The 21st century has seen many technological advancements to make it easier for people to achieve specific tasks. However, among the most significant changes that have taken place in recent years, the shift from traditional to virtual education deserves special mention.
Online education has been around for a pretty long time as assignment help and online coaching. However, it wasn’t until the global COVID-19 pandemic hit the world that people understood its significance.
Initial Reactions To Online Education
The traditional learning method is so ingrained in everyone’s minds that the initial reaction to the concept of online education was met with distrust. Job recruiters favoured candidates with certificates from formal educational institutions over those who took online courses.
The air of ridicule, suspicion and distrust also extended to the organisations that conducted such courses. The majority of the people believed it to be a scam and refused to enrol their children in online classes despite it being a significantly cheaper alternative to traditional learning.
The Shift In Perspective
Zach Sims, the CEO and co-founder of Codecademy, says, “Overnight you had an entire sector become significantly more validated.” Other founders of multiple virtual learning platforms mimic Sims’ words as they observed a staggering growth when the global pandemic shut down schools worldwide.
At that moment, people had no option but to turn to online platforms to ensure that the students wouldn’t have to give up on their education. As a result, experts predict that the e-learning market is set to be worth $325 billion in 2025, with the US market itself growing by $12.81 billion from 2020 to 2024.
The Effects Of Virtual Learning On The College Faculty
The growing shift to virtual learning platforms has undeniably affected the students. However, the transition from traditional face-to-face learning to online instruction has significantly impacted the higher education faculty as well.
While students have always been familiar with technology, using online essay typer to improve their work quality, the faculty finds itself struggling to catch up. According to various research documents, three categories saw a significant change:
- The teaching practices of the faculty
- Communication strategies
- Changes in instruction
Let’s dive into them in further detail:
1. Teaching practices
The practices the college faculty have been familiar with in face-to-face teaching proved ineffective in the virtual learning model. In the traditional learning method, it is easier for the professors to hold the student’s attention.
However, there are more opportunities for distraction in an online learning platform, enabling the faculty to develop more innovative methods to ensure that the students don’t lose their focus.
2. Communication strategies
Communication with students has also evolved to include various alternatives to the usual face-to-face interactions. Instead, professors have begun to use both synchronous and asynchronous formats to engage with the students. The latter consists of blogs, wikis and discussion forums. Meanwhile, others have increased the opportunities for students to communicate using emails and online messengers for effective communication.
3. Changes in instruction
In the traditional learning environment, the faculty would usually not consider using technology to help facilitate learning due to the expenses involved. However, incorporating the traditional methods in the online platform is a challenge that many educators struggle with.
As a result, this platform change has modified the instruction medium as professors take the help of multimedia, infographics, video lessons and PowerPoint presentations to make learning more engaging.
Such changes might be challenging for those who are not accustomed to the digital platform. But with time, you can expect the instructors to catch up with the flow of things, especially as more institutions are in the discussions of setting up permanent online courses.
The Business Outlook Of Virtual Learning
The e-learning market has seen steady growth over the past decade, with more universities introducing distance learning and private firms providing short-term courses. However, it is the COVID-19 pandemic that was the catalyst to catapult this form of learning into the limelight.
According to Global Market Insights, the value of the e-learning market was at $250 billion, which experts project to hit $1 trillion by 2027. This growth owes much to the increasing demands for education methods that break through the moulds of traditional learning.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought forth discussions about the need for more skill-oriented learning programs to provide students with the ability to become an efficient workforce in the future. With the support of the Internet and the constant upgrades in technology, students can gain access to a vast amount of knowledge with real-time feedback to improve their comprehension of the subject.
In addition, various corporations have started to implement virtual learning platforms to provide their employees with the necessary upskilling. It’s a cheaper option than providing everyone with hands-on training, which requires much time and effort. Hence, virtual learning has not only impacted the education department but has also revolutionised the corporate sector.
Popular E-Learning Platforms
Many virtual learning platforms have decided to venture into the unknown in the hopes of achieving success, taking advantage of the growing e-learning market. However, the risk might be worth it as those who have cemented their names in the forefront have reported tremendous growth in the past few months.
Some popular e-learning platforms that you can explore are:
- Udemy
- LinkedIN Learning
- Skillshare
- Coursera
- Thinkific
- Teachable
- Shaw Academy
- Treehouse
- Lrnkey
These platforms provide thousands of professional and academic courses at affordable prices. In addition, you will also get instructions from the respective field professionals, ensuring that you learn the topic thoroughly.
Summing it up
The prospect of virtual learning has opened the doors of education to all parts of the world unhindered. Students familiar with using online tools like essay typers for their assignments can transition into virtual learning easier than most. However, the innovative technology ed-tech start-ups aim to make this transition as smooth as possible for students and faculty.
Also read about: 5 Ways to Pay Attention to Visual Learners
