Education has taken place in the classroom with great success for many years. But in the past decade more and more people have been turning to the internet for their learning needs. Busy lifestyles and career demands have helped distance and online education grow in popularity.
Students are familiar with learning in a classroom and that can make it hard for them to imagine a different way of learning. But as the popularity of online education grows, even schools and colleges are now requiring some online study as part of their courses.
Employers are realising the potential as well. Recent research by the Australian Flexible Learning Framework has revealed that 80% of Australian employers would encourage their employees to embark on online courses. They saw the benefits not only to their employees, but to themselves as well.
So what are the benefits? How does online learning improve on the classroom experience?
Time
- Online learning saves time as you don’t have to travel to class
- Study can be done at a time that suits the student - they can study whenever they like
- Students can use online forums to discuss subject matter more leisurely
- Teaching staff have more time to communicate with each student, prepare materials and assess.
- More learning materials can be used, as there is more time to find them
- There is minimum impact on your current work commitments
Access
- Gives students more training options, especially in rural or remote areas
- Study in the comfort of your own home, or anywhere you choose
- Online forums give distance learners a more interactive experience
- Greater access to information and ideas
- Better access to tutors – students can contact them at any time
- During online discussions students can access online materials
- Students continually in contact with many other students
Online discussion
- People who aren’t comfortable with public speaking can be more verbal
- Students can become comfortable with public displays of their thinking
- It’s easier to keep up with online conversations
- It’s more likely that contributions will be factual as well as opinion
- Many experts can contribute
- Students from other courses can get involved
- Students are more likely to follow up on the information given
- The relative anonymity brings about a reduction of gender and other barriers
- Online discussions are more collaborative because they shift the student from a passive to an active role
Practical skills acquired
- It’s good practice for growing use of computers in jobs
- It provides additional writing experience for students
- There’s an emphasis on the written word which requires a deeper level of thinking
Conclusion
Online learning gives a student more time to study and learn the material. It gives a student greater access to a wealth of material and facilities, all of which enhance the learning experience. And it allows greater freedom of discussion, while gaining valuable practical skills.
So what are you waiting for? Take advantage of the convenience and benefits of a Cengage Education course by enrolling now, or view a list of all our courses.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact a trained course advisor on 1300 853 033