Online learning
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Online learning, sometimes called e-learning, is a type of education that is delivered over the internet. There are many different levels and methods of distribution of online learning, but as the medium gets older, more and more is being learned about the most effective approaches. Online education is used by students of all ages and at all stages of a person's educational life. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, approximately 5.5 million college students took at least one online course in 2012. Due to the many different kinds of online learning, it has proven to be difficult for research groups to identify how many students are participating in each kind of online education.[1]
History
Online learning is only the most recent attempt at providing distance learning to students. Distance learning, as the name suggests, is an approach to provide instruction over some length of distance. Historically this has ranged from using televisions to teach across a college campus to providing courses across the world using the internet. Another well-known form of distance learning is the mail correspondence format. This involved an educational body that would send assignments and material to a participant, who would then complete the material and send it back. There were several different attempts to use technology to enhance distance learning. For instance, some experimented with instructional radio programs during the 1930s. These programs, however, were largely considered failures. Similarly, during the 1960s and carrying into the 1970s, television was used in certain educational programs across both long distances and college campuses. Although they gained more traction than the radio programs of the 30s, these, too, were largely abandoned.[2]
University of Phoenix logo.
Although modern online learning did not fully emerge until the 21st century, experts experimented with it as early as the 1960s. During that time at the University of Illinois, scientists used an early computer network to share education materials over several different terminals while a lecture was broadcast over closed circuit television. Using a combination of technology allowed for the creation of the first virtual classroom, though it was not able to be efficiently used at that time. Over the next 30 years and as digital technology became more accessible, more groups began experimenting with online learning. The University of Phoenix, which was not yet an accredited university, became the first online correspondence school. Its success only encouraged more organizations to follow suit, becoming more innovative as technology improved.[3]
Types of e-learning
Distribution
One method of classifying online education is to label it by its distribution type. There are two types of distribution: synchronous and asynchronous. In synchronous courses, students are required to be online at a specific time. This allows them to work directly with instructors or ensure that feedback is given in a timely manner regarding assignments. It allows students to use several types of communication with instructors and oftentimes gives students the chance to draw more out of subject matter as they encounter it. Asynchronous courses simply require the student to complete work by certain deadlines, giving the student the opportunity to complete work whenever convenient. It does not necessarily prevent the student from receiving timely feedback, but communication is often limited to email.[4][5]
MOOCs
While the above passage describes online classes that are structured like traditional classes, innovation has inspired other types of courses that only the internet can offer. An increasingly popular education type is the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). The MOOC model allows thousands of students to take the same course simultaneously. These are often asynchronous courses, where assessments are done by computers or fellow students. Some examples of institutions that use MOOCs are Coursera and edX. This is a rapidly growing field, as it uses the internet's accessibility to bring education to individuals throughout the world.[6][7]
Blended learning
Blended learning is another method of education in which online learning is used. Blended learning uses a mix of standard brick-and-mortar education and online learning. The primary goal of this approach is to use the strengths of both systems to provide a more comprehensive education. The distribution of online and in-class learning used in a blended education can vary from program to program, but online components tend to be used as a supplement in this approach, rather than as the main component.[8]
Dual enrollment
Another benefit of online learning is its ability to aid students in dual enrollment programs. These programs require students to enroll in two different learning institutions at one time. Typically, these programs are used by high school students who seek college credit and experience prior to graduating. As it can be difficult to travel to two different schools, online learning makes dual enrollment programs more accessible.[9][10]
Online vs. brick-and-mortar learning
The debate about whether online learning is more effective than traditional, brick-and-mortar learning is vigorous and ongoing. A 2009 report published by the U.S. Department of Education revealed that in higher education and certain specialized fields, such as medicine, online learning can be more effective. However, another study, conducted by the nonprofit group Public Agenda, showed that the majority of students in their sample group who have taken online courses believe these courses are not as effective as in-class learning. The Public Agenda study also found that employers are more willing to hire those whose education primarily consisted of blended or brick-and-mortar classes. These are only two studies, but their conflicting information illustrates the level of debate that happens in regards to online education.[11][12]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term 'Online+Learning
See also
- Blended learning
- Brick-and-mortar education
- Coursera
- Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)
- Public education in the United States
External links
- Coursera.org, MOOC program
- edX.org, MOOC program
- 2009 U.S. Department of Education report comparing online and brick-and-mortar education
Footnotes
- ↑ Chronicle, "Exactly how many students take online courses?" accessed January 16, 2015
- ↑ AdultLearn.com, "History of distance learning, public education in America," accessed January 16, 2015
- ↑ SayCampusLife.com, "History of online education," accessed January 16, 2015
- ↑ Keystone.edu, "Online learning defined," accessed September 12, 2014
- ↑ Educause Quarterly, "Asynchronous vs. synchronous learning," accessed September 12, 2014
- ↑ Educause Library, "Massive open online course," September 12, 2014
- ↑ Coursera, "About: our mission," accessed September 12, 2014
- ↑ Education Reform Glossary, "Blended learning," accessed September 12, 2014
- ↑ Education Glossary, "Dual enrollment definition," accessed September 12, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, "Dual enrollment: lessons learned on school-level implementation," accessed September 12, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, "Evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning: a meta-analysis and review of online learning studies," accessed September 12, 2014
- ↑ Public Agenda - Taking Stock, "Not yet sold: what employers and community college students think about online education," accessed September 12, 2014
