Online Learning is the Future of Education
With the various technological developments occurring worldwide, obtaining an education has become more convenient than it was in the past, especially for people who reside in third world countries and find it unyielding to travel to a different country or state for the means of pursuing an education. Various prestigious universities such as the University of Southern California, Clemson University, Columbia University, Ohio State University, and many more, offer accredited undergraduate degrees to their students that are 100{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} remote.
Online learning is extensively useful for the environment. The results of a study compiled by J. Elliott Campbell from the University of California portrayed that the rate of CO2 emission was reduced by 5-10 tons per semester with every 100 students pursuing their education through digital learning. A report compiled by the Open University in Britain revealed that manufacturing online learning courses absorb merely 90{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} less energy and only 85{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} less emission of CO2 is produced per student who studies through traditional methods. In pursuing online learning, a student would not only be saving his time, but he would also be making a positive contribution towards providing safety to the deteriorating climate.
One of the worst misconceptions that people have is that online degrees are not as valuable. However, many students in the 21st century are acquiring their education through online platforms specifically due to various benefits associated with it such as minimized use of campus provisions, low risk of disease transmission, and convenient accessibility of tutor lectures. Employers respect online degrees just as much as they respect degrees attained through a traditional academic institution or university.
Online learning is extensively beneficial for students with a busy schedule because it allows them to understand the course material at any time of the day and any place. Whether it is 2 a.m or 12 pm, whether they are in a cafe or in the comfort of their homes, digital learning helps a student’s schedule to remain flexible, allowing them to invest more time in their personal and professional lives.
According to a report compiled by ShiftLearning, the rate of retention through the digital learning method increases by 25-60{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}. Whereas, the reports for traditional classrooms were merely 8-10{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}. Another report compiled by ShiftLearning showed a 900{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} growth rate in the online learning industry since 2000. A study conducted by Valuates reports portrays the worldwide market size for online learning in 2019 was 171 billion. Whereas, between a period of 2019 to 2025, it is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 10.58{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}. The reason why this happened was that, with online classes, students can manage their process and timings of learning according to their personal preferences. With distance learning, students have a choice of revisiting the training material whenever they want. Students have found immense substantial advantages through digital learning.
Online learning is an excellent option for pursuing one’s education because of its convenience, minimized cost, and self-study experience that prepares an individual to work conveniently in the professional field. Online learning prepares its students for the professional world by helping them develop organizational skills, writing skills, computer skills, time management, and teamwork skills.
Developing their skills at their own pace, digital learning assists a student to keep a safe record of their learning material for revising it before their exams. With the rise in trends of social media and rapid use of the internet worldwide, education is also slowly taking its place in every student’s life through digital learning, especially with the implementation of lockdown and online classes in the majority of countries in 2020.
Offering a wide selection of programs, courses, and virtual degrees, there are numerous skills that a student can attain, and subjects they can learn via digital learning. Some online platforms such as OpenLearning, InsideSherpa, Google Digital Learning, LinkedIn, and Udemy offer accredited digital learning short courses for upskilling. The certificates achieved through the aforementioned digital platforms are also substantially helpful for students to add to their CVs or Resumes.
From poetry writing to scriptwriting, from HTML practices to digital marketing, there are numerous options for a student to choose for studying an online upskilling course. Studying virtually, through digital learning, is an excellent way to attain an accredited certificate, diploma, undergraduate degree, master’s degree, and even a Ph.D. degree without being present on the campus of your respective university.
Decades ago, e-learning was merely a platform of learning whose focus revolved around tech fields and tech subjects. However, if we compare the internet world from ten years ago to now, we can notice how much it has flourished, by providing a new lifestyle for students worldwide.
From searching up a certain thing on Google to finding out the best recipe for your favorite dish, there is no denying the fact that the internet has played one of the most integral roles in making our lives easier and more convenient than it was decades ago. With the evolution of the internet and the rapid technological developments, digital learning has revolutionized substantially throughout the years. In 2020, more than ever, we got the chance to realize the importance of digital media and digital learning.
As workers worldwide resorted to remote working and virtual meetings through zoom, students had no choice but to complete their education through digital learning. In conclusion, digital learning is the future of our education system, and with the spread of COVID-19, it has been proved that certain undergraduate or graduate degrees do not require traditional methods of learning and can be done perfectly well with the help of online lectures or virtual tutor’s support which proves that online learning is indeed the future of our education system.
Author Profile
- Eman Khalid is a writer, journalist, storyteller, researcher, and media professional. She aspires to make a difference in the world through her love for weaving words. Her writings have been published on various educational, literary, and informational platforms. She has also been a co-author of various international literary anthologies. In her spare time, Eman likes to volunteer for the benefit of humanity and has worked with major non-profit organizations such as the United Nations, UNICEF, UNDP, and IOM-UN migration. Eman Khalid is an English Language and Literature student with a profound passion for learning. When she is not writing, you will find her reading history books, listening to songs, stargazing, taking long walks at the beach, and capturing the beauty of nature through her camera lens. Connect with Eman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emankhalidwriter/