3 REASONS WHY THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION IS ONLINE.
Introduction
We know we will get to this point in our education journey.
We know education will have to be democratized.
We have come off age in this traditional model of education and we know someday we will have to change it.
Online learning appears to be bringing that alternative closer. In addition, the outbreak of coronavirus (covid-19) and the subsequent global lockdown compel schools to deploy alternative means of reaching the students because education must not stop altogether. And the alternative of teaching online was considered. Until now, most people don’t know it is possible to teach K-12 (Nursery to Secondary) students online and get results, now we know. I am a living experience because I taught my students (9-12) online and it was massively successful to my surprise.
This however is just the beginning. Schools are now thinking of establishing an online presence to complement their physical school activities on one hand and on the other hand, to provide a viable platform to reach an even wider audience (students) through their online programs. This is because, for some of them, their physical facility is not enough to accommodate the number of admission request they get annually, so, having an online presence provides that advantage both for the school and parents who are willing to get admission for their children in such schools and also students who wish to take the advantage of the online learning flexibility can do so, those who are limited by location can also attend a school of their choice.
This is the robust opportunity that online education is bringing for everyone. As a parent, why this is important for you to know is so that you can begin to expose your children to online learning platforms so that they can have wider educational choices as they grow and they will not be left behind their peers.
WHY IS THE FUTURE OF LEARNING ONLINE?
Flexibility
Why online schools will likely take over the future of education is partly due to their flexibility. It allows students to learn at their own time and place without restrictions. This way, students can also engage in other productive activities that will prepare them for the future. Why will they have to be fixated in one location at a pre-determined time if they can achieve the same result with a lot more flexibility? Learning does not have to be a thunderous task, it can as well be fun and equally impactful.
Access to learning resources
Another factor that will give online education a future dominance is an access to millions of resources that are available online. Lessons no longer have to be abstract, there are several resources available to make concepts more real and comprehensible. Videos, pictures, simulations, case studies, models are a few of the resources that students can use online to make their learning more meaningful. This access will not only increase their level of comprehension, but it will also enhance their critical thinking skills which is one of the 21st-century skill sets.
Another very important factor why online education will likely dominate the future’s education space is access to quality educators from any part of the World. Students will be able to make choices depending on the Nationalities and competitive advantage of countries. For instance, students can learn English from a native speaker from Europe and America, learn ICT skills from India educators, and Mathematics from Nigeria teachers. So there is a wide range of choices to pick from and this is an impressive development for education in the 21st century.
Opportunity for networking without borders.
Collaboration skill is one of the fundamental skills in the 21st-century workplace and with covid, a large number of workspaces are changing from physical to remote. Therefore, you will not only need to know how to collaborate but to do that within the online ecosystem. Learning online provides an amazing opportunity for global collaboration and networking. This is possible because students can relate and engage with their peers from all over the world.
They can engage in group discussions, group work, projects, and other learning activities that foster collaboration. This singular opportunity increases the prospects of students in getting high-level employment from anywhere in the World. More importantly, the collaboration skills they will learn through experience will enrich their experience and make them a globally competitive professional in the future.
Thinking about what the future for education holds is highly fascinating. Education will be highly accessible by almost everyone irrespective of their geographical location, race, or any other discriminatory factor.
Conclusion
There is no doubt about the fact that students will begin to pursue an online degree and the trend will continue to increase exponentially as it has been exemplified by partnerships between Nexford university and Sterling bank. As against the current scenarios where students are denied admission into their higher institutions of their choice to study courses of their choice due to limited physical facilities, online degrees will allow students the opportunity to make choices once they are qualified.
As parents, you know that the best gift you can give your children is quality education. It is however important to ensure that such a gift is timely and valuable.
Therefore, the onus is on you not to limit your child’s learning to traditional systems but avail them the advantage of learning from numerous online platforms that are appropriate for their age.
Good luck!!!