The value and importance of online learning
For centuries, students would sit in a classroom and a teacher would educate them on a topic. This was what learning meant to most of us as we grew up. However, in the last few years, education has taken a drastic step forward. Now, if you want to learn about any topic or get a degree, you have many options in front of you. Just go on the world wide web and enrol yourself for any number of online professional courses that you can handle. E-learning or Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are helping many people learn anything they want, right from the comfort of their homes. Some are free, while other are charged.
There are several benefits to online learning. Some of them are listed below –
- Location is No Longer a Constraint
Physical presence is no more a mandatory requirement to study and learn. So, you can live far away from the university of your dreams and still take an online course they run, sitting on your couch. You can learn at your own time as well because you can access the learning content anytime you want.
- Flexibility of Continuing Education
Online learning is especially relevant in today’s world where technology is evolving every day. Newer fields of work are coming up at a fast pace and there is a constant need to learn new skills. Today, it is not only the students who want to take up classes to add to their skill sets, but even professionals who want to stay relevant in their field of work. These professionals can not leave their jobs and go to universities to attend classes on rigid schedules. They need the flexibility to attend classes anytime and anywhere. Online learning provides both college students and mid-level professionals with that flexibility. The fact that professionals need to keep upgrading their skills means that providing them with options in continuing education is a must for educational institutes.
- Lower Cost of Online Learning Compared to Colleges and Universities
Another factor that is contributing to the success of online courses is the increasing cost of education at the universities and colleges. The costs of hiring teachers, maintaining the infrastructure, managing administration and investing in newer technologies have increased the cost of education drastically. Online learning is free from the burden of such costs as there is no physical infrastructure in the form of buildings and classrooms to maintain, no administration is required and there is no cost of paying salary to teachers. The costs of running the website and content development etc is not as much as the cost of running a college which allows them to provide education at a comparatively affordable price. While a lot of courses online are charged, there are many free courses. In this way, these online courses have opened equal opportunities for students to get educated in a field of their choice.
- Online Learning Provides Variety to the Student
In the traditional format of education, you must follow a defined path of learning. For example, if you want to learn something in chemistry, the colleges you apply to would like to know if you have any previous knowledge of chemistry. With online education, this is not the case. There are a multitude of options available to the person interested in learning. You can choose from a range of subjects and go for the one you are truly keen on learning. They can earn a certificate, a degree or a diploma in their field of choice. Most major universities in the world are offering courses online for those interested. This means that you can choose from a range of great universities as well.
- Comfort and Flexibility to Learn Whatever, Whenever at Your Own Pace
With the increasing need to learn new skills, is the burden of studying alongside your daily work schedule. Online education is a boon for those professionals who want to study and work both. They can enrol in the course on their laptop or mobile. They can access the course videos and documents and write the tests online. They do not have to follow a rigid schedule as they can take the classes when they have the time, from any location. It also helps when you can learn at your own pace and you do not have to keep yourself at par with your classmates. This also improves the learning outcome for the individual.
The rising value of online education in the recent world is beneficial to everyone. Even the pre-existing universities and colleges are turning to online platforms to impart education. It is obvious that online courses are more comfortable, convenient and cheaper for the students compared to attending regular educational institutes. It is relaxed way of learning a skill that is just a click away. It truly makes you the master of your learning journey.
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