7 Surprising reasons why online learning could be better than in-person

With the pandemic came some major changes, one of which was the switch to online learning. While it took a while for us to adjust to it, we’re now learning that online learning can be just as, if not more, effective than on-campus learning.

1. Online can be engaging too!:
A Forbes News article claims that online school was more engaging. It is unsurprising. Rather than relying on a chalkboard and a professor at a podium, online schooling expands the learning possibilities. Education is finally forced to digitally transform!

From immersive audio-visual content to quick formative assessments, online education is appealing to the new world we live in by its ease of participation.

2. More participation is possible thanks to technology
Think: Break-Out rooms, Polls/Quizzes, Chat, WordClouds,etc!
When a student is behind a screen rather than in a class, it may be easier for them to participate. There’s generally less hesitation in typing out a comment or participating through audio, compared to in a room full of people.

It’s easy to become uneasy when a lecture room full of students are looking at you. This problem evades the online schooling system and lets students make full use of their education and all the aspects that come with receiving it.

3. A more diverse Networking:
While Face-to-face learning has its benefits of after-class hour coffees or dinners or parties. Fully Online or Hybrid Learning classrooms tend to have a greater diversity of peers making for a richer experience. That said, Slack communities and Zoom hangouts try to make up for the missing parties.

4. Technical skills are learnt even better online:
With the world is changing and becoming more digital, it becomes more and more apparent that technical aptitude is important, even for future job prospects. With online higher education, you can access world-class faculty and immersive project-based learning especially with regards to technical skills. This is thanks to the many digital softwares, cases, laboratories, simulations,etc. Soon we can expect AR/VR technologies to reduce training costs further and improve ease of vocational learning as well.

Technical prowess is a growing part of our daily life, so the more you can expose yourself to it and get better at it, the more capable you will be. Excellent technical competency on your resume is a must.

5. Serious returns on investment (ROI) for Online Higher Education! :
There’s greater access to opportunities because online school is not bound to a geographic location. Institutions like ours (TVI) provide truly international education and career services to all of our learners.

Online Learning makes the operations of educational programmes cost-effective. Students can pay in flexible schedules and benefit from short-term returns (career transition, job enhancement, etc). Some EdTech companies are also operating Income Sharing Agreements (ISA) which arguably reduce much of the upfront costs making quality education more accessible.

6. Self-Directed Learning is here to stay:
Traditional learning had to move partially or fully online because of the pandemic. A 2018 study of students who had taken both online and in person classes revealed that 85% of students thought online learning was as good or superior to in person classes. The ability to review recorded lectures (at varying playback speeds even) is a serious advantage over chalk-and-talk.

Online schools are becoming more competitive and more students are seeing the value in an online education. There is no longer a stigma behind online education, instead it is seen as a different form of higher-level education.

7. Improved and Reliable Feedback:
Online learning enables faster and more efficient feedback than in person classes. Online also enable greater indirect feedback providing multiple parameters for observation such as chatroom activity, gestures, facial expressions, timestamps, etc.

Formative assessments can finally take center stage too. With this, students are assessed more often and professors have a better idea of the student’s learning status. The informative feedback loops help educators rapidly evolve the learning experience design and content.

Online is the New Normal for Education.