E Learning: Why Choose Online Education?

E Learning: Why Choose Online Education?

By John Thompson

The Internet boom is far from over, although it has been taking
a slightly different slant in the past few years; hardly
surprising as technologies advance and trends change. The World
Wide Web is the largest resource of information in the whole
world and whatever your needs the Internet can provide. What
started as a bubble has soon become a massive tidal wave and
online education is one of the areas that is still increasing,
probably more than ever before.

You can shop online, you can watch TV online, and you can even
book your holidays online or work online and now you can
complete perfectly legitimate and recognised educational
courses online. Far from being the alternative form of
education used solely by working parents it is becoming just as
popular with teenagers and professionals all around the world.
There are no boundaries to learning when using the Internet.
You can study a course that local colleges and educational
institutions in your area don't offer and you can do so without
having to quite your job and leave home.

You don't need to take three years to complete a course; you
can often work at your own pace, fitting in around your
commitments and according to your spare time.

What courses are on offer? 

As well as courses designed primarily for completion on the
Internet, many educational institutions are now leaning towards
offering the major courses to be completed in the comfort of
your own home. College degrees and graduate degrees are
available in almost any subject you could imagine with many
benefits over the traditional 'classroom' approach.

E-learning offers a vast array of topics too, from American
History to Zoology and everything in between. Perhaps you are
in full time employment and want a change in career. Not many
of us can afford to just give up work and go back to college so
online education could be the perfect answer.

Maybe you are unemployed and can't find work suitable for you
or the qualifications and experience you have. Online education
can offer you the opportunity to gain more qualifications
without the expenses of travelling or accommodation.

Why should I choose an online education course?

There are many advantages to online education. The courses are
usually tailored to meet the different demands that are
entailed within an online learning community. You are usually
free to study at your own time and pace, so you have the
opportunity to complete your chosen course quickly or as slowly
as you want.

There are no travel costs involved with online education and no
travel time whatsoever. The only time you will need to dedicate
to your learning will be the time you spend studying and any
trips to the library or other institution you may need.

Many jobs and careers demand a good working knowledge of the
Internet, and by completing your course online you are already
many steps closer to that end. You will have excellent
knowledge on Internet research; always being able to find the
information that is useful to you.

There are some factors you should consider when deciding
whether to opt for online education or a more traditional
classroom education. You will need a reasonably up to date PC,
together with an Internet Connection. Fortunately, computer
prices have dropped in recent years, so you can get a capable
PC for little more than $300. If you consider using Ebay or
buying a refurbished PC then you can reduce this price even
more. Don't forget, you will need a printer, operating
software, word processing software and an Internet connection
but again the price of these has dropped dramatically.

If you don't have much working knowledge of a computer or the
Internet you will need to find your way around at first and
this can seem a daunting task for the beginner. Don't panic,
just stick with it and buy yourself (or borrow from friends or
the library) books on how to use the software you are going to
need. Once online the Internet has all of this information at
hand, and the world becomes your playground.

A summary of online education

Online education can help all people from all walks of like
gain the education they want to better themselves or to advance
in the career they already have. Whether you are a working
parent or an unemployed bachelor, there are courses available
for you to complete through online education.

Online education offers many benefits and few pitfalls when
compared to the more traditional 'classroom' approach but you
should carefully consider your options before jumping in.

There are costs associated with virtually all online education
courses but these are usually little more than the costs to
study at a college and when you consider that there are no
travelling expenses and no extra living costs, you may find
online education to be a much more financially viable option.

The Hidden Revolution in Online Learning

More and more is written these days about the potential of Internet-based courses and supporting electronic technology to better educate American students. Among the tantalizing predictions: Instruction will be highly individualized, social promotion will be eliminated, and an Ivy League education will be available for pennies to anyone who wants one.

Remarkably absent from these scenarios is any discussion of the ideological implications of electronic instruction. Yet the political agenda of educators—including the subtle (and not so subtle) ways that agenda shades everything from the political endorsements of teachers unions to the actual teaching of subject matter—has always been influenced by the organizational structure in which educators operate.

It is no coincidence that America's K-12 and university systems, both of which bestow the security of lifetime employment (tenure) to those who master the relevant obstacle course, currently produce teachers who are disproportionately liberal. Nor is it a coincidence that political correctness is at its worst in the very learning communities supposedly dedicated to open-mindedness. Conservative criticism of a society managed by credentialed elites understandably stirs their intense hostility: The conservative opposition threatens the legitimacy of academic systems based on professional privilege.

Enter online instruction—which, by dramatically altering the economics of teaching, are likely to alter the political biases now built into the education system.

