Online Education: Is This What Higher Education Will Look Like?

The year is inching closer to the end, and yet, there seems to be no end to the coronavirus pandemic. And as the pandemic races on across the globe, the adoption of virtual learning has witnessed good traction. Of course, online virtual had emerged as a concept long before COVID happened. However, the truth remains that it did have a role in accelerating the mainstream adoption of virtual learning, helping institutions ensure continuity. And it has had an incredibly eye-opening impact on higher education. It includes inducing the realization that three to four years of in-person classes may not be as important as we may have believed thus far. However, to truly enable higher education, some changes are rendered an absolute necessity. The list starts with getting better bandwidth and dealing with the digital divide. You see, not everyone can access the requisite quality of the internet and devices, including laptops, to take the online course successfully. And then, of course, the support for the teachers, who must be unskilled and retrained to continue teaching effectively. But to truly understand the value digital learning brings to the table, it is also essential to understand its benefits and disadvantages. So, here it goes. Pros: - Accessibility: This is easily the biggest USP — it does away with the need to travel to a physical location to receive an education. So, students from across the globe can access expert courses easily. - Cost savings: When you don’t have to run a physical institution, you save the costs associated with the upkeep and maintenance of a property and all the other associated infrastructure you need. - Flexibility: Since lectures can be recorded, students gain immense flexibility. It is in the context of when they wish to study without affecting other commitments in their life, such as a part/full-time job. Cons: - Not suitable for all learning: As much as we may want to believe in the power of this technology, the fact remains that not everything can be taught online. The prime example being medicine. - Barriers to adoption: As mentioned above, the digital divide is real. And it exists not only among students but institutions as well, which can impede the adoption of virtual learning. - Interaction is limited: While the ability to learn remotely is fantastic, the fact remains that interaction amongst students and teachers is vital to the process. And it can be quite challenging to achieve online because of a lack of hardware, poor connectivity, etc. Of course, digital learning remains a little bit of a new concept despite the accelerated adoption over the past year. But the overall evaluation of the different factors demonstrates that despite the challenges, the overall picture remains highly beneficial. And for the challenges, most of them can be effectively tended to with a robust virtual learning platform. All that remains is to pick the right platform for your needs.