The Internet has profoundly changed education in many ways. For one, it has offered more opportunities for people of all ages and personalities to learn new things according to their interests. Research has shown that shy students benefit more from online learning than from face-to-face classes. There are study forums where they can raise their voice without the fear of speaking in front of classmates.

Many people are taking online courses because they're more cost-saving and convenient than in-person classes. For example, if you want to take an English course while working, an online course will better suit your schedule. The Internet offers many free English learning websites; some websites are fee-paying but usually have better learning materials specifically designed for different groups of learners.

For those advantages, many schools are redesigning their learning spaces to enable online learning. How should learners prepare themselves for effective online learning? First, they have to learn how to use learning tools so that they can find resources and clearly understand instructions. Second, they need to manage their time seriously. Cyber-learning fails if learners don't spend enough quality time on their learning. Another piece of advice is to find one or more companions, whether among your real-life friends or other online learners. This may motivate you to make progress.