Online and offline. Changes to be expected in higher education shortly

0
689
Online and offline. Changes to be expected in higher education shortly

The pandemic has affected absolutely all spheres of human activity. Some of them, such as tourism or the retail industry, suffered more, while others, such as online sales, suffered less. However, whether this is the case or not, everyone was affected because we have lived in a global world for a long time. The same sphere of online sales has customers in the retail industry. The most listenable seems to be an analogy with the house buttons made one by one. One falls, and so do all of them. The difference is only that someone is earlier and someone is later.

The consequences did not spare the sphere of education. According to UNESC0O estimates, by 2020, over 1.5 billion students in 165 countries did not have the opportunity to attend classes through COVID-19. Today, this number is lower, but the trend, as before, is close to it. All this predictably led universities to the transition to online learning. And while previously only a relatively low percentage of universities used online tools, it has become a reality for most of them.

Digitalization in education is scary for everyone, but we have to. Pandemics showed us that it’s necessary. Services like Essay Assistant or any online tutoring started this process long ago, but they can’t digitalize the whole system. We need inner changes to make the educational system more up to date.

Distance education – evil or good?

Talking to different people, you can perceive polar opposite variants of the answer to this question. All of them are not senseless.

Pros and cons of daytime learning

Pros:

Supporters of the classical model of teaching talk about face-to-face contact, which allows for better communication of ideas from the teacher to the students. You spend more time with the group and receive positive feedback. In other words, all of this makes networking easier and speeds up the call.

There are also disadvantages to the classical “offline” training:

This approach takes a lot more time. You spend more time on the road, communicating with someone, or living in another city, and not all of it goes to the learning process.

Another minus can be formulated as: “did not come – did not gain knowledge. Classes are not recorded, and copying an outline is not equivalent to acquiring the same amount of expertise. It became solid with the onset of the pandemic.

This also includes a limited number of places (you can not get to the list of people who make up the group) and the high cost of the training itself.

Advantages and disadvantages of online training also gather a sufficient number.

Among the advantages of distance learning:

Accessibility. You can study closely and consistently. Modern training programs do not require even the presence of the Internet – the student receives materials in text or video format. If you download them to your laptop or smartphone, you can study anywhere, even without the presence of the network.

There is no need to be disconnected from work, which is especially important for those already engaged in professional activities or obtaining another degree.

The third is the price. Today, online education is cheap because there is no need to include the cost of rental space and other expenses associated with a physical presence.

Read Also: How to Leverage Transactional Email Services for Business?

The main disadvantages:

To ask a question to the teacher, you need to write to them. You will receive a response, but it takes three times as much time.

Less clear networking. You know the members of your group, but online. Not everyone wants to meet in real life, so you will not know everyone alive.

The need for self-discipline. Probably the most important. But this disadvantage, as a rule, does not affect the majority of those who acquire a second or third-degree because they clearly understand why they need it and are more motivated.

For the appropriate level of motivation, both approaches work pretty well. And there is no unambiguous answer, which is better. I think everyone decides for themselves, based on their tasks and rhythm of life.

Today’s trends are becoming more inclined to encourage people to learn online. Here is an example from Swiss Montreux Business School.

We have been working on the Ukrainian market since Fall 2012, starting with the participation in the exhibition “Education Abroad,” which was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Science, Youth and Sports of Ukraine from 15-17 November 2012. Until the pandemic, SMBS was focused on teaching students in a residential setting. The percentage of distance education was 15%. In general, we were little different from others, except that we began to think in terms of online and gradually began to develop a program for this form of training.

At the moment, distance education has become a leader, taking into account the great demand in natural world conditions. By comparing the period before and after the pandemic, an average of 70% more students are enrolled in online education in 2021 than in 2019-2020.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here