The Advantages of Online Learning
On 23rd March 2020, the UK Prime Minister announced a nationwide lockdown to curb a widening outbreak of COVID-19, closing many sectors including training and development, and the public was ordered to stay at home.
With the technological revolution in the field of education, online learning was already growing exponentially, presenting a multitude of benefits for learners worldwide. This article explores the many advantages of online learning, the blend of synchronous and asynchronous learning, and the impact of COVID-19 on its acceleration
Accessibility & Flexibility
The advent of online learning brought a paradigm shift in the education landscape. Among the myriad of advantages it offers is super flexibility.
With online learning, the barriers of geography, time, and physical ability are significantly diminished, granting access to high-quality education to learners worldwide, irrespective of their location (UNESCO, 2020). It affords the flexibility to learn at one’s own pace and schedule, accommodating different learning styles and life commitments (Means et al., 2013).
Online learning platforms provide an extensive range of courses across various disciplines, offering students an opportunity to study niche subjects or fields that might not be available locally (Allen et al., 2016).
Personalised Learning Experience
Online learning often comes with personalized learning pathways, enabling students to focus on their areas of interest and fortify areas of weakness (Dabbagh, 2007).
No two learners study or learn in the same way, or at the same pace. Online learning offers a great deal of flexibility in how individual learning resources and support services can be highly focused and deliver quality support where and when it’s needed.
As an example, the UK College of Personal Development has a fairly flexible model of delivery that we call the “Hybrid Blended Learning Approach”. Our academic and professional qualifications are a blended mix of scheduled synchronous and high-quality asynchronous learning resources.
These include LIVE interactive online workshops, recorded video lessons, PDF Documents and personal tutor calls and tutor-led discussion groups.
Time and Cost Savings
Beyond the pedagogical benefits, online learning also brings substantial time and cost savings. Travel and accommodation expenses are eliminated, and course materials are often digitally available at reduced prices or for free. Furthermore, the efficiency of learning is improved, as students can learn at their own pace, rewind, and re-watch lectures, resulting in potential time savings (Bates, 2015).
This is no small matter, the average cost of hotel accommodation in the UK is around £212 per night in London, with the added cost of travel and restaurant meals added in, the numbers are clear, online study is clearly financially attractive.
Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning
The beauty of online learning lies in its ability to offer a balanced blend of synchronous (real-time interactions) and asynchronous (self-paced) learning. Synchronous learning fosters immediate feedback and collaborative learning environments, while asynchronous learning promotes flexibility and accommodates diverse learning paces (Hrastinski, 2008). Together, they create a holistic learning experience, combining the benefits of both traditional face-to-face instruction and independent study.
The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a swift pivot to online learning, accelerating its growth and widespread adoption. This massive shift revealed the potential of online learning to continue education in unprecedented circumstances and sparked innovation in teaching and learning practices. Despite the challenges, the resilience demonstrated by educators and learners alike has been remarkable (Daniel, 2020).
Positive Outcomes for Learners
Online learning has been linked with numerous positive outcomes for learners. Research shows online students often outperform their counterparts in traditional classrooms (U.S. Department of Education, 2010). Online learning fosters a sense of autonomy, encourages self-direction, and enhances digital literacy—essential skills in the 21st century (Martin, 2018).
The experience of the UK College of Personal Development confirms the findings quoted above. From the feedback for our learners, the quality of assignments submitted for marking, the evidence is clear, online study works very well.
This positive experience was highlighted in a recent Ofsted report where many of the common unhelpful myths around online learning were busted. (Ofsted Guidance – What’s works well in remote education)
UKCPD: A Leading Online Learning Provider
As an award-winning provider, it was no surprise that the team at The UK College of Personal Development worked very hard to develop both strategies and resources to support its students when Covid19 forced the closure of the training centre.
Since then, they have rolled out many key improvements and benefits for our students including a fantastic Learning Platform where learners can interact, share documents, and so much more.
We believe that online learning offers an array of benefits, from accessibility and flexibility to cost and time savings. The effective blend of synchronous and asynchronous learning and the accelerated adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic underscores its relevance and potential in the contemporary training and development landscape.
References
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/whats-working-well-in-remote-education/whats-working-well-in-remote-educationAllen, I.E., Seaman, J., Poulin, R., & Straut, T.T. (2016). Online report card: Tracking online education in the United States. Babson Survey Research Group.
Bates, A. W. (2015). Teaching in a digital age: Guidelines for designing teaching and learning. Tony Bates Associates Ltd.
Dabbagh, N. (2007). The online learner: Characteristics and pedagogical implications. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 7(3), 217-226.
Daniel, J. (2020). Education and the COVID-19 pandemic. Prospects, 49, 91-96.
Hrastinski, S. (2008). Asynchronous and synchronous e-learning. Educause quarterly, 31(4), 51-55.
Martin, F. (2018). An overview of adult learner characteristics in e-learning. The Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 19(2), 7-18.
Ofsted Guidance – What’s works well in remote education: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/whats-working-well-in-remote-education/whats-working-well-in-remote-education
Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., Bakia, M., & Jones, K. (2013). Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies. U.S. Department of Education.
UNESCO. (2020). COVID-19 Educational Disruption and Response. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development. (2010). Evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning: A meta-analysis and review of online learning studies. Washington, D.C.
