Thanks to modern technology, online learning is easier and more accessible than ever before. However, there are still quirks associated with most online learning tools, and some people seem to prefer learning in person. Is online learning going to be the norm in the future? Or will we continue trying to juggle both in-person and online learning?
The Modern Landscape of Online Learning
Currently, online learning has permeated our culture in ways that are both inventive and surprising. Conventional lectures were easy to translate to an online environment, since it only required video communications technology. But these days, even more advanced subjects can be taught in an online environment, and they can be taught in a variety of ways. You can even earn certification to operate a forklift online in a matter of hours.
With a combination of videos, forums and peer communication platforms, live and asynchronous content, unlimited potential for written content, and more, you can learn almost anything online. That said, in-person learning still has its place, and is still preferred by millions of people.
Motivating Factors for Increasing Normalcy
So what could make online learning become the dominant norm in the future?
- Increasing tech access. One of the biggest motivating factors for the growth in online learning we’ve seen so far is increasing accessibility of technology. Hardware is getting cheaper, internet access is getting more abundant, and more people around the world are able to tap into the power of online learning. At the same time, more educators, businesses, and organizations are making materials available online, spiking demand