Online education has risen to prominence in recent years. Proponents have been quick to tout its effectiveness, and detractors have suggested that it can’t compare to real-world classroom experiences. However, a closer look at online learning vs. brick-and-mortar might help you determine what works best for your personal goals and your business.
Online education can change the way students learn in many positive ways. Here are a few of them. Students no longer have to miss class for an illness or late-night study session, because they can view lecture material on their own time and access course materials from anywhere. Instead of talking to a substitute teacher, they can watch video lectures by professional educators. Instructors post additional resources online, like study guides and writing assignments, so students don’t waste time trying to figure out how to write a proposal or make PowerPoint slides that showcase their research findings.
Today’s students are growing up in a world where online learning is becoming more and more commonplace. Unlike previous generations, they may not see anything unusual about doing homework while simultaneously streaming a movie or FaceTiming with friends. As a result, children and teens could be coming to college better equipped to manage their time and multitask than their predecessors were just five years ago.
While online education has only recently begun to make its mark on K-12 classrooms and universities alike, it’s been touted as a possibility for decades. Since 1997, more than 20 million students have studied online, and that number continues to grow. The advent of live video streaming services such as FaceTime and Hangouts are making these platforms accessible to more students across a wide variety of settings. In short, online learning is nothing new—but now it’s getting better.
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