Jeremy Kaplan
There is no denying that online education is on the rise at the moment. With an increasing number of online courses being dispensed in an ever growing number of concentrations, nearly every traditional co can be found online these days. But what is it about online education that makes it so interesting to new students? Here are four ways online education is completely changing the world of higher education as we know it.
Online Education is More Specific
One of the many advantages of online courses is that they allow students to learn what they need to know, and not what they have to. Regular university programs usually require years of prerequisites that often have nothing to do with the profession. Online courses, on the other hand, can be more targeted and offer core educational courses that will allow students to develop the specific skills needed for their profession.
Online Education is Diverse
There was a time when online education was limited to a small number of concentrations across a handful of fields, but today, you can find online education courses for almost everything, from masters in nursing administration programs all the way up to computer science and business administration. Also, it allows professionals who are already working the chance to further their education, such as RN to MSN online programs that allow registered nurses to further their nursing education without losing a step.
Online Education is Cheaper
With the lower overhead costs online universities have to suffer, the cost of tuitions are generally lower than regular schools. This means that more and more new students will be seeking an online education in order to cut costs.
Also, this might mean that many students will forego outdated traditional courses and go for more specific online courses that will allow them to develop the exact skills they need without having to go through the whole curriculum. Mini courses for startup entrepreneurs and web design are already being dispensed for a fraction of the price it would cost for a full business administration or web programming program at a regular university.
Online Education is More Flexible
One of the most enticing aspects of online education is the sense of liberty it gives its students and the added flexibility it offers. For online students, the world is their classroom and they can attend class wherever they are around the globe. Asynchronous courses allow students to log in anywhere and at any time they want with minimal interaction with professors and other students. Courses can also take as long or as little as the program permits, allowing students to work at their own pace.
These are all reasons higher education will never be the same thanks to online education. The many advantages online education offers to new students means that traditional brick and mortar institutions will have to adapt their curriculum and learning practices to fit the new reality. They will also have to adjust their offerings to satisfy the needs of new students. This can only come as good news to new students, who will have more options and better programs to choose from in the future.
