It’s safe to say that the last few months have changed how we look at online-based teaching, potentially permanently, as the Covid-19 pandemic has forced educators everywhere to switch their classrooms online. Although eLearning is new to many teachers, traditional classroom education was far from the only option for learning, even before the pandemic.
eLearning in the Past
The technology that allows eLearning to happen with hundreds of miles between teacher and student has grown and changed over the last several years. eLearning has been a natural choice for full-time workers who find it difficult to fit in classroom time, and according to a survey of U.S. students, as many as 30% of the students of higher education had one or more distance courses as part of their studies. And even before the pandemic, online certificates and degrees had been gaining popularity and were no longer viewed as subpar degrees.
eLearning in the Future
It’s unlikely that every aspect of education will transfer to distance learning after the pandemic, but there is still plenty of evidence that eLearning is the future of education because of all of the benefits it provides!
In traditional classrooms, one teacher could teach one classroom at a time. But with online education including features like lectures, animated explainer videos, games, chat rooms, and more, a teacher can now teach an infinite amount of students, regardless of their proximity to campus, and give them so many more resources.
This also leads to fewer expenses with less overhead and students will also save time by not being tied to campuses or expensive tuition payments.
More Geographical Freedom for Teachers
Another benefit of eLearning is the freedom it brings teachers. Teaching has traditionally been a career that has demanded to stay close to the school and its students for most of the calendar year. eLearning changes this, allowing teachers to teach from anywhere in the world.
Traditional class demonstrations can also be replaced partly or in full by resources like animated explainers or motion graphic videos available to students anytime, anywhere.
The Growing Body of Technology
The steadily improving technology available to educators will likely gain even more popularity if education continues to shift from traditional classroom teaching to more online learning. Learning management systems (LMS), where educators can upload lectures, material, and even exams for students is one of these. Another is educational games, as well as virtual reality (VR ) or augmented reality (AR).
VR and AR, especially, has great potential for bridging the educational gap in situations where hands-on learning has been considered the only option. VR allows students to explore physical environments, like historical buildings or natural ecosystems, that otherwise could not be physically accessed.
The pandemic is a chance to learn by trial and error the types of lessons that function well as remote lessons, and also a chance for learning institutions to look at the quality of eLearning they currently offer. Likely there is already technology available that will enhance the experience for both teachers and students.
The Future of Education
eLearning makes it possible for anyone with an internet connection to learn just about any skill or concept, regardless of where they are in the world. eLearning will only grow into the future as will things like LMS’s, animated explainers or motion graphic videos, message boards, learning games, and other online resources that support it.
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