Online education is on the rise.
It did not appear with the pandemic; it existed before and what we saw once the pandemic arrived was its boom.
Online education became a global phenomenon, and technology development made it accessible to learners worldwide.
Despite being in 2022, the “education for all” motto sometimes becomes impossible to reach, as many parts of the world still do not have the proper internet connection and do not have the means to stay online and learn.
Current situation
The pandemic transferred education into online, and more and more teachers see this as an opportunity rather than a threat and prepare their courses for online teaching.
Technology is a significant enabler for education. IT companies worldwide have developed new technologies to make the education process easier and more accessible.
“The abiding metaphor of education is now a race, a global race in which every country and every person has to become ever more competitive. The best nursery, followed by the best school, the best university all to get the highest paying job. Along the way, we learn to compete and to be in debt. Our children and their teachers become stressed and anxious in this arms race that can never end. At the very least, once every five years, we should discuss if this is right,” writes Ken Spours, Professor Emeritus at UCL Institute of Education. (The Complete Companion for Teaching and Leading Practice in the Early Years, By Pam Jarvis, Jane George, Wendy Holland, Jonathan Doherty)
Online education is the future of education. Many surveys confirm this, and one of them is the survey made by the Global Shapers. Global Shapers Community is an initiative of the World Economic Forum. It tries to make a change in the world and help where there is a need – education, sustainability, climate. Global Shapers make a significant impact on the COVID – 19 crisis concerns and far as education concerns. As far as education concerns, they have various projects that intend to make it available for all.
What is online education all about?
Is it about the degree?
Does everyone want to tick a high school or a university degree and enter the working world? Things are not so simple as one currently thought or may have thought at the beginning of online education. Online education teaches you just as much if not more than the traditional one. The focus spam you have totally depends on you as there are no factors to disrupt you and your learning environment is one you are accustomed to.
Starting 2020, online education came to meet students needs as the pandemic took over. This situation proved that we could migrate from – person classroom to online teaching, and now more than ever, we have specialised in this. When the pandemic will be over and even nowadays, when we have it rather under control and a lot of traditional in-person classes take place, online education has become more of a choice for many. One good reason is the wide variety of courses and the high quality of them.
Now the race is fierce indeed, and what online education and all education is all about is:
1. Learning to be a part of the world.
2. Taking on responsibilities and answering for the outcomes.
3. Being aware of the challenges in the world and looking for solutions to them.
4. Developing the WHOLE PERSON you are meant to be.
Why choose online education?
Many schools and universities introduced online education years before COVID – 19. Yes, COVID – 19 represents the boost in online education and the appearance of more institutions offering it, but beforehand it did exist. The difference is that online education had a steady growth back then, while with the pandemic appearance, it boomed.
You may choose online education due to the
1. Cost reduction as far as commuting concerns.
2. Easier access from anywhere in the world.
3. Flexibility from the time perspective.
4. The easiness – all you need is a computer, internet access and basic IT knowledge, but today each child knows how to access the computer.
5. It helps with the “learning for all” concept that has existed since 1990 as it can reach those areas where there are no schools, teachers or means of transportation to access education.
6. Access to a more globally diverse student population.
7. More opportunities for subject choices.
8. The creation of an online community and the bounding of global students.
Is there a need for online education?
We will get over the pandemic, and we can all return to normal, but should we? Should schools give up online classes? We think they should not, and online education should be offered for those that prefer it.
The main idea behind this is to keep improving the online education system. The courses need to keep improving for online education, and the teachers need to keep preparing and becoming better in online teaching. As this pandemic passes, we might have others to face in the future, and being prepared for them will have nothing but advantages.
Currently, the pandemic and online education are the reasons behind some of the student’s “education loss”. This is because the transition to online classes was hard for some and also because maybe some schools, teachers were not fully prepared and could not deliver the same quality course as the in-person courses. However, the “education loss” is not something to worry about in the future, as one online school will become normality as well.
Yes, the focus has been on online and distance learning for at least the last couple of years. And while not all the schools could offer the same quality courses, this challenge created the perfect opportunity for improvement. This is how we all grow – through challenges. And education is no stranger to this.
How does the future look like?
While online education continues to improve, the future looks like a more hybrid education style. What does that mean?
That means blending the online classes with in-person classes and e-learning. These are three different types of learning but combined; they are one significant type – hybrid education. This is an excellent opportunity for children and parents to have a flexible learning experience. And it might even create more engagement from the students part.
What is the ROI for the hybrid models of education?
There is more return of investment on both sides than there are disadvantages.
A hybrid education provides opportunities for students to have their schedule, continue their sports, follow their passions, solve their homework at their own pace, and become more responsible as they create their discipline.
The costs to deliver online education are lower than for physical education. The affordability for more students is increased – thus creating opportunities for high schools and universities to increase their number of availabilities.
Conclusion
The shift to online schooling will not be complete. Physical classes indeed will co-exist with online education.
Thus, the future looks hybrid, and the race to deliver high-quality courses and content and have well-trained teachers for these is high. However, there are enough students for every school and university. We believe hybrid education will help education reach more students all over the globe. While there are some problems regarding the internet connection in some parts of the world, these will solve in the future. Up until then, alternative solutions will undoubtedly be found.
