In this digital era, the education sector is undergoing a massive transformation. Students and universities across the world are not relying on the age-old, uni-dimensional, chalk and board methods of learning anymore. Instead, they have started to embrace a variety of online tools in order to facilitate, simplify and contextualize the entire learning process like bringing in e-learning in higher education. Here’s a list of Top Online Learning Development and Delivery Tools.
As a result, the global e-learning market has begun to witness a meteoric rise. So much so, that the revenue derived from e-learning is expected to touch the magic figure of almost $325 billion by 2025!. Here are 9 Reasons for the Growth of eLearning in Education.
In such a time, where learners are required to grapple with an immense wealth of information on a daily basis, it becomes extremely important to understand why e-learning in higher education is currently being preferred over the tried and tested, more conventional methodologies.
Here is a list of the 10 major advantages e-learning in higher education holds over its traditional counterparts:
1. Greater Access:
One of the biggest advantages of e-learning in higher education is that it transcends geographical boundaries. It allows students the benefit of a class, irrespective of their physical location.
For example, students can easily attend courses from prestigious universities like Oxford & Harvard via e-learning. The need to be in close proximity to either the university or the teacher is completely eliminated.
2. Resource Scalability:
E-learning enables institutions to save a great amount of time & money. They don’t have to incur any form of expenditure in terms of hiring instructors, purchasing equipment or other resources. Instead, they can use these saved up resources to improve the quality of the overall learning process. Here are top 10 Reasons Why Institutions Should invest in Online Learning Programs.
Moreover, unlike traditional classrooms, e-learning does not restrict an educator’s reach. As a result, students get to learn on an individual basis, at their convenience.
3. Better Results:
E-learning in higher education has been known to improve productivity, augment focus and thereby, provide better academic results. In fact, as per a research, students can boost their retention rates by as much as 25-60% through e-learning.
This is because audio-visual learning coupled with a host of variable media formats, tend to cast a positive influence on the learner’s ability to grasp and retain information. This further improves scores & refines results. Here’s more on the Importance of Digital Curriculum Development in Higher Education.
4. Improved Pace:
The process of e-learning is by and large, self-paced. This is to say that e-learning enables students to learn subjects, at a time and pace of their convenience. They don’t have to worry about missing out on other opportunities merely to strengthen their academic credentials.
Similarly, students can choose their own pace of understanding, without having to experience the constant peer pressure to learn quickly and perform well.
5. Cost-Effectiveness:
Quite like institutions, e-learning can prove to be a cost effective alternative for students too. Traditional methods of education are more expensive because they include the charges of trainers, classrooms, course materials, travel and accommodation.
However, e-learning gets rid of all these costs, helping students enroll for a course of their choice. In the longer run, these economical rates empower students to give their professional careers a tremendous boost. Here are the Best Practices for Effective Online Course Development.
6. Quick Lesson Delivery:
As compared to traditional methods of lesson delivery, e-learning is much more sophisticated, dynamic and quick. Most e-learning lessons are wrapped up within a single academic session.
Nonetheless, students are given the flexibility to extend or reduce their session time, depending on their needs and requirements. Learners can choose to skip the areas that they are already familiar with while focusing their energies on more relevant subjects. Here’s all you need to know about The Making of Future-proof Online Learning Programs and Courses.
7. Personalization:
E-learning in higher education does not usually take place in a group setting. Instead, it imparts education in a more personalized, distinct, specific and transparent way. Students can choose to ask questions, leave feedback, get responses, seek repetitions and clarify doubts as per their own level of comprehension.
This learning technique addresses issues, resolves problems and customizes the entire course structure to suit the student’s demands. Here are 10 eLearning Design Techniques for Improved Learner Engagement
8. Instant Upskilling:
In a time where skills are required to be updated regularly, e-learning can prove to be an immensely helpful tool. Be it students, veterans, beginners, experts or mid-career professionals – e-learning enables everyone to upskill themselves at a time and place of their choice.
Neither do they have to enroll in a formal school, nor are they required to explore any other opportunities. With e-learning, they can learn quickly & thereby, perform better.
9. Environmentally Sound:
As per a study by UK’s Open University, e-learning has enormous capability to reduce an institution’s carbon footprint. Using e-learning methods instead of traditional teaching practices can reduce total energy consumption by approximately 90% while lowering carbon dioxide emissions by over 85%! Being paperless, e-learning in higher education is an eco-friendlier studying option than other power consuming & resource exhausting alternates.
10. Traceable Outcomes:
Last but not the least, e-learning works wonders when it comes to measuring outcomes, tracing results and gathering feedback. While it is not possible to keep a close tab on every student seeking education under the traditional system, e-learning methods ensure that a continuous and consistent evaluation can be undertaken to assess regular progress. As a result, the needs of every student are accommodated & the quality of learning becomes better.
The Way Forward
The swift expansion of the internet to the remotest of areas, will further improve access, enhance options and thus, empower both students and institutions. E-learning in higher education will not just function as a medium of initiating inclusion, but it will also operate as the sole harbinger of excellence, proficiency and opportunity.
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