We're now in week two of our month-long TeleGreening Your Workplace travel-reduction campaign. If you haven't done so already, we hope that you'll have a look at our 10 technology tips to help you reduce your need to travel, and try out some of the travel reduction tools we've found. In this post I'll cover ways to participate in online trainings to save money and reduce travel. By the way, have a look at our information and resources about online learning

Online courses and trainings are one of the fastest growing areas of education. In the US the field is experiencing a 12.9 percent annual growth rate (PDF), which far exceeds the 1.2 percent growth of the overall higher education field. Online classes are typically less expensive than conventional coursework and according to Kent State University research (PDF) there is no significant difference in terms of learning effectiveness between in-person training and online or virtual classes.

Online courses and training are also good for the environment in that you participate in the training at home or work without additional travel needed. Leaving your car at home twice a week over the course of a year can cut greenhouse gas emissions by 1,600 pounds per year, according to the US EPA. That's equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 91 trees. They also tend to save paper and also ink as coursework and/or homework is often submitted in digital form.

The options for online training range from simple how-to courses to learn, say, the quick basics on creating a Flash video to a class in multi-variable calculus from MIT Open Courseware. One medium for online training we're using more and more at TechSoup Global are webinars, which are usually live Web conferences in which each participant sits at their own computer and is connected to other participants via the Internet and phone or Skype. They typically involve an expert presenter or presenters followed by a question & answer session.

Nonprofits use webinars for a variety of purposes, including software training, sharing information about a new product or service, training activists or supporters, or promoting a new program. New online tools are making it easier for organizations with limited technical expertise to host a webinar, even with limited technology expertise.

If you're holding your own webinar, each session costs on average $10 per hour though costs can vary. Some are free for participants while others charge fees. If you happen to miss a live webinar, they are sometimes recorded so that you can view slides or listen to them as podcasts. We've put together a how-to on hosting them called 10 Steps for Planning a Successful Webinar and Tips for Conducting a Successful Webinar and you can see a list of upcoming and archived TechSoup Talks! webinars here. There is a daunting list of the dozens of webinar applications and services available to you and some have been reviewed here and here.

The one we use here at TechSoup is called ReadyTalk, which is TechSoup donation product and available to nonprofits and libraries for an admin fee of $45 per year. You can also participate or view TechSoup's discussion forum on Web-conferencing tools that nonprofit use if you'd like to ask others or share your own experiences.

In terms of more long-term online training courses for nonprofits and libraries. I've always liked the online training courses offered by the Foundation Center on fund development topics like proposal writing, funding research, corporate giving, and other topics.

The Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) offers discounted online courses in project management and consulting. TechSoup has discounted courses in PC Basics, computer networking, Web design, Adobe Photoshop, plus a selection of professional development topics like managerial skills, effective communication, and diversity awareness through e-Skills360°. We also have courses from the Society for Nonprofit Organizations Online Courses in nonprofit management.

Find a nice array of miscellaneous free online courses and classes and more information and resources about online learning on our GreenTech online training page. Also, check out our new article Learning About Technology Online which highlights a variety of methods to learn about technology using online methods including: advanced searches, wikis, webinars, eLearning, online courses, software, and higher level online events and conferences. Find a list of webinars you can try out in the nonprofit tech field and Sarah from the MaintainIT Project also offers up some methods libraries have been using for learning online that are often just as relevant to nonprofits.

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What are your favorite ways to learn online? Has your organization successfully trained staff or supporters using online methods? Share your ideas in this Emerging Technologies forum discussion.

Photo: Ms Tina