Online learning is becoming increasingly more popular, and no one is immune to it. Whether you are searching for a way to fix your phone on Google, or have just received a WhatsApp text from your friend talking about some amazing fact, you are unknowingly exercising online learning.
However, these are just indirect ways to use the internet for learning, but what about traditional learning? Can eLearning supplement or even complement traditional learning methodologies in the brick and mortar model?
Would you drop your idea of taking a Digital Marketing course from a skill training institute, if the same course is available on Coursera? Would you be more enticed if you didn’t have to leave your job to complete the same course?
Believe it or not, online learning is the present and the future as well.
- If you run a training institute and don’t want to lose a student to Coursera, Udemy, or any eLearning platform, take your business to the online media.
- If you are a business with active corporate training programs for your employees, implement eLearning in your corporate training.
- If you run any kind of educational institute in the brick and mortar model, implement eLearning in some form to offer the best learning experience to your students.
If you still need convincing, read on for 10 reasons for why you should convert your traditional learning methodologies into online courses. There are certain benefits that learners get from eLearning, which also encourage them to take online courses instead of traditional classroom learning.
1. It costs much less for learners as well as tutors
Everyone knows how expensive colleges and training institutions are. Not just as a learner but it’s also expensive for the colleges and institutions to manage traditional classrooms. Just calculate the cost one would need to manage physical classrooms with various equipment, stationery, computers, books, textbooks, cafeteria, and other activities. There is a reason why colleges charge a massive fee and why students have to take loans to pay for those.
With an online counterpart, the institutions can avoid extra expenses and invest only in what’s necessary for developing effective online courses. When institutions won’t have to spend much, they will be able to charge less for their services.
2. It is more flexible and less intensive
Taking traditional classes means showing up in person and on-time to your scheduled class. Whether you are a learner or a student, the physical presence of both is a must to conduct traditional classes. You might be able to take a break in between the classes, but you still have to remain at the location for the day. It’s exhausting for everyone and mostly comes out in the form of fatigue, which eventually makes both learners and tutors to take less interest after the grind. Let’s not forget the extra stress of doing and checking the homework. Deadlines are stressful and grind you with pressure and intensity.
With online classes, you can enjoy both learning and teaching at your own pace. As long as you meet the deadlines and attend the online classes properly, there is no pressure and intensity here. There are various forms of online courses where you get access to the learning resources 24×7.
3. It gives easier access to the classes
Attending physical classes is a challenge in some situations. Just imagine you live in Alaska and you attend your classes somewhere 3-4 kilometers away. Would it be possible to attend the classes every time and in every season? Even if you don’t live in a remote area, there could a number of other reasons for why might not always be able to spare a whole day for attending classes.
With eLearning, you get access to an online teaching platform from anywhere and at any time. It doesn’t matter if it’s raining outside or aliens have just attacked our planet. As long as the internet is working, you can attend your classes from anywhere by using a mere computer, laptop, tablet, or just a smartphone. Advanced education technology benefits both tutors and learners when it comes to building an easy access point to the classes.
4. It gives access to a global knowledge base
Distance and geographical constraints are the most crucial factors limiting knowledge transfer in traditional learning. You have to be physically present in a class to learn or teach. Just imagine the advantages of regular education everyone could receive if everyone could attend the classes at Harvard, Oxford, or MIT. We know this is not possible for many reasons.
However, with online learning, we can build a global community of learners and tutors. This has been actually proven by MIT. With MIT OpenCourseWare, the institution has been offering free access to massive and quality online courses to global learners.
Online learning is global and universal. It doesn’t matter if you live in the US, UK or any part of the globe. As long as you have an internet connection and a computer, you can pick any accessible course of your choice. A tutor in the US and teach a student in Africa through an online course.
5. It builds a community and gives a platform for brainstorming
Education is best done with discussions and brainstorming. One of the advantages of regular education could be the sense of community it builds among the students of the particular institution. Campuses and physical classes allow learners to meet and have discussions. However, for that to happen you need to attend the classes physically.
Online teaching platforms make all these activities possible in a virtual mode. In fact, the online mode is more effective in practical senses. Students can join various groups and online communities of different niches and discuss with other learners spread across the planet. You must have heard about the forums and communities like Reddit, Stake Overflow, and Quora. All these platforms provide the ultimate way to build an online community of learners based on topics and niches. In fact, various eLearning platforms and LMS software also allow users to build similar discussion forums and communities.
6. Huge variety of courses to teach and learn
Online learning is not limited to a particular type of course or genre. You can find almost everything on online platforms to learn. No matter what is your desired field of learning, you can always find an online course fitting your needs.
It’s not just about a learner, but also the tutors finding a course to teach. From rocket science to a simple cake baking course, there is no limit to what you can find.
If you want to teach from K-12 Varsity tutor is the platform for you, if you want to teach a specific skills Udemy is the right choice, if you want to create a whole academic model course create a MOOC on Coursera. You just have to ask, it doesn’t matter if you want to teach or learn something, you can always find a platform for your need.
7. You don’t have to leave your job to teach or learn
The accessibility of the online courses makes it possible for the students to complete them in a flexible way. They can access the learning materials 24/7, hence a physical presence is not required in a specified time period.
This is a major reason for why not just learners, but also the tutors are preferring online teaching platforms. The students have to compromise with their daily routines nor do the tutors have to confine themselves to working for a single teaching organization.
This enables both to continue with their daily jobs while attending the online classes or accessing the learning materials anytime they wish to. Learners do not have to quit their jobs to enroll for training and tutors can work for multiple platforms at a time.
8. Digital Skills are taught better with eLearning
There are certain skills and courses which actually work best in the online environment. Especially the tech-related courses like programming, digital marketing, or learning a software tool. With integrated simulators and IDE, online teaching platforms can not only teach the concepts but can also let learners apply them practically.
Moreover, while learning through online platforms the students are exposed to different types of techs that also teach them basic skills. For example, using a computer, downloading files, interacting with other users using messengers and integrated boards. What could be a better way to learn tech than the tech itself?
9. Assessments are frequent yet non-intensive
One of the biggest cons of traditional learning is it can be highly intensive when it comes to assessments. The classroom-based tests and examinations in themselves are stressful and create fear among the learners. Moreover, arranging examinations every other day is not possible, even if you think your learners can take the stress.
Online learning, on the other hand, offers much better and less intensive ways of assessments. Integrated LMS software can be used to track the learning progress and generate regular learning reports based on aspects like attendance, assignments, and quizzes.
It’s worth noting that online examinations are better and most of the competitive examinations for higher education or job are also taken in online mode these days. It’s not only easier to take the online exams but is also accurate and speedier for results generation.
10. Go green with eLearning
Do you know how much it takes to produce the stationery you use in the classrooms? From textbooks and notebooks made after cutting down millions of trees to CO2 released while producing the plastic made stationaries, everything has an impact on the environment. Let’s not forget the amount of electricity required to manage physical classrooms and educational establishments. Taking the classes to the digital platforms will save all these expenses and the environment, at least to some extent.
Conclusion
E-learning is already quite popular and businesses are thriving offering online courses. It has become an industry in itself, offering livelihood to many. From online tutors, online platform owners, and the eLearning marketplace to software vendors, everyone is doing their jobs to take this niche to the mainstream. Looking at the rate at which all kinds of learners are adopting eLearning, we can speculate it going to be more advanced in the coming era. It’s probably the best time to convert some traditional courses into eLearning courses.
For more great content regarding all things related to college, check out the other blogs at College Basics.