Few people believe that online instruction will ever completely replace the college campus experience or substitute for the social, psychological and recreational benefits of a K-12 education. But the current thrust of academic innovation is clearly in the direction of "blended learning," where a student taking five courses in a semester might take one, two or even three of them online. Blended learning recognizes the value of human instruction, particularly in the younger grades, but it will minimize the importance of credentialed staffing as a measure of a school's effectiveness. As Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates argued in the Chronicle of Higher Education in June, the old professional model of schooling has failed to produce the "kind of clear metric" that allows educators to "experiment and see" if students are "continuing to achieve" success. Computers and the Internet, he said, create "something that's not purely digital," but "the efficiency of face-to-face time is much greater."

The technological transformation of education has wide-ranging political implications. Blended learning may not eliminate the need for classroom instructors, but it will reduce the numbers required. Over time, the reduction will significantly reduce the amount of dues raised by teachers unions—and therefore the influence of one of the most liberal constituencies within the Democrat Party. It will also reduce the manpower available at election time to canvass neighborhoods, cover phone banks and drive people to the voting booth in support of left-leaning candidates.

Teachers unions nationally rebel against the demands of school reformers for more accountability. Disputed issues such as student testing, merit pay and teacher evaluations seem at first glance to have nothing to do with Internet instruction. Yet the demands for better student performance clearly pave the way for blended-learning environments involving smaller and more productive staffs.

At the university level, electronic education will gradually place a greater squeeze on the more liberal faculties—those in the humanities and social sciences. As many debt-burdened graduates have already discovered, not all bachelor's degrees have the same economic value. A sociology student may earn no more after college than he would have by not matriculating, whereas a classmate who studied software design or engineering can command a relatively high salary right out of school.

In a September interview in The Atlantic, John Mitchell, a professor of computer science at Stanford and the university's first vice provost of online learning, predicted a future in which students pursuing needlessly expensive degrees will—instead of going off to college—continue to live at home and take their first two years online. Or they might spend only two years on a campus and then find a job, finishing up their degrees over the Internet.

Either way, the intellectual atmosphere of colleges and universities will increasingly reflect the staffing requirements for majors that justify student investment in a protracted residential experience: science, engineering, medicine and business—not dominated by left-wing faculties.

The development of cost-effective instructional technology, combined with the growing pressure on states and localities to cap the cost of teacher benefits and pensions, has already begun to change the incentive structure of K-12 education. In 2011, Utah's legislature passed a digital-learning policy that ties funding for Internet courses in public school to student outcomes. Online providers receive half the per-pupil payment for a course up front and the other half only after the student has mastered the material. In November, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder unveiled an education-reform plan that would allow high-school students to get credit for online courses from multiple sources, including neighboring districts, online academies, community colleges and state universities.

Udacity, one of the three largest providers of online college courses, picks its instructors not on the basis of their degrees or research interests but according to how well they actually communicate."We reject 98 percent of faculty who want to teach with us," Udacity co-founder David Stavens recently told the New York Times. He sees a day when faculty are selected and promoted very differently, with the best "compensated like a TV actor or movie actor."

As performance-based incentive structures spread, course designers and school-based curriculum directors will have to be more flexible, competitive and accountable. If history is any guide, the elevation of such workplace values will even make their way into the subjects being taught, emphasizing such conservative values as personal responsibility and entrepreneurship.

Nearly a half-century ago, communications theorist Marshall McLuhan famously observed that "the medium is the message." Not even he predicted just how true this would prove to be.

E-learning in India

chillibreeze writer — Pavan Metri

Background
Online education is commonly referred to as e-learning; here, the methodology of learning is unusual as compared to the traditional classroom type of learning. The transfer of skills and imparting of knowledge (method of teaching) in a traditional classroom is purely monopolistic in nature, whereas, every individual has different levels of wavelengths and grasps the subject matter at different paces. Hence, it is imperative for an online startup company to understand the pros and cons, benefits, opportunities and impediments of online education in India.

Scope & opportunities of online education in India
Online education in India is gaining importance at a much slower rate than the western world, where most educational activities are carried out online.

Tremendous opportunities exist in the untapped rural areas as online education is at its nascent stage in India. There is a huge student segment in India in the age range of 16 to 35, who are willing to study online. Awareness has to be created among the general public in terms of the benefits and career aspects of online education.

Job oriented vocational courses are offered online, enabling students to complete such courses in a stipulated time. One can also prepare for competitive examinations in various fields like engineering, medicine, law, social sciences, etc without having to purchase physical books, thus saving huge amounts of money and space. Since online courses are student centered and not time bound, it enables blended learning.

