Online learning has enormous potential to reshape and improve educational opportunities around the world. With the growth of online learning, educational opportunities have never been more diverse or accessible, and more people than ever now have the chance to gain a high-quality education, ensuring they have access to the opportunities they deserve. But what is online learning? Let’s find out.
Put simply, online learning is a form of learning that takes place over the internet, rather than in person. Nowadays, most will be familiar with the term, as online learning and remote working became necessary during the coronavirus pandemic and have remained common since. Before then, however, online learning, particularly in schools and universities, while not unheard of, was relatively uncommon and often reserved for those in specific circumstances, such as postgraduate students with family commitments. That said, online learning has been around for longer and is perhaps more omnipresent than you’d expect.
If we’re to extend the definition, you could argue that forms of online or remote learning can be traced back to the early 1900s and the invention of the radio – the University of Wisconsin set up a station in 1919 that became the first dedicated educational radio station in the world! This inevitably led to dedicated educational television programs that became known as telecourses. While these examples are interesting and provide early evidence of educational institutions using technology to their advantage, they’re not really what we think of when we hear the term ‘online learning’ today.
What is online learning in the modern sense? Online learning as we now understand it began in the 1980s, when educational institutions began to use computer conferencing to deliver educational programs remotely. From here, the development of online learning was fairly rapid – by the late 1980s universities were offering complete educational programs through the Internet. Through the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s, as technology and internet access improved, online educational programs became increasingly common and increasingly sophisticated.
Then in 2020 came the coronavirus pandemic, and online learning suddenly became essential to the operation of educational institutions. Whether it was using online platforms to process essay submissions or recording and uploading lectures and informational material for students to review, many institutions were already utilising the benefits of online learning to some extent before the pandemic. When the pandemic came along, however, universities had to rapidly change, adapt and indeed improve their online provisions to ensure students could continue their educations to a high standard completely remotely. It was this rapid need to change that arguably led to online learning becoming such a useful and successful tool today.
Before we get into some of the successes of the growth and development of online learning, let's first look at some of the ways in which online learning can be a challenge.
Perhaps the most obvious challenge to online learning is access to the internet and technology. For those in rural areas or poor economic circumstances, accessing a good internet connection or a computer/laptop that can handle online video calls can be difficult – haven’t we all experienced the frustration of a call or video that just won’t stop buffering?
Online learning also inevitably comes with a lack of in-person contact. Many institutions now, post-pandemic, offer hybrid solutions in which students get some of their learning online and some in-person, which can work well. However, many argue that the communication between two people over the Internet will never quite meet the standards of traditional education. This highly depends on how online learning is organised. One-to-one tutoring works perfectly well online and can be far better, as it comes with fewer barriers associated with travel and finances. If you’re interested in finding an online tutor, head over to the find a tutor page at Shine Tutoring.
Another issue with online learning that again I’m sure we can all relate to is that online learning necessitates that students are disciplined and well-organised. What is online learning for someone who struggles with distraction or procrastination? The answer is, probably quite difficult! However, this challenge is by no means insurmountable. If students are taught proper time management and organisation skills, there’s no reason why learning done remotely at home can’t be just as focused and high-quality as that in the classroom.
While it does have its challenges, online learning has largely been of great benefit as it allows students and teachers the flexibility and convenience of remote work and has largely made learning much more accessible.
Online learning offers unparalleled benefits in flexibility. Students and teachers can conduct classes and meetings from anywhere provided they each have internet access and a suitable device. This gives students an incredible choice in where or who they go to for their education and means they can connect with educators all over the world. No longer are students limited to the teachers, colleges, schools or universities in their local area.
This flexibility also makes online learning extremely convenient. Online learning ensures that educators and students can link up regardless of unseen circumstances such as illness, bad weather or even a global pandemic! Classes and meetings are much easier to rearrange online, and by making resources available on an online platform, educational institutions can ensure students can get their education wherever they are in the world or whatever their circumstances.
This brings us to another great benefit of online learning, accessibility and inclusivity. Online learning makes access to education available to a huge number of people. Those with disabilities, poor financial circumstances, family or work commitments, or anything that might in the past have been a barrier to gaining education now have greater opportunities than ever before. This is perhaps the greatest benefit that online learning brings – it is now possible for people who would never have dreamed of studying to take online classes, modules and entire university degrees, improving their well-being and opportunities in life.
When asking ourselves the question, ‘What is online learning?’, what overwhelmingly springs to mind is that it is a tool with massive potential. Many educators are already taking advantage of it, and while it inevitably comes with challenges, online learning can be a transformative tool when it comes to the provision of education. By connecting educators and students in a flexible, accessible way, online learning has ensured that anyone can get the education they desire.
