What Really Works in Online Education

As online education continues to grow—especially on platforms like Infyni where thousands of students join live courses each month—understanding what actually works in learning becomes crucial.

Why It’s Time to Move On
For years, educators and parents have embraced the idea that each person has a dominant learning style—visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or reading/writing. The theory suggests that matching teaching methods to a student’s preferred style leads to better learning outcomes.
It’s an appealing concept. After all, we all have preferences for how we receive information. Some of us enjoy watching videos, while others prefer reading text or listening to explanations.
But here’s the surprising truth: despite its popularity, scientific research has repeatedly failed to find evidence that matching instruction to preferred learning styles improves learning.

What Actually Works in Online Learning
If learning styles aren’t the answer, what strategies do work? Fortunately, research has identified several evidence-based approaches:
1. Spaced Practice
Instead of cramming all your learning into one session, spread it out over time. Research shows that studying material multiple times with breaks in between leads to better long-term retention.
How to implement: Schedule regular, shorter study sessions throughout the week instead of one marathon session the night before a test or project deadline.
2. Retrieval Practice
Testing yourself on material is more effective than simply reviewing it. The act of recalling information strengthens memory connections.
How to implement: After watching an Infyni course video, close your notes and try to explain the main concepts out loud or write them down from memory.
3. Interleaved Practice
Mixing different topics or types of problems within a study session is more effective than focusing on just one type.
How to implement: When learning coding on Infyni, practice different types of problems in one session rather than mastering one concept completely before moving to the next.
4. Concrete Examples
Abstract concepts become easier to understand when paired with specific examples.
How to implement: Connect new concepts to real-world applications or personal experiences.
5. Dual Coding
Combining verbal and visual information helps create multiple neural pathways to remember information.
How to implement: Create simple diagrams to accompany your notes, or look for courses that use both explanations and visual representations.

Putting It Into Practice
Infyni’s online courses are designed with these evidence-based principles in mind:
• Live interactive sessions encourage active participation rather than passive watching
• Project-based learning provides concrete examples and real-world applications
• Regular assessments build in retrieval practice
• Visual and verbal instruction utilizes dual coding
• Course structures that revisit key concepts over time enable spaced practice

The next time you join an Infyni course, try implementing these strategies. Instead of worrying about whether you’re a “visual” or “auditory” learner, focus on active engagement, regular practice, and connecting new information to what you already know. By embracing spaced practice, retrieval, interleaving, concrete examples, and dual coding, you can maximize your learning potential in any online course. And remember—the most important factors in successful learning are often motivation, effort, and using strategies that have been proven to work.

What study techniques have you found most effective in your online learning journey? We’d love to hear your experiences in the comments below.~