While still in its relative infancy, the internet has changed almost all facets of modern life, transforming how we shop, communicate, and watch media.
However, one area where the web’s influence has perhaps been most profound is in learning and education.
Online learning has been growing at a tremendous rate over the last 20 or so years – to the point it was estimated to be worth a somewhat staggering $315 billion in 2021.
However, while that figure is indeed impressive, it pales into insignificance when compared to predictions for 2028, which suggest the sector could be worth an incredible $1 trillion globally.
A rate of change accelerated by Coronavirus
While learning online was already increasing and enjoying significant and steady growth, the emergence of the Coronavirus back in late 2019 also served to accelerate its take-up.
Just like the increase in e-commerce since 2019, the lockdowns and isolation measures imposed by governments around the world gave people little choice but to turn to web-based platforms for their learning.
Experts suggest COVID accelerated the growth of the e-com revolution by between four to six years – with similar figures suggested for online learning.
Web-based learning has massively increased choice
As more and more courses are offered in the online environment, so the choice for students has increased exponentially, giving rise to subjects that might have previously not been commercially viable in the traditional classroom learning environment.
Educational establishments previously had to think carefully about the financial viability of each course they offered, i.e., whether sufficient numbers of students would attend their college or university to complete a course to either cover costs or make a profit.
With online learning, many of these concerns disappear as the cost of producing and running courses is slashed.
These cost savings have led to a massive increase in the number and type of courses available, ranging from highly specialized subjects like courses teaching the skills to become a personal care aide to more traditional subjects like marketing or accountancy.
From a student’s perspective, this availability of training online is hugely advantageous – plus, online courses can be studied and taken while still holding down a job, empowering students to make a potential change of career without disrupting their current work.
The advantages of learning online from a student’s point of view
There are multiple advantages to online learning from both a student’s point of view and that of a university or college.
However, just concentrating on things from a learner’s perspective, some of the advantages of web-based learning include:
Reduced cost of education: In almost all cases, online courses are cheaper than their real-world counterparts as they cost significantly less for colleges and universities to run. Traditional, classroom-based education came with multiple fixed costs for the learning establishment – everything from the costs of owning premises to the heating of rooms or the purchase of desks and other associated equipment. However, with online learning, pretty much all of these costs are removed. Even the charges associated with lecturers are lower since much of the learning material is pre-produced in video format or downloadable documents, resulting in less real-time teaching.
A much wider choice of courses from which to choose: As mentioned above, online learning allows students a far wider choice of courses – again, linked to the reduced cost of producing and running course content. This diversity of subjects has the knock-on effect that students are enjoying much wider learning.
Learning at your own pace: With traditional classroom education, students often found they fell behind or didn’t fully grasp content at the same speed as the lecturer was teaching. This would frequently result in gaps in learning or understanding. Teachers have long known that all students learn at a different pace, and some will typically pick up concepts quicker than others. Online learning addresses this issue by allowing individual students to learn 100% at a pace that suits them. Also, because course content is held online, there is the opportunity to review parts of a course that a learner may have found problematic.
Increased flexibility when compared to classroom learning: For many people, the idea of structured timetables can prove a problem for any number of reasons. For example, some people find they are more receptive to learning in the morning than they are in the afternoon. Also, other commitments such as work might have previously precluded students from taking additional studies. Conversely, with the online model of learning, students are free to pick and choose when they study and can structure that around their work, family, and social commitments.
Online learning will also improve your time management skills: One of the greatest personal assets you can have from an employer’s point of view is the ability to effectively manage your time. As the onus lies with the student to structure their online learning, completing a web-based course is often regarded very highly by prospective employers, as it proves the student’s staying power, commitment, and ability to learn unaided.
Learning online can provide evidence of your commitment: Linked to the point above, the desire for self-improvement will also help prove your commitment to a prospective employer and your desire to succeed.
Study in your downtime: Very often people find they have a spare couple of hours to fill when they’re rather at a loose end. With online learning, you can maximize the value of these moments and instead use them for studying.
Gain a wider knowledge from students of foreign nations: Traditional educational establishments would typically attract the majority of their students just from the local area. However, with an online course, you’ll likely meet a far wider variety of students from more diverse geographical locations. The above is just a short summation of the potential benefits enjoyed by online students, and each learner will undoubtedly find their own personal advantages from web-based education. Moreover, online learning also makes sense for colleges and universities, making it a win/win for all concerned.