The pandemic has turned 91% of all global students into e-learners and we have reasons to believe that online education is here to stay. With high schools and colleges both within and outside the country switching to online platforms to keep education continuous in these unpredictable times, educators around the world are experiencing the relatively under-explored world of online education at a rate faster than ever before. Social distancing norms have resulted in institutions of all sizes- local schools to global university colleges going online. Here are a few reasons to discuss that online education will change the system of education going forward :

1. Traditional Education was long-pending an up-gradation:

If you have been a student yourself or have been around students, it is very likely that you’ve discussed how the education system is outdated and could use an upgrade. The onset of a pandemic has become the unlikely catalyst that made schools and colleges switch to modes of online education. With the addition of technology into the classroom equation, the possibilities for change are multi-fold. Interaction and attention become more measurable in online education classrooms and assessments can be made creative and interesting. Teachers can also use multimedia content to impart information to the students.

2. Online education: allows you to be global not hyper-local anymore!

Bad weather? Feeling sick? Traveling? Online Education has you covered! With online courses, you will not miss out on classes even if you were not able to be present at the classroom. This way, online education is flexible in a way that traditional education ever has been. Recorded sessions can help students revisit the online classroom and refresh their knowledge.

3. Innovative approaches :

A decade or two ago, online education platforms were rarely considered more than a supplement to on-campus courses. This was because of limited innovation in the field that limited options that were available in traditional classrooms. With the demand for online courses increasing by the day, online education platforms are coming up with tech-savvy, useful tools, and features to improve the students’ and teachers’ experience. Newer tools like the whiteboard tool, communicating & polling tools enhance interaction. Various testing methods and quizzes enhance assessment.

4. Expanding horizons of education:

Has the logistics of staying abroad stopped you from graduating from a world-renowned university outside the country? If yes, online education gives you an opportunity to fulfill this dream. Online colleges mean easier access to global college degrees with no compromise on the quality of education. In fact, colleges going online can enhance student diversity, thereby becoming valuable pools of culture and talent. International collaborations through online education platforms can help bring subjects specialists in as educators. In smaller towns, T2, T3, T4 cities where large universities were far even in their dreams, can receive education now, from any of the global brands of education societies of their choice.

5. Tech investments have already begun:

Now if the above reasons weren’t enough, here’s one more to prove why online education is definitely going to stay: Schools and colleges of all kinds have, in the last few months, already gone online. This means that they have invested in technology for this purpose in their own capacities. This might be in the form of paid registrations to online education platforms, access points for internet usage, or tech hardware like laptops, microphones etc. Once the pandemic is over, it is very likely that the school administrators will try to continue utilizing them, rather than reverting back completely to traditional modes of teaching.

The unforeseen spread of Covid-19 has demonstrated the need for an updated education system that can provide continuing education that can ensure knowledge transfer even in the absence of a physical classroom. Online education is a promising solution that has come to the rescue and proven its advantages. The future of education will, therefore, have to integrate its features into traditional classrooms to provide students with the best of both worlds.

Picture Source: Stockvault

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