the best “virtual versions” to accept the challenges of the new norm in the virtual space.

In the virtual space, you could get distracted by various different things like the influx of emails coming periodically in your inbox, or someone knocking at your door to ask questions, or strings of instant messages, etc. You need to establish a virtual communication etiquette to help you better managed these demands in responses so that you can optimize he tasks set ahead.

Without a structure, you may be prone to wander around your house, and avoid your daily tasks. Having the discipline for time management is highly vital in keeping to timeline and fulfilling your given tasks. In mastering time management, not only is discipline key, self-motivation techniques are also crucial to possess.

Connecting with fellow learners and colleagues virtually to build and maintain relationships has proven to be an integral factor to strengthen trust among team members. This is an essential virtual skill to sharpen as collaboration among team members might still be required for most projects.

For any virtual work or learnings to be successful, being tech-savvy and having tech knowledge are not options to avoid. So, now is the time to invest in improving your tech knowledge and be digitally ready for the digital future.