Writing an Informative Paper

Date Due: 08 May 2016

Online Education

Introduction

The widespread embracement of technology and the innovation of the Internet have led to the development of online education as well as training in the academic arena by providing suitable alternatives to reach bigger audiences. Universities and colleges can now use the Internet and technology to provide online classes to long distance students who may have limited time to attend full time or part time studies. Online education is immensely valuable to students juggling with demanding jobs and family issues which necessitate the need to access learning in different forms. Online training also provides some value to business organizations with learners who face time and geographical constraints (Bartley & Golek, 2004).

Various views from different Articles

Bartley and Golek in an article titled, “Evaluating the cost effectiveness of online and face-to-face instruction,” observe that online training is continually gaining widespread acceptance due to its numerous benefits which include: the ability to synchronize training and education across time as well as geographical constraints, and the claim that it is cost effective (Bartley & Golek, 2004). The researchers identify numerous advantages of online education such as: first, online training saves organizations huge amount of money and time in providing training opportunities to the employees. “Economic and time benefits achieved from training are essential in the current environment; therefore, the creation of strategic alliances for the training function have become extremely popular” (Bartley & Golek, 2004, pg. 169). Secondly, it provides learners with sufficient time to complete the necessary technical training or degree programs. Finally, online education enables learners who may not have the opportunity, an avenue to improve their personal abilities as well as knowledge in order to empower themselves.

The full time brick and mortar education system is increasingly losing its status as the only means of learning. Nguyen through his article, “The effectiveness of online learning: Beyond no significant difference and future horizons” contends that the introduction of the Internet makes it easier to offer online learning, as researchers an academicians use online education to enhance as well as improve student learning while simultaneously combating the scarcity of resources in higher education. This calls for the need to compare the effectiveness of the face to face learning format and the online learning format as well as the factors influencing the online education (Nguyen, 2015). According to Nguyen, online education has gained enormous discussion because of its purported advantages, including: first, its ability to combat the rising cost of higher education. The cost of higher education has at times been increasing faster than the rate of inflation and student loan debts has similarly been increasing (Nguyen, 2015). Many academic technocrats suggest that online education can help in mitigating the increasing cost of higher learning by spreading learning costs over a wide pool of students. “The marginal cost of a student in an online setting is negligible relative to the traditional setting, necessarily constrained by a number of factors such as the size and availability of physical classroom” (Nguyen, 2015, pg. 310). Secondly, online education has the ability to provide quality education to learners, anytime as well as anywhere as long as learners are connected to the Internet. Finally, online education may enhance degree completion rate, minimize degree attainment duration and provide more learning opportunities to nontraditional learners (Nguyen, 2015).

Lohr (2009) points outs that education experts believe that online education provides learners with experiences tailored to meet individual needs than the traditional class system. Lohr in an article, “Study finds that online education beats the classroom” observes that according to a report by the SRI International for the Department of Education “on average, students in online learning conditions performed better that than those receiving face to face instruction” (Lohr, 2009, pg. 1). The report analyzed the effectiveness of online education versus the classroom-teaching format for a period of 12 years, that is, 1996 to 2008. Most of the research was conducted in colleges as well as various kinds of adult education programs, such as medical training and military training. The research observed that on average online students performed scored 59 percent in tests compared to classroom learners’ average performance of 50 percent. This implies that currently online education is better than the conventional learning (Lohr, 2009). Lohr suggests that online training offers the following benefits: first, it presents a better platform to enhance learners’ performance compared to classroom learning format. This is evident from the research’s finding, which indicated that online student performed better than classroom counterparts in tests. This does not indicate the end of classroom learning, but it is an indication that online learning could be on the expansion path. Secondly, online learning provides learners with various opportunities tailored to individual needs unlike in classroom environment. Finally, it enhances practical learning, which majority of learners find useful as well as engaging (Lohr, 2009).

Summary

Online education is increasingly gaining widespread acceptance because of its immense benefits, cost effectiveness and ability to synchronize learning and training across time and geographical hindrances. Currently, institutions of higher learning face enormous economic challenges, which requires a lot of emphasis on cost reduction. This calls for lucrative options, including online learning, given that it minimizes travelling costs as well as time constraints allowing trainers and learners to interact despite their geographical constraints. Centralization of learning activities may adversely affect learners from different geographical locations as well as diverse regional and international areas; this requires training stakeholders to enter into collaborations with other institutions for those facing geographical constraints to access important information and knowledge. Finally, it would be too easy to join the online education train or consider it a fad to disappear very soon. Overall, it is evident that online education is as effective as classroom learning; and its progress or failure will depend on the role of education stakeholders in enhancing or dismissing it.

References

Bartley, S. J., & Golek, J. H. (2004). Evaluating the cost effectiveness of online and face-to-face instruction. Educational Technology & Society, 7 (4), 167-175.