Online Learning Schools Assessing the Flexibility
Learning and teaching have always followed a traditional face to face approach for decades. It is, however, has taken new forms in recent times. Now with face to face classrooms, are existing online schools where most of the course content in delivered online, there are no conventional classrooms and a learner selects the curriculum and goes through the exam at his/her time and pace. Such courses are called MOOC(Massive Open Online Courses).Then there is the third category of learning approach, the hybrid approach where the content is partly delivered online and partly by an instructor in a face to face classroom.
Online learning is a new paradigm shift in education, making learning more flexible as well as accessible. In this article, we are trying to understand the flexibility of such programmes.
The Flexibility of time and place Learning was never this simple before. Online learning allows one to select his/her own time and place to learn. Earlier, if someone wanted to enrol in a university for a course of his/her choice, the only option was to move to the city where the university is. But now you can be anywhere in the world and still learn from the most honoured professor of the prestigious colleges. With limited seats, one's chances of getting in were also limited. With online learning, these barriers have faded away as the best universities in the world are offering MOOC. Now, one can choose any university at any time that might suit his/her needs. There is no right age or place to start. Studies in the USA show an increase of 5,70,000 students enrolling themselves for at least a single course at one of the online learning schools during fall 2011 across the country, hence the trend is clearly upwards.
Flexibility to choose subjects and curriculum Are you a science graduate but want to learn basics of psychology, or you may be good at management but do not have a degree or certificate to reach the next level of your career goal, if any of these define you then online learning is certainly the answer for you. Get yourself enrol with any of the best universities around and learn from their faculty. With most of the colleges adopting MOOCs where there are a number of courses available which can be selected by the learners as per their needs and taste. A number of subjects can be selected unlike traditional classes (which are job oriented)to suit the needs of students. All this, motivates more people to join MOOC since the background does not become a barrier be a part of certain course and one can learn anything he wants. One might be from a non-computer science background but can still learn programming and build a career for himself/herself in the space.
Flexibility for the Universities Not merely for students online learning programs are of great value for the universities as well. Universities can enroll a number of students at the same time without worrying about the infrastructure and the other assessment facilities. In hybrid online programs( where there is 80% learning is online, and rest of the interaction is face to face) classes of the professors can be recorded, and students can learn it at their pace and according to their own suited time. Some facts to show that mindset at higher education institutes is changing.
- Head(s) of universities and academic pioneers across USA are now supporting MOOC and more than tow thirds of these pioneers now accept online learning a part of institution's long- term strategy.
Enrol in the best University Being a part of the great and esteemed universities remain a dream of many. Sometimes it was shattered by high cut offs and sometime by the cost but online learning programs are the answers to both the problems.
Low on cost Getting a degree from the branded colleges can sometimes be burden on your pocket, however online programs saves your money and need to leave the job.This works great for working individual or for student who cannot afford higher education. With student-debt at an all time high and lot of people opting out of higher eduction because of its cost, such cost effective means are most welcomed.
Choose what you need to learn MOOCs allow you to select from a wide variety of subjects from the top universities. Students have the flexibility as they now are not limited to a school,they can choose to learn one subject taught best at one school and the other may be at another school. It is hard to imagine such possibilities with traditional classroom learning.