Does UK Universities Need To Offer Better Learning Experience To International Students?

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If you are planning to study a management programme from a leading B-school in the UK as an international student, then it is certainly a great idea as you will receive high quality education and will become eligible for lucrative career opportunities. At present, the United Kingdom is among the foremost destinations for most international students, which has almost holding around 12.6 per cent of the worldwide recruitment market. However, several higher education experts believe that the viability of such a market is becoming increasingly uncertain.

                              Drop In International Students 

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During the 2013-2014 period, enrollments for both non-EU and EU students have fallen significantly. Where as non-EU learners comprise 48 per cent of the UK postgraduate STEM courses, you can see a 50 per cent fall in the number of postgraduate students from India. Dr. Thushari Welikala , lecturer in higher education at King's College London, wrote in a recent post in The Guardian,

“The falling numbers have been attributed to a range of factors: increasing global competition, the strict migration policy of the UK and the emerging new regional markets such as China, Egypt, Japan and Malaysia. ” She added “But there is another issue that universities are often less keen to discuss: are international students satisfied with the quality of their university experience while studying in the UK? ”

Around 24 per cent of the complaints submitted to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator last year mostly came from international students. This must send some cautionary which should send some cautionary messages to the higher education sector. I believe the main issue here is that UK higher education treats the international student experience simply as a “catch-all phrase.” Most UK universities take steps to provide support to international learners, allowing them to interact with home learners and become critical thinkers. But this approach is simply not proving effective.

               Need For Improving The Learning Experience

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Most studies on international student experience concentrates on the differences in learning styles or the cultural differences among home and foreign learners. However, this divide between foreign and home students has resulted in some counterproductive descriptions and misleading expectations.

Welikala wrote “Universities need to change their perceptions about how students learn and why they are here. Students today – whether home or international – have access to multiple ways of learning. They make use of a range of learning sites both physical and virtual. The so-called “passive Asian students” are very smart users of modern technology and are well connected with the online world. They are already international.”

                                 A Better Study Option

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If you ask me, studying business online from a reputed UK business school is a much better decision than going for traditional college education from the UK. Why? Firstly, you will be able to save a lot of money and avoid student debt as you will not be required to excessively high fees. Online business courses offered by leading UK schools are highly affordable as they aim to expand the reach of education. Moreover, by pursuing online study UK you will get excellent flexibility and convenience. This will allow you study and work a full time job simultaneously. However, if you are concerned about the quality of education, then you will be glad to know that most leading B-schools and universities in the UK offer the same curriculum and content in the online courses as in their on campus programmes.

You will be able to acquire comprehensive knowledge of the core management concepts and develop essential skills that will empower you to accomplish your professional goals. The degree/diploma you will earn by studying in an online business management School UK will make you eligible for the best career opportunities in your desired field, not just in the UK, but across the globe.

If you want the best learning experience as an international student, then the smartest option for you will be to opt for online business education as it will offer you significant professional and personal benefits.

What do you think? Share your thoughts and opinions with me by commenting below.

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Is Studying Online a Wise Solution to Cut Down Costs of College Education?

Who likes facing issues that relate to increasing college costs? Affording college education today has no doubt become a daunting task and the same has been felt by a good number of US colleges and universities. They have clearly revealed their financial inability to educate their students. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the most popular technology-intensive research university reported that they spend three times more to educate undergraduates that actually stands equivalent to that spent in taking tuition.

Is MOOC the ultimate solution to rising college costs?

For educating innovators in science and engineering and thereafter pushing the research frontier, an institution requires making lump sum investments. Students must be provided expensive instruments and exclusive facilities, and to meet all these demands, it’s pretty obvious for a university to become financially stable. In this respect, what people have started wondering is whether a Massive Open Online Course can be the ultimate solution.

Undoubtedly, MOOCs have gained supreme significance at almost every nook and corner of the world in the past few years. Today, thousands of students can access these courses right from their native lands and that too within their means. However, academic administrators still keep raising questions whether these courses would really be able to help career aspirants achieve their respective goals at a comparatively low cost. Can MOOCs act as the best substitute for a university education?

MOOCs are a possibility

MOOCs might indeed create a possibility. However, what should be done first is to know how to make use of digital tools that can make higher education better and more effective. Imagine what would happen after 10 to 12 years from now if instructors start applying digital learning tools in their respective classrooms and train their students accordingly. The classrooms in the year 2025 then will receive education that will score high in all aspects, whether it’s related to accessibility, effectiveness or budget.

The MIT success story

It was the year 2002 when MIT initiated OpenCourseWare with the intention to post all their course materials online for free. The result was brilliant. About 150 million learners from far and wide enrolled in this course. Today, career aspirants from almost every state in America as well as from other corners of the world are taking MIT classes online.

In regard to the education costs, the ones who also fall prey to financial challenges are the business management course pursuers. Some are either led to quit jobs to enrol in a pricey course while some relocate abroad to get admitted in reputed business schools. Well, digital learning once again can play a key role here in bringing tremendous opportunities to:

• Help students obtain similar learning experiences like those obtained in brick and mortar business schools
• Make use of new learning tools and smarter business approaches
• Access interactive modules that involve rich communication between students and instructors

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Online business schools are doing wonders

Interestingly, students are now taking pleasure in studying from business schools under UK universities online. In fact, these institutions are scoring high in not only making students study flexibly but ensuring that they acquire quality learning experiences within an affordable budget. An online business school gives the undergraduates and postgraduates the opportunity to pay per module and save a considerable amount of money which they would have otherwise invested in a full-time business management course. They can pay their fees for the next module as and when they complete each module. This concept is quite helpful for those unable to pay the whole fees at one go.

Other than students, working professionals wanting to further their qualifications in the field of business find this to be a very apt solution. Their busy schedule does not permit them to undertake further study through full time mode. By undertaking their course through an online business school they are able to adjust their work and study quite easily.

So, you can see how digital or online learning can act as a great saviour in helping your develop your career prospects within your means. In fact, what can be a better option than choosing to study in an accredited online learning institution that gives you the flexibility to pay for only those modules and assessments which you require? Don’t you consider it a smarter option than attending classes for hours in a brick and mortar institution and paying a huge course fee? Think about it before you take a leap!!