The Concept of Online Education - Essay Example

Online Education The history of distance learning also referred to as distance education can be traced back to the periodbetween 1970 and 1980. During this period, institutions of higher learning in Europe and the United States started the journey of this form of learning by delivering to distant students’ coursework content via cable and later on through satellite television (Anderson, 15). However, the use of postal services to deliver class work to learners had earlier been used. The changes that distance learning has gone through to date are very significant. The use of satellite television and cable gave way to the use of internet in the early to mid 1990s. This is because the internet increasingly gained popularity becoming the most preferred channel of communicating distance learning articles. Distance learning accommodates the terminologies e-learning and online learning. The two words are used interchangeably, even synonymously (Anderson 26). This paper will therefore define what online education is, give a description of how it works, and critically review its current status or market, addressing its level of success. Finally, it will give a future outlook of online education. Online education, as a type of distance learning, has attracted quite a number of scholarly attentions. Various definitions have been advanced in an attempt to give a descriptive understanding of the terminology. While some scholars have defined it by referring to the type of medium used to convey learning, others simply look at it from the perspective of instructor-learner interaction and the flexibility that comes from such an interaction (Maddix 41). So what is online education? Online education is a form of distance learning whereby the teacher or instructor interacts with the students through the internet as opposed to the traditional class setting, also called the brick and mortar class setting. It can also be defined as the most modern type of distance learning which increases the chances of access to learning opportunities for distance learners. Lastly, online education can also be defined as gaining access to an environment of learning, and deriving an experience from it, through the usage of some form of technology (Anderson 38). It is clear, from the three definitions, that online education involves the interaction of tutors or instructors on one hand, and students or learners on the other through the internet. Education has increasingly become a very important tool to better livelihoods. At the work place, it has become a measure used by employers to determine the suitability of potential employees, or the promotion to a higher grade of existing ones. As such, the job market has become more competitive thus the need for more access to education. Many undergraduates who haven’t secured employment now prefer to go back to class to secure a higher degree, while those in employment are continuously seeking opportunities to further studies as job roles become competitive. However, differences in geographical locations and or the availability of both time and physical classes create a limit to the access of education. This has created the need for online education. Having defined what online education is, let us examine how it works. Basically, online education entails the delivery of class work content by an instructor to students via the internet. This content varies from coursework manuals, group assignments, Continuous Assessment Tests, and final examinations. However, online learning is much more than that. Firstly, the working of online education involves preparation for the course which will be relayed to students online. Course preparation for instructors starts by developing a simplified system, referred to as the Course Management System (Moore 78). In such a system, teachers and instructors usually post documents whose content is relevant to the target students. This is usually followed by an evaluation of the impact of such a system on the learning interaction between the instructor and the student. For students, it entails first learning the technology that has been used to facilitate the online learning before they acquaint themselves with the contents posted by their tutors. The development of the Course Management System and thereafter posting of relevant materials for learners is usually followed by the incorporation into the course content of more concepts, and also increased use of technology in designing the content. Initially, course instructors tend to design their first online education content with a lot of similarity to what they’ll normally give in a normal class setting. However, with more experience in the usage of the system, the design becomes different, unorthodox even. The dissemination of this content then follows though a synchronized web-based medium whereby the instructor and the learner experience a contact that is both direct and simultaneous (Moore 115). Examples of this kind of online education which is synchronous include an online chat engagement session between the teacher and students or an instructor giving a lecture through a webcam at an agreed time as the students watch and follow at the same time. Having examined how online learning works, it is important, before we examine the current place of online education in society, to briefly understand the difference that exists from the traditional education setting. The first obvious difference is the medium used to deliver course content. While in the normal traditional class setting the teacher instructs a live and physically present class of students, in online learning the teacher and student are linked via a web-based form of technology. The other major difference is that in a traditional brick and mortar class set up, the teacher or course instructor directs or controls the participation and learning of students, whereas in online education, the learning is self paced, that is, the student has more autonomy and