We all know that there has been a massive growth of the online training, study, and learning sector. For many out there, online learning and study has been the best way to remain motivated and insure against any further uncertainties and changes in the job market, and to be primed for possible employment opportunities. If you’re not too sure about online study or don’t know much about it, then this article is for you, in that it will detail the reasons online study is more than a fad or a phase; it is the future, and here are the benefits of this future.
1. From anywhere at anytime
The number one benefit of online study, as noted on all the other listicles and online advice articles that have been summarized herein, is that it can be accessed from anywhere and generally at any time. Corporate development, college education, higher education, and all the courses in between can now be accessed from wherever you are. As long as you have access to the internet and a clear and consistent connection at that, then you will be able to access online study. Many argue that this flexibility is the biggest positive change that online study and courses have brought to the education arena.
2. The immense variety of online courses
Once you start looking at what’s available to study, you will be pleasantly surprised by the wide variety, from simple how-to videos on YouTube, nursing, and dentistry to post-graduate MA education and higher. You can now study just what you would’ve at a traditional institution, but online and from the comfort of your own home, with access to more resources and support than ever before.
3. Access is instant
As aforementioned, as long as you have a good connection, then the access to online education and learning is instant. The knowledge you want can be at your fingertips at the click of a mouse.
4. Can never be put on the spot; always have time to think before responding
The main thing that online learners mentioned as the main drawcard to learning and developing online have been the fact that they can never really be embarrassed or put on the spot as they could be in a real classroom. It allows for the quietest learner to have their say in an organized and orderly fashion.
5. Flexible learning
You can literally learn whenever you can. As a homemaker or a busy executive, as long as you have a few spare hours a week, it’s noted that you will be able to learn something that serves to change your life for the better. You do need to confirm this flexibility upon registration as there may be asynchronous component to the course, where you need to ‘be in class.’ However, it is asynchronous learning that many professionals and mature students are looking for. The mix between the two types of learning and the way you will be able to choose courses that suit your lifestyle allow for a flexibility not seen in education before.
6. A virtual classroom is the future, get used to it
Being able to interact and learn in a virtual environment is becoming an essential skill, and online learning has become the best way to learn this innovative technology and become accustomed to collaborating and interacting online. Online is the future of all sectors, business, political and social, and as such, the sooner this is learned and appreciated, the better. Online learning thus provides for a double-edged advantage, as it serves to model and teach online etiquette as well as the course-specific knowledge that you actually signed up for.
7. Student-centered
There are three forms of student interaction and involvement that are central to online learning, which allow it to be at the forefront of developing the modern student. By allowing students to interact with the content, with their instructors, and with their peers, all in the online environment, are part of the intention and instructional design of online learning that makes it special.
8. It can be highly personalized and can be customized
Online learning provides for a way to personalize and customize online learning courses and programs to suit the student. Regardless of how large the institution is online, there is now a clear move towards the personalization of courses and material. Through automated and artificial intelligence systems, applications and entrance tests are graded, and student material can then be personalized accordingly. Although the same course is studied, the presentation of material, frequency, manner of assessment, and length of study may be changed or adapted to suit each individual learner.
Furthermore, each learner has the opportunity, similar to a traditional institution, to design bespoke qualifications or mixes of qualifications, yet this is more apparent and possible to a larger extent online. Wherein you can choose various aspects of courses, and Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) allow you to pick and choose what you want to learn or study.
9. Creative and interactive, which is proven to be better for learning (esp. adult learning)
With the speed at which technology is changing and developing, its use in online learning has proven to make for an interactive experience. There is a great deal more creativity than the initial online courses, and it’s not just webinars and lectures or death by remote PowerPoint, watched on your own. Modern online study is now more interactive and creative than ever before, and the research shows that this has made a positive difference to how students now learn and serves to keep them engaged online.
10. More cost-effective
It’s difficult to legitimately say that online higher education is cheaper than traditional education; however, it is true that the research shows it to be more cost-effective. In other words, you will definitely get more bang for your buck, you may not get a true campus and student lifestyle, but you will have access to the best education in the world if you find the right online course, and the costing will generally be better than at traditional institutions of learning.
The benefits of online education and study are obvious, and although some may insist on including the few disadvantages that there may be, it is the aforementioned positive aspects of this form of knowledge generation and sharing that is a bandwagon worth getting aboard.
