Dave Crenshaw, author of The Myth of Multitasking, was featured in an article for CNBC written by Abigail Hess on his popular online course, read the article here.
By Abigail Hess
The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically changed how we learn. Many schools have shifted to online instruction and many unemployed workers are attempting to re-skill remotely. The result is a surge in demand for online learning resources.
Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO of the online learning platform Coursera tells CNBC Make It the coronavirus pandemic has created “unprecedented demand” for online courses.
According to LinkedIn, learners spent three times more hours taking coursesthrough the site’s LinkedIn Learning platform (which costs $29.99 per month) in July 2020, compared to July 2019.
While online learning has long been seen as a tool for workers to gain specific technical skills, this year LinkedIn’s top 20 most popular courses include classes on subjects such as time management and working remotely. Mordy Golding, director of content strategy for LinkedIn Learning says the spike in interest in these subjects reflects workers’ desires to connect with others as they adjust to a new professional landscape.
“The power of online learning has never been so apparent as it has in the past year of extraordinary change,” he says. “Today’s workforce is using learning as a way to ease the transition to a new normal. It’s no surprise that we see courses like ‘Time Management: Working from Home’ and ‘Remote Work Foundations’ spiking as we adjust to a virtual world of work.”
He continues, “But we’re also seeing professionals leaning on learning to foster meaningful connections with one another.”
Golding cites internal datasuggesting that because of the pandemic, 31% of workers feel less connected with their organization’s leadership, 37% feel less connected with teammates and 40% feel less connected with their friends.
“As a result, we’ve seen a 1,100% increase in people coming together in learning groups to learn new skills and a 255% increase in courses shared by learners with their professional communities,” he says.
While interest in technical skills such as Python and Excel remains high, Golding explains that the number of people learning soft skills online has doubled year-over-year and that some of the organization’s most popular online courses reflect the emotional interests of millions of online learners.
Indeed, how online learners choose to spend their time provides a glimpse into the professional — and personal —priorities of workers today.
Here are LinkedIn Learning’s 20 most popular online classes of the year:
1. Time Management: Working from Home
Instructor: Dave Crenshaw
Course description: With so many demands on your time and attention, it’s a tricky balancing act to stay productive. Learn how to set up a dedicated workspace for maximum productivity, collaborate with remote coworkers, craft your daily schedule and how to use virtual meetings productively. It also offers advice for working parents and other caregivers who have to balance professional and personal responsibilities in the home.
Read entire article here.
The Myth of Multitasking
How “Doing It All” Gets Nothing Done
Productivity and effective time management end with multitasking. The false idea that multitasking is productive has become even more prevalent and damaging to our productivity and well-being since the first edition of The Myth of Multitasking was published in 2008. In this revised and updated second edition, author and productivity expert Dave Crenshaw provides a solution for the chaos of distraction that multitasking creates―and a way to combat the temptation to constantly switch between tasks.
Learn how to actually get things done. Dave Crenshaw takes the idea of multitasking as a productivity tool and smashes it to smithereens. But rather than leaving you with the burden of wading through the wreckage all by yourself, he shows you how to focus, move forward, and free up more time for what you value the most.