 |
| Image Courtesy: goo.gl/56HyyH |
Once many thought the concept of online learning will gradually fade out and only traditional education will exist. Proving its critics wrong, e-learning has not only survived but has become the tool for knowledge. In past five years e-learning has significantly grown. Presently millions of students have engaged in online distance learning courses. Apart from the young learners, even the adult learners are preferring e-learning courses. There are several aspects of online education that have significantly contributed to its growth. Ranging from flexibility to quality and cost-effectiveness have made online a platform where students from a different socio-economic background, gender and age engage in crucial learning. The growth of e-learning can also be traced in reports and surveys. Read on.
Key findings
 |
| Image Courtesy: goo.gl/v4L8Yh |
The 2015 online learning survey of Babson Survey Research Group has revealed some crucial data, showing the trend towards online learning. It was part of 13th and final report card of the checking US online education. The survey was conducted in association with Online Learning Consortium (OLC), StudyPortals, Pearson and Tyton Partners. Further data was collected from the National Centre for Education statistics. The findings are:
At least one online course was taken by one among four students. The figure stood at 5828826 in 2015 which is 217275 up from 2014. Students taking at online distance learning on year to year basis has gone up by 3.9% in 2015. in the year 2014, the figure was 3.7%. Undergraduate students comprising 72.7% and 38.7% whole level of graduate learners preferred public institutes. In 2014 5.8 million students took online course learning. Students comprising 2.85 million engaged to the whole, of course, learning via online whereas 2.97 million took the portion of learning through e-learning.
Senior vice president of Pearson Todd Hitchcock was happy with the growth of online learning. He said,
“While enrolments in higher education institutions decreased overall, enrolments in online programs continued to increase”.
Growth and fall
 |
| Image Courtesy:goo.gl/NuLaEz |
According to the Babson research report the student's registration with private for profit institutions has dipped with 2.8%. On the other side preference among students for private non profit education institutes have increased to 11.3%. Director of Policy & Analysis at Wireless Communications Engineering Technologies (WCET), Russell Poulin says,
“Between 2012 and 2014, students taking all of their courses at a distance grew by 33 percent for non-profits. They were only a few hundred students away from passing the for-profit sector for having the second most number of enrolments. Public colleges still lead the way, by far”.
The report points out at another significant development. According to the survey, 29.1% chief academic officers said the essence and credibility of online learning have been realised by their faculties. The scenario, however, is different in the institutes with positive registration for online education. There are 60.1% of institutes where 10,000 plus students registration for online learning are viewed as valuable and credible by the faculty.
Modern tool of knowledge
From the data, it's evident that online learning has grown significantly from the speculation of its existence. The growth of e-learning shows us that mindset of the learners has changed. They only seek to learn with the system where they find the education quality and other things are matched with their learning criteria. In this scenario, a learner can select traditional or online learning, depending on their need and capability. However, the trend suggests that online distance learning is growing popularly as the flexible, convenient and quality tool for attaining knowledge and skill.
 |
| Image Courtesy: goo.gl/J1nvw1 |
Do you think the growth of online learning in positive trend? Share your opinion or experience and comment below.
Article Source: goo.gl/GgeYUc
