Just a few years ago, as the new pandemic reality first set in, parents and teachers alike went into a panic – what would education look like now that traditional face-to-face schooling was no longer an option? While most had their doubts, it turned out that online education came with an abundance of unforeseen benefits for both students and educators.
Now, even as the pandemic winds down, it seems that online education is here to stay. In 2022, it has become a viable alternative to traditional schooling. Every day, more and more parents and students are choosing online courses in place of face-to-face lectures. To prove this point to those still indecisive, here’s exactly why.
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An education affordable to all
If you’ve been reading up on American news outlets, you’ve probably come across phrases such as a privileged education and insurmountable student debt. It’s no secret that quality education is not equally available to everyone. However, online education may just be the answer to this inequality problem. With online learning, students can enroll in the school or university of their choice for a significantly lower entrance fee. Even if the tuition remains the same, other costs like travel, housing, and on-campus meals are reduced. Furthermore, if the lectures are held online, it becomes that much easier to create digital material, thus reducing the price of a textbook, while keeping the planet a bit greener in the process. On a final financial note, highly acclaimed online courses could even offer grants or aid to top-ranked students, further helping them in their pursuit of higher education.
The world is your oyster – an international education
While a student’s grades might be enough to get them through the door, tuition expenses and family salaries are what keeps them in school. Because of this, most students opt out of international education, studying closer to home and keeping themselves out of debt. While this may not be the case in Europe, it’s not an uncommon practice in larger countries such as the US or Australia. In these countries, students often opt for smaller-scale universities situated far from larger cities, even though this choice may cost them further down the road. Thus, while a Master in Business Administration (MBA) may be a logical step for a business bachelor, it’s not always doable through traditional education. However, with online education, the world becomes your academic oyster. Even the best MBA in Australia is suddenly within reach and just a couple of online courses away. In short, online university programs enable talented individuals to receive the education they deserve, wherever that education may be.
A (non)traditional learning environment
Time and time again, educational psychology has proven that there is an abundance of learning styles and profiles. While a café with jazz in the background may work for some, the library is heaven to others. Unfortunately, traditional schooling doesn’t allow for such liberties when it comes to the learning environment – in the majority of cases, you’ll have a desk, board, and professor right in the middle. Here, online learning offers an alternative for those that don’t flourish in this traditional learning environment. Namely, once enrolled in an online course or major, you can follow classes from just about anywhere with a solid internet connection. This means that your educational needs will be satisfied in an environment that suits your learning profile the best.
An education that works for your schedule
Not everyone can afford to focus solely on their studies. Rather, most students will have either part-time or full-time jobs while obtaining their degree, meaning that they probably won’t be able to attend all their required lectures. In contrast to the rigidness of the traditional face-to-face schedule, online education offers students more flexibility. While they couldn’t tune into the morning online lecture, students would have the chance to tape it and go through it later in the day. Similarly, online courses solve time crunches. Thus, while a traditional course may have an eight-week curriculum, online classes could offer a workaround and allow certain students to obtain their credentials faster.
While the choice is ultimately up to you, the crucial thing to take away from this is that online education is not the boogeyman that some would have you believe. Even though it may be a novel mode of education, it is not to be disregarded. After all, it offers a more affordable alternative for international education – something that so many deserving students are not eligible for within the boundaries of traditional schooling.