learns at own speed, from the convenience of a location of choice (Roussas 102). Online education today has gained more popularity than a decade ago. This can be attributed to the convenience that it provides to potential learners, as well as the flexibility. The convenience in it is being able to attend a class at a particular scheduled time from the comfort of an office or home without having to go to a physical classroom. Students are also able to self pace their studies without being restricted to a stiff normal schedule found in traditional classes (Richter 44). Online education is especially of benefit to persons who are employed on a full-time basis and have other responsibilities or those who may not easily access classrooms due to geographical distances from their locations. As such, almost all the institutions of higher learning, including world renowned universities, have adopted this form of distance learning in a bid to tap such kind of students. According to a survey conducted in the year 2012 by Sloan Consortium, over a third of students pursuing higher education in the United States take at least an online course (Anderson 53). Online learning provides a variety of advantages. Flexibility is usually considered as one of the top pros after convenience. It gives students the opportunity to finalize coursework and at the same time handle other important responsibilities. Online education also fosters a culture of learning independently. The other most important benefit of learning online is being able to save on costs. Education today costs more than what it did a few years back. The cost of tuition has risen over the years, as well as other associated costs such as the cost of learning materials, accommodation, and food. These are mostly associated with on campus learning. However, cost savings can be realized with a shift to online education (Maddix 48). In as much as online education has made significant strides in revolutionizing distance education, there still are some disadvantages. Time management has been cited as one of these. Completion of an online education coursework, for instance, requires a lot of self discipline and motivation, planning, and organization. The other major disadvantage is learner engagement. In an online education setting, the interaction among students is very limited. This in turn works against the spirit of studying in a group and networking to resolve coursework issues (Roussas 57). According to a study which was published in the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, subjects such as those which required immediate feedback on a real time were not favorable to students pursuing online education (Richter 66). Technological hiccups have also been cited as bottlenecks to online learning. Disruptions in internet connectivity may significantly affect online students. Learners who are not proficient with the type of technology used to deliver instructional content are also at a disadvantage and may lag behind others in learning. Despite the above challenges, online education is the way to go. The pursuit of education over the years has proven that it is an important driver of success. As such, the medium of its acquisition remains equally important. The world’s population is continuously increasing, and the demand for education is also on the rise. However, it will not be possible for every person seeking for education to be accommodated in a classroom. Thus, the further development of online education remains paramount. Challenges facing online education today such as learner engagement and time management can easily be solved by a change of attitude. Technological hitches which affect the seamless flow of online education can also be addressed by the development of more reliable and user friendly applications. In conclusion, The history of distance learning also referred to as online education can be traced back to the period between 1970 and 1980. Distance learning accommodates the terminologies e-learning and online learning. The two words are used interchangeably or synonymously. Online education, as a type of distance learning, has attracted quite a number of scholarly attentions. Various definitions have been advanced in an attempt to give a descriptive understanding of the terminology. The working of online education involves preparation for the course which will be relayed to students online. There are certain differences between online and traditional education, for instance the medium used to deliver course content. While in the normal traditional class setting the teacher instructs a live and physically present class of students, in online learning the teacher and student are linked via a web-based form of technology. Online education today has gained more popularity than a decade ago because of the convenience that it provides to potential learners, as well as its flexibility. Despite the fact that online education has made significant strides in revolutionizing distance education, there still are some disadvantages, for instance time management issues among others. However, online education has a future because the world is increasingly becoming technological and people are busy yet they want to study wherever and whenever they are available. Online education will fulfill these needs. Work Cited Anderson, Terry. The Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Edmonton: Athabasca University Press, 2008. Print. Moore, Michael. Distance Education: A Systems View of Online Learning. California: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print. Richter, Olaf. Online Distance Education: Towards a Research Agenda. Edmonton: Athabasca University Press, 2014. Print. Maddix, Mark. Best Practices of Online Education: A Guide for Christian Higher Education. Illinois: IAP, 2012. Print. Roussas, Steve. The Effect of Online Education Versus Traditional Education on Employee Productivity: A Quantitative Analysis Within a High-tech Company. Michigan: ProQuest, 2006. Print. Read More