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Oops! Why 2023 Is Too Late For Video-Based Data Science Learning

By Milan Jain Category Data Science Reading time 9-10 mins Published on August 17, 2022

Oops! Why 2023 Is Too Late For Video-Based Data Science Learning

Online data science courses are still the best option, but the recorded video-based ones are the worst.

Are you searching for a data science course online? Well, the subtitle might make you a bit confused. I am saying that online data science courses are still the best option while mentioning video-curated learning as an obsolete entity.

No worries. This blog will tell you the difference between self-paced and live online learning for data science. So, you would know which learning methodology suits you better and know which methodology will transform you into a successful data scientist.

Mostly MOOCs ( Massive Open Online Courses) are the traditional way of teaching, like college lecture methodology through video lectures. For many edtech platforms that are not affiliated with any universities, video lecturing has become the primary approach for data science certification online.

There are two methodologies for learning data science online:

Self-paced

Self-paced learning lets students take their own pace to learn data science rather than completing it in a given time. Aspirants can learn according to their own time or take as much time as needed. Students learning in this methodology do not have any time pressure or fixed learning schedule. It can suit candidates who have a simple learning intention. But if anyone is planning a data science career switch, such a course will certainly prove the biggest blunder for them. This is a very hard truth of the present job market.

An illustration shows an instructor teaching data science  in a offline classroom.

Instructor led online CLasses

An instructor in a classroom scenario or online courses teaches data science in this learning methodology. Students can interact and even discuss training material. The discussion can be done individually with the instructor or in a group discussion. Online instructor-led training is known as VILT (Virtual-Instructor-Led-Training). Students have a lot of advantages in this learning methodology as it is easy to adapt, more social, and enhances abilities. However, still, you can get recorded videos, but yes, those will be backed up by live discussions and feedback-bound assignments. Such courses are 50% more effective than the self-paced ones. Still, these are not 100% effective and reliable.

Then what is the solution? Well, it's 100% live and interactive learning. But how?

Why pursue a Data Science course online (instructor-led)?

A woman seated in front of her laptop undergoes an online Data Science course.

Video-based learning consumes a lot of time and is inappropriate for working professionals. So online instructor led-learning is the most liked learning method by professionals as it is scheduled and keeps them always on track. Professionals do not have to leave their job to complete a data science course. They get to clear their queries during Q&A discussions.

But let me clarify another point here. Why should you learn data science?

Well, without data science knowledge your career is going to be completely insecure within the next five years. We are living in such a world that needs to counter an infinite number of data at every stage- even in our daily life.

Consequently, as most business organizations were sales-driven before, they have changed it to data-driven decisions. So, every organization is looking for a data science professional who can lead the organization's operations and business decisions. There are very few who are skilled data scientists and to be one, you have to opt for an instructor-led data science course to change your career and land at the top. Because to get hired you need end-to-end training with proper practical exposure. And when it comes to data science, until you clear your doubts and project in live mode, you can never reach that level of efficiency (for getting hired).

Know what to learn:

The motivation to learn is appreciated, but knowing what to learn is crucial. Data science is huge. You cannot learn independently as it is very vast to explore. Instructor-led data science training online can help students recognize the right topic to study in the right way. Learning any advanced topic early can lead to a disaster, like a mixture of basic curry and slow-cooked advanced concepts. Online instructor-led classes consist of mentors and lecturers who will always help you plan effective learning orientations.

Scheduled learning

The issue with self-paced learning is that students must maintain their learning motivation drive until the course is done. After a few sessions, learners tend to lose interest and motivation even faster if there are a lot of concepts for one to learn. Motivation from lecturers and mentors is necessary to increase students' learning interest. You would not find this in a self-paced data science course online. And that is why it is better to learn via instructor-based learning. So, you are always on track and learn accordingly.

Doubt Clearance

This is one of the critical reasons for anyone to opt for an instructor-led methodology. Students can clear their doubts daily in class or in the question-answer forum or even get special attention from the instructor. Hence, even if you have all the materials to study or know how to code, it will not help because your doubts will never be answered in a personalized manner, which may lead to full pandemonium later on. This should not happen in the late stage when you are about to complete the course or try to apply for a job.

Career guidance and assistance

It includes a career orientation program while opting for a professional instructor-led and job-ready data science course. Candidates in instructor-led classes get mega hiring drives, custom-fit training, dedicated job referrals, interview preparation, mock interviews, resume-building guidance, etc. These are never found in recorded video-based, self-paced learning because video-based learning does not provide a career orientation program and can't provide the ultimate benefit until there is adequate interaction between the mentor, career coaches, and student.

An illustration shows a few data science experts getting prepared for a real-time project.

Real-time Projects

Projects are essential for beginning a career in data science since employers will seek real-world experience even if you are new to the field. However, it should not be similar to previously completed practice projects. First, recruiters are too hesitant to accept it as a real experience. Only a well-led and participatory instructor-led class can provide truly beneficial capstone projects. Students can learn data science and demonstrate their skills by working on real-world projects. This allows recruiters to distinguish your profile from the other prospects who applied for the same post.

Currently, recruiters are less concerned with your certifications and more interested in knowing what projects you have worked on. So, even if you finished the course and didn't have any good projects to show for it, all of your hard work in learning data science will be useless. As a result, an instructor-led data science online course will feature hands-on industrial projects. Learning through a project is extremely important and cannot be matched by self-paced courses. And projects are where most students either lag or miss out. Learning with the project is very important and cannot be matched with self-paced courses.

An illustration of a piggy bank on the top of a stack of books, emphasizes the cost of learning data courses in science.

But do Learning costs matter?

Yes, it's a big concern. While recorded video-based classes are even available for 20K INR, the live and interactive classes usually cost more than 70K. Certainly, there will be second thoughts amongst the candidates before spending the hard-earned money on such courses. But here, one thing you need to consider- is the ROI. Yes, as you don't get any job assurance and even proper project exposure, the entire 20K seems like a complete waste. On the other hand, even if you pay 1 lakh for an instructor-led job ready data science course, that's worth it. Even some courses offer more than 300% ROI.

So, what's next?

Plenty of options are roaming around for learning data science and AI. Most of them come with tempting offers and pitches. But choosing the right course is not that easy. Even if you choose an instructor-led class, you have to stay informed about fulfilling the respective promises associated with the course.

Maybe, I am making you a bit terrified, but the present data science job market is like that only. What you can do to ensure the safest decision is take an expert data science career counseling. You can avail extremely personalized career counseling by MAANG experts at Learnbay.

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