Are Learners More Interested in Traditional Courses?

Online education has made learning more engaging, interactive, accessible and affordable. It is perhaps for these reasons that many learners from around the globe are now opting to study online, instead of traditional classroom learning. Although online learning offers several benefits to the learners, but there is a learning curve and attaining efficiency is an ongoing process.

Providing Enhanced Learning Opportunities

It is imperative that our students stay in the educational system in order to make sure that everyone can access education that will enhance their effectiveness in today’s competitive world. Moreover, after primary and secondary education students need to worry about rising tuitions and growing student debt if they wish to pursue higher education. This requires that we seriously consider how to deliver and offer better learning opportunities for our students, especially regarding web-based learning.

Is Traditional Learning Better?

According to a recent study by researcher Lamont A. Flowers of Clemson University, in-class science courses apparently provided better learning gains to students than science courses offered by online distance learning. The findings of the study, which reveal growing interest of students in traditional learning, were published in the latest issue of Black History Bulletin. Remarkably, African-American learners pursuing traditional science courses claimed higher learning gains as compared to students pursuing online science courses.

The objective of the research was to evaluate the impact of online learning and discover the perceived learning outcomes of African-American students in science courses. The study was sponsored by a donation from the National Science Foundation, offered to Clemson University by Fayetteville State University.

The lead author of the study, Lamont A. Flowers, said, “Given the dramatic shift in the way that many postsecondary institutions now offer educational programs to students, it is imperative that we examine the effects of online distance-education programs on student outcomes.” Prof Flowers is the Executive Director of the Charles H. Houston Center for the Study of the Black Experience in 

Education at Clemson.

Cognitive Effects of Online Education

The researchers claimed that the growth of online courses in mathematics, engineering, technology and science disciplines creates challenge for the higher study community to analyse the efficiency of online distance courses on the learning outcomes of students. Flowers added “It is imperative that researchers continue to conduct studies that employ rigorous procedures to examine the cognitive effects and educational impact of online distance education experiences institutional types, including historically black colleges and universities.”

The study accepts that teaching online involves more than just delivering study materials to learners digitally and performing virtual sessions. However the researchers suggest that online educators “may need to incorporate innovative instructional designs that enhance student-faculty interaction in online courses.”

Flowers further commented “The statistical results indicate that faculty should develop strategies to ensure that online courses provide similar learning gains as traditional face-to-face courses by utilizing instructional approaches and educational technologies to strengthen online distance education.”

The study suggests that online students have as much to learn from these courses as the educators have to learn about teaching in a digital environment. The key to learning successfully online is proper communication and incessant exchange of ideas between students and faculty.

What do you think about online education? Would you prefer digital learning or would you stick with traditional methods? Feel free to share your opinions, views and concerns. We would love to hear from you.

E-learning- The Market Is Gradually Augmenting

From tablets to smart phones, from searching wikis to having a blog, todays high tech environment embraces communication, collaboration & information all in digital way. Same is the landscape as far as today's education is concerned. The facility of time & technology has unfold academic degrees into prominence, which previously seemed to be impossible to attain. Today, the lack of time, money and the adequacy of personal and professional responsibilities don't matter anymore. Thanks to the radically evolved e-learning, today a long study programme has been flexible enough to complete according to the students' convenience.

E-learning Global Market That Is Having A Zeal

Thanks to the various e-learning tools & technologies, that keep growing bigger & better, the entire experience of education has been revolutionized. Today not only students, but also professionals, from all across the universe are ushered thoroughly by this newly emerged education facility to earn their degrees, build upon their knowledge base, and develop new skills. Not only that, our perception of knowledge and skill acquisition has also been advanced altogether. As such, an increasing number of online courses are now being offered in order to meet the ever-growing demand.

TechNavio's reports, based on a thorough market survey with inputs from eminent industry experts, have predicted that, the Global E-learning market, from today's scenario, is supposed to grow at a CAGR of 25.81 percent over the period 2013-2018. One of the key factors, that is contributing to this market growth, is reckoned to be the increasing acceptance of E-learning among corporates.

What Are The Statistics' Forecast

Which more crucial fact is that the gradual expansion of e-learning popularity is nowhere showing any sign to decrease. Inf act, the modern edu-landscape is indicating that the future of the e-learning Industry is brighter than ever.

• It was 2011, when the figure of $35.6 billion was estimated to spent on e-learning across the globe. Today the figure has been escalated with a huge number of $56.2 billion & this industry is being hoped to double by 2015.
• The business sectors has now confirmed that e-learning is the second most valuable training method that they tend to use. This report does not raise any surprise, as e-learning saves businesses at least 50% when they replace traditional instructor-based training with e-learning.
• Today, about 4.6 college students are appraised to take at least one study course online, which will veer the scenario, where approximately half of all college classes will be e-learning-based by 2019.
• The world's most rapidly developing e-learning markets exist in Malaysia and Vietnam, where the estimated 5 year annual growth rate for the Asian e-Learning market is 17.3%. Whereas, self-paced e-learning's growth rate in the Middle East is 8.2%, and its revenues are expected to reach $560.7 million by 2016.

Middle East E-learns Faster & Bigger Than Ever

A research, conducted by Docebo entitled "e-learning Market Trends & Forecast 2014 - 2016 Report", manifested the fact that, global and regional education suppliers are up-rising their stakes in the Middle East as the region's e-learning market sees revenues, elevating to $560.7 million by 2016. 

MattThompson, Project Director, F&E Group, commenting on Middle East's e-learning market, which is out-pacing the global market at 7.6 percent, cited that, ''The strong desire to digitize the delivery of the education experience is driving this growth, with governments playing a major role in boosting investments."

Thompson, who is organizing the GESS Education Awards in 2015, has also hinges on this distinguished award to assist educators in evaluating the quality of local and international suppliers, honoring the contributions of theses education suppliers in raising the quality of education throughout the region through advanced, digital tools, at the same time. Meanwhile, outstanding contributions and performance by teachers, schools and education professionals will also be observed in the following categories - Lifetime Achievement Award, Best use of ICT/eLearning in the Classroom, Community Award for Citizenship, Innovation in Education, and Outstanding Contribution in Education.

According to a recent study, held by The Research Institute of America, e-learning has the mighty prowess to benchmark information retention rates by up to 60%. That accentuates the fact that, not only is e-learning more cost efficient, but it's also more effective also, as far as the knowledge, acquired during the learning process, is concerned.