The world of education has been historically traditional in most – if not all – ways. Generation after generation have made their way through education systems around the world that were centred around classroom engagement, set assessment models, and a one-system-fits-all method. Of course, this education system was not necessarily broken, but it was fundamentally flawed. The reality is that each student is an individual, and as such they all have different ways of engaging and learning – ways that, dependent on the student in question, do not always align with traditional education methods and models. The solution has taken some time, some trial and error, to perfect, but it has come in the form of technological advancement and online learning.
The rise of online learning brought with it the breakdown of barriers to globally inclusive education, and the results have spoken for themselves time and again, having proven themselves to be valuable. There is something profoundly intriguing in the evolution of education. While of course there are students who thrive and perform at their peak through traditional education methods and models, there are other students who perform best through online education systems. Whether the course content is a bachelor in the arts, a DevOps masters' program, or anything in between and surrounding, one fact remains true and consistent: every student will have their own capabilities and learning preferences. Online education being added into the mix allows students to indulge those preferences.
Traditional education is beneficial for students who thrive on set scheduling and a strict learning system that is derived in the traditional brick and mortar classroom. Students who learn best via traditional education learn the value of respecting time management and scheduling, patience, and determination. It can be a challenge to keep up with the masses in a crowded classroom for some, but for many being in the classroom allows students the benefit of engaging and learning in real-time, and being able to have immediate access to the assistance of both educators and fellow students. In this way, traditional learning has an advantage over online education.
On the other hand, online education is extremely beneficial for students who thrive on being able to work their education around their lifestyle and their other commitments, rather than having to sacrifice everything else in life for their education during their time as a student. Students that study online are in direct control of their success and their progress, and as a result their academic results are the product of their accountability and determination, and not the rest of a strict scheduled academic experience. Students who study online can do so in between shifts and everyday movements, and they still have access to all the same materials – just through a screen and not necessarily in person.
In the end, traditional education and online education both carry the same methods and models. It is just the delivery that is different depending on which a student opts for. Having both traditional and modern learning methods and models in place allows for a globally inclusive learning environment, and as a result millions more students are enrolling and shifting towards academic success. This is an exciting and powerful time for the world of education, and it is only set to get even better over time.