Online education can be pursued not only by students, but also by working individuals who wish to pursue extra courses, house wives, business persons, senior citizens, accountants, real estate agents, managers working in diverse fields, etc.

Benefits to companies

• Less operational costs as teacher student ratio can be reduced without impacting the quality of education. Hence, companies spend less in recruiting trainers.
• IT costs are also reduced as virtual devices like live streaming cameras are used which are economical and a one-time investment.
• Flexibility in timings can be achieved as live classes can be conducted at any mutually agreeable time.
• One teacher/tutorial can train multiple (unlimited) students unlike classroom training. Hence, almost 100% margins can be achieved in online industry, reducing infrastructural costs.

Challenges for online education

• Lack of internet penetration in rural areas poses a barrier for companies to reach out to the rural masses. Lack of bandwidth also hinders interactive programs like virtual classroom connectivity, live streaming, etc
• People in rural areas are less susceptible to change as their mindset is geared towards a traditional classroom setting.

Benefits to consumers of online education

• One can sit at a comfortable place, set aside a convenient time slot, and successfully undergo training.
• No time and resources are spent on travelling.
• A valuable suggested method of learning for all, including teachers, students, and parents.
• Connecting with subject matter experts, professors, classmates through online world is much easier, time saving, and affordable. Everybody is just a click away.
• For business oriented people, networking is at their fingertips.
• Reduction in tuition fees due to innovative learning methods.
• Any information can be obtained through custom web search (E.g., www.quickmba.com)
• Much flexibility in learning, as one gets to interact with people of different cultures. Learning in groups is also more fun and promotes simulation, synthesis and assessments of individual projects.
• Online projects give special attention and exposure to students to cope up with real time practical experiences and develop themselves professionally.
• Other useful features of online education is that it induces collaborative learning through live virtual classes, discussion boards, forums, games, case studies, online projects, online group assignments, etc

Issues in online education

Health concerns

Being online continuously leads to health hazards like strain in the eyes and other health related hazards like stress, dizziness, etc for middle aged people.

Technology issues

• Lack of concentration due to change in the medium of education.
• In case of slow connectivity, more time is consumed in navigating through websites and pages.

Adaptability of the general public

• Lack of student to teacher interaction.
• Real time help is not always possible.

Content issues

• Sometimes, content may be outdated and some content may not be updated or missing.
• Mismatch between the course contents and student’s requirements.

How to Study Online

If you wish to add some zing to your monotonous study schedule, start studying online. Studying from textbooks has always been the norm for school students; however the concept of online studies is catching up fast. Innovative and multimedia enriched learning tools available online make the entire learning experience interesting and engaging. There are a lot of websites that equip students with the right online study tools that help make studying easy and scoring great marks easier. To ensure effective learning students are advised to refer to only those websites that focus on learning in the correct sequence. Students who are new to the world of e-learning, the following information focuses on the right sequence that is to be followed while planning to study online.

• Before starting to study online, the first step is to take a test that is geared to test your level of understanding of the chapters that have already been covered in school. Such diagnostic tests will help you assess your knowledge of related concepts that are important to obtain a complete understanding of the topic concerned. Such tests will also help you arrive at an understanding of your extent of mastery of the said chapter will enable you to plan your studies for that chapter.
• After taking a diagnostic test, the next step is to go through the multimedia enriched study material available at such websites. To obtain complete conceptual clarity, students should make it a point to go through the studymaterial supported with relevant videos, 2D/ 3D animations etc. Such an extensive exercise at this step will help students solidify their conceptual understanding of the subject and will make them better equipped to take exams head-on.
• To make the most of your online study sessions, after going through the study material the next step is to try your hand at the chapter-wise practice tests. Try to seek help from websites that provide both MCQ and descriptive practice tests. Such an extensive testing exercise will help you test your learning at various levels. Also such chapter-wise tests will help you identify the learning gaps and will provide you ample opportunity to take remedial action to fill those gaps. While taking tests on such e-learning/ online study websites, students should try to resist the temptation of looking into the study material for answers beforehand in order to ensure that the assessment process is thorough.
• After taking all the chapter-wise practice tests, the next step is to take full-length model tests. Such model tests available at e-learning/online study websites help students gain the much required confidence to beat exam-related stress. While preparing for final examinations, students usually witness high anxiety levels thinking about their performance in final examinations. Such model tests will help students gauge their preparation levels and will also allow them to take remediation steps to ensure a high score.
• An ideal online study session should end with a sturdy revision exercise. Students should refer to websites that provide crisp revision notes in printable format that make it possible for student to refer anytime.

Now that all you students know the right approach to online studies, make a note of it to be sure of an enriching study experience.