Some information about online learning that may be of interest to you:
The Benefits of Online Learning
Education is arguably one of the most important facets of society.
In recent years there has been a shift in how people are viewing education - in the past it was cut and dry. You either had a nifty diploma hanging on the wall of your office or you didn’t. Now, though, people are acquiring their education in a multitude of ways - taking the traditional route and attending a 4-year university, forgoing college and getting on the job training, or, more recently, pursuing an online education.
A lot of people don’t have the time (or money) to spend at a four year university where they’ll be forced to take classes that aren’t relevant to them and still have to job hunt after graduation.
With online courses people are able to really take control of their education.
Online education is clearly superior to traditional teaching, but a lot of people worry whether or not it’s as effective. It’s a legitimate concern given how new the online education industry is, especially compared to the American Higher Education System, where the first college was established in 1636.
From our research, online education is just as effective as in-person classrooms, and depending on the goals of the students can be the best option.
How do online courses work?
Online courses contain all of the same information that an in-person class would, the only difference is that all instruction takes place via the internet.
The online structure parallels that of a classroom, but takes the physical requirement out of education making the class more accessible for everyone.
Is the education any good?
People are always going to be skeptical of change and looking towards online education being the future people feel apprehensive. Switching things up from the tried and true method of physical classrooms and courses means we need to readjust and redefine what exactly education is.
And most importantly? We need to make sure that we aren’t losing out on the quality of the course. Taking a look at both in person education and online education - online education comes up the clear winner.
But, this isn’t just something we’re making up. Professionals working on academia think so too.
In 2015, over 70% of academic leaders surveyed by the Babson Survey Research Group expressed that the learning outcomes of online education are as good or better than face-to-face education.
Yet, it isn’t all about the academics’ perception. How do the outcomes of online learning compare to traditional face-to-face education?
According to a report by the US Department of Education, “learning outcomes for students who engaged in online learning exceeded those of students receiving face-to-face instruction.” Look around any college lecture hall and you’re going to see a third of students on Facebook, the other third texting, and a fraction of the final third actually paying attention.
It’s a sad reality, but when you put someone in a classroom at a designated time they are going to have 100 other places they’d rather be and a dozen people they’d rather see and those “better options” are where their minds are going to be wandering to.
In online education, the students largely have control over when they’re going to listen to their lecture material. Instead of taking them out of the action midday, they have the option to listen to the material before bed when all other distractions have been eliminated. When online students are engaging with the content it’s because they want to and they are actively learning as opposed to traditional classrooms where they are there because they have to be there.
So what it comes down to is the fact that the quality of the material remains the same, but with students who are more focused and engaged the education they are actually getting is superior. When they are able to attend class and learn the materials on their own terms students can centre their entire focus on the course.
Are online students left unattended or unsupported?
Another common worry is that students aren’t going to get the same attention that they would in a physical classroom. Especially when you consider that online courses can accommodate significantly more students which in theory might spread the instructor fairly thin.
According to research, though, the exact opposite is true. The National Survey of Student Engagement found, “Course management and interactive technologies were positively related to student engagement, self-reported learning outcomes, and deep approaches to learning. Course management technology was most strongly related to student-faculty interaction and self-reported gains in personal and social development.”
The online classroom gives instructors more time to truly interact and engage with their students. In a classroom setting they are put on the spot when a student has a question, with online courses they are able to take their time in their interactions ensuring that each exchange is a positive one.
Furthermore, in an online setting if a student asks a question on a public forum and the instructor answers everyone in the course can see the exchange and refer back to the Q&A eliminating the threat of a dozen students asking the same question giving the instructor more time to focus on more pressing questions.
How about the class pacing?
One of the fatal flaws of traditional classrooms is that educators will oftentimes hold questions for the end of the period, and if you’ve missed a critical piece of information or got lost midway through the educator will be unlikely to accommodate you as going back and reviewing what was just said would negatively impact the rest of the class.
In some cases the educator will notice when the class isn’t following along or is confused and they can regroup and adjust their lecture, but that’s only effective when everyone in the class is confused, if only a handful are lost they are often times out of luck in a traditional classroom.
Online, though?
You can pause, rewind and rewatch.
When you are able to watch the lecture over and over again you can really take control of your education. Confused about something? You can pause and rewind in real time and get caught up before moving forward.
Do I need to set aside time and schedule classes myself?
This is another worry that people have - as inconvenient as traditional classes can be, the set schedule can help keep students accountable. When you signed up to be somewhere twice a week - you show up.
But in online education it’s often up to you to complete the material you signed up for. That’s intimidating for a lot of people, but so long as you treat this material the same way you would a physical class you should be set.
Commit to sitting down twice a week, the way you would in a traditional classroom, and completing the material. The only difference is that now you can sit down at whichever time is the most convenient for you. During your lunch break? Fabulous. At 2 in the morning when everyone else is finally asleep? Perfect.
In the end you have control and can consume the class at your convenience.
Is it worth the money?
Money is another issue that people worry about - when you’re paying your college tuition you’re going through the same (expensive) rite of passage that millions of other people have validated for you. It’s what’s normal and what’s expected therefore it feels a lot less risky than investing in an online course where you’ll be the only person you know taking it.
With that said, when you’re looking at education as the end goal, 99 times out of 100 the online route is going to be the more cost efficient route to take.
Most online courses are only a few hundred dollars - a fraction of the cost you’d take to take the equivalent course at a university, and you’re getting the same information. If you’re in it for the education rather than degree, online courses will come out on top every time.
The final verdict?
Many experts will agree that online education is superior to traditional classrooms. Between the ability to cater your education to your schedule and the control the student has over how the course is consumed students are able to be more engaged and focused.