The Future Of Online Learning In Higher Education – Advances in technology and the Internet freed education from the confines of a physical classroom. Today, students at all levels have access to quality education whenever and wherever they want.
As the COVID-19 outbreak closed schools and affected over 1.2 billion students worldwide, online learning became more than just an option. It became a key factor in people’s lives.
The Future Of Online Learning In Higher Education
As the world gradually recovers from the pandemic and universities begin to open, will online learning remain the future of higher education? This article will provide some good reasons why online education will still be relevant in the future.
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Online courses are designed to adapt to students’ schedules. It allows students to pursue the relevant course or subject at the time and pace they want. Traditional classroom learning doesn’t always offer this type of convenience and flexibility.
More importantly, online education offers accessibility. It allows students to study anywhere in the world. The virtual classroom is always available if there is an internet connection.
Due to the pandemic, the Massive Open Online Course Market (MOOC), which includes multiple online learning platforms, is expected to grow by $16 billion from 2021 to 2025. This is likely due to the popularity of convenient online learning methods such as live streaming, video -on-demand and webinars.
Regardless of which mode students choose, the convenience, flexibility, and accessibility that online learning provides will make it even more popular in the coming years.
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For online learning institutions, online learning allows more students to enroll in their courses. Classes that depend on pre-recorded videos and assessments can have an unlimited number of students.
Research shows retention rates are higher in online learning than in traditional classrooms. The Boston Consulting Group, in partnership with Arizona State University, found that students who take more online classes tend to graduate sooner.
This is likely due to the reduction in workloads typically present in traditional school systems. One of the main advantages of online learning is that it allows students to learn at their own pace.
Many online courses have study materials available at any time, giving students the opportunity to watch lectures again and review material. Additional reading tips, study guides, and other study materials are also provided to help students engage.
Online Learning: Future Of Higher Education?
The average cost of college for one student in the United States is about $35,720 per year. It does not always include accommodation, textbooks, equipment, transport and other costs.
Online education is usually lower priced than most traditional college programs. According to a report from the U.S. News and World Report online (in-state) college tuition can cost $11,040 to $20,956.
Many online courses offer a variety of payment options that allow students to pay in installments or for each class. It allows for better budget management. Students can also save money on transportation and other expenses listed above.
When it comes to learning online, the monetary investment can be significantly less – meaning more students will potentially have access to a college education.
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There is no denying that online learning is the future of higher education. While it may not completely replace traditional classroom learning, it is still a useful option for those who prefer to learn online.
Visit our website to learn how our company helps universities expand their programs at a significantly lower cost. You can also contact us today to know more about our online solutions. So much has changed in the digital age, especially the way education is delivered! Learning goes hand in hand with developments in technology, providing students with many options for their education. Advances in internet connection speeds and the penetration of social media in everyday life have revolutionized learning as we know it.
Therefore, it is no longer surprising to witness the rapid rise of online education. If anything, it’s becoming more of a norm than just a trend in recent years. Controversy on the subject and endless comparisons with traditional learning cannot be completely avoided, however, as many argue that one is better than the other. The debate is not new.
They have been around for ages, along with the inevitable changes in educational offerings and technology. To understand the great role of online learning and its relevant contribution to the uncertain times of a pandemic, it is insightful and informative to look back at its roots. It will help us recognize its enormous benefits, understand its superiority today and foresee its consequences in the coming decades.
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It seems that distance education, the precursor to online education, is a modern invention, but this innovative approach to learning can be traced back to the time before the advent of the Internet.
The interesting and complex history of distance learning began in the 19th century. This method of learning was motivated by geographical isolation from schools and was deeply rooted in scattered religious communities. For example, a program aimed at training Sunday school teachers and church workers began in 1874 in Western New York. It later expanded to accommodate nondenominational courses in guided home reading and correspondence.
But distance learning rose to greater heights when mail-order correspondence became the talk of the town. Courses were offered through the mail that served the needs of business employers seeking to train women for confidential positions. These correspondence courses focus on grammar, spelling, business letter composition, and accounting, among many others.
Mail order business courses were also offered in American companies, one by Strayer’s Business College in Baltimore City – now known as the current Strayer College.
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In the 1990s, the Pennsylvania Colliery Engineer School of Mines began a correspondence course dealing with mine safety. This course was an effort by a magazine publisher to minimize excessive mining accidents by educating workers in mine safety beyond what they normally learn from their apprenticeship. This later gave birth to the International Correspondence Schools in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The offerings expanded to business education, decorative design, and other engineering disciplines.
In 1982, Penn State began offering non-credit agricultural courses by mail to farmers, covering topics as diverse as plant life, farm drainage, plant propagation, and horse breeding. Their students came all the way to Canada.
In the 20th century, distance education gained a foothold in the United States and made its real and effective presence in traditional educational institutions. Lectures began to incorporate technological aids that allowed for a visual approach to teaching. It is in contrast to traditional classrooms where recitation methods are still prevalent.
It should be noted that most of the major advances in distance learning were related to technological advances that were integrated into classrooms. We can trace this back to the invention of the phonograph. The first language labs were developed from this invention, which enabled language learning through audio-visual aids. Audio recordings accompanied printed and written communication to make distance learning possible.
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The trend then moved to radio. The first broadcasting of recorded educational programs began with radio stations owned by universities. As the first electronic media, radios have begun to permeate the field of education. It gave teachers the space they needed to learn and allowed them to use a powerful medium to supplement existing curricula and written texts.
Private broadcasters, broadcasters and educational institutions worked hand in hand in further education by designing and developing special undergraduate and post-secondary programmes. Both traditional students and distance learning students could tune in to educational radio programs that enhance their studies. However, radio programs are not only beneficial for students. They were also used to assist teachers as they facilitate progressive teaching methods. Programming such as music, social studies and other specialized fields assisted and accompanied lectures by teachers who often have little or no knowledge in these particular fields.
Universities in Utah, Wisconsin, and Minnesota were granted access to radio licenses in 1921. By 1925, the number of licenses increased to 171.
It was also in the 1920s when Penn State expanded its distance education offerings to other states via radio. They launched a powerful radio station to offer live classes to students as far away as California.
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Broadcasting technology evolved once again! This time the TV came on stage. Iowa State University is recognized as the first educational television station in the United States. It all started when they applied for a license to the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) in 1945.
Other universities followed suit. Penn State joined this innovative approach to learning in the 1950s. Their first task was to install a live educational television system, which allowed them to connect 24 classrooms to a studio. This setup allowed one-way streaming and two-way audio transmission of courses on campus. Some of the disciplines that moved courses this way include accounting and engineering, among many others.
Fast forward to 1962, New York University partnered with WCBS-TV to produce the series called “Sunrise Semester.” This television program aimed to broadcast lectures from NYU faculty to the public.
Although it was met with disbelief at first, the program that got viewers to wake up at dawn (the time was between 6:30 and 7:30) and watch the lectures of the detractors took hold and steadily grew.