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To help you take a position on the issue (if you do not already have one), we have gathered several interesting facts that we hope will be useful to you.
1. Online learning is here and it is here to stay.
The first online program organized by an accredited institution appeared in 1986. Since then, it has seen nothing but success. Nowadays, 1/3 of 21 million American students use one or more forms of online learning.
2. There is no significant difference in learning outcomes.
According to a 30-year study conducted with the participation of the Department of Education – USA, no evidence was found that online education is of lower quality than that conducted in a traditional classroom. Unfortunately, advocates of online learning, by explaining how much more convenient it is, led people to perceive it as easier. But in reality, online courses can also be quite complex, depending mainly on the person who develops them. On the other hand, the development of information technologies has made it possible to present content-heavy courses in a lighter and easier-to-digest format. Another fact worth noting is related to the ability to work at any time from anywhere – this allows learners maximum readiness for study, compared to the time- and space-fixed formats of traditional learning.
3. Online learning is widespread.
80% of American accredited higher education institutions offer online learning.
4. Online learning comes in many forms.
The formats of online learning range from simple text-based courses in electronic format to rich multimedia and feature-packed courses – with a high degree of interactivity, access to external links, animations, and high-quality simulations.
5. The so-called Massive open online courses do not provide high-quality education.
Contrary to the common opinion created by the media, the benefits of these courses are not related to educational progress, but to their price. The fact that such mega courses can originate from elite universities led some people to decide that they had marked the beginning of a new form of online learning. But in reality - they have not.
6. Online learning suits more mature people much better than younger ones.
For older and motivated people, online programs offer significantly better results compared to learning in a traditional classroom. For younger people, however, online education is associated with a little more difficulty, since its nature requires greater doses of self-organization, persistence, and consistency.
7. Educational institutions can save a lot of money if they focus on online courses.
Schools and higher education institutions can save significant funds if they start conducting their courses primarily online, as the need to rent rooms for holding classes will be reduced. On the other hand, however, the need for additional IT support remains. In our opinion, the biggest financial difference will be for the students. They can be anywhere in the world, yet they will not have to spend money on travel, accommodation, babysitters, etc.
8. Online education may soon become the norm for the „post-traditional” and will be the preferred means of learning for people who cannot afford traditional education.
Online education will prosper, but that does not mean it will completely replace traditional education. Society will always feel the need for educational and research institutions where it can continue to discover and create the content that online learning so effectively disseminates.
Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomlindsay/2014/10/08/the-top-eight-things-you-need-to-know-about-online-education/.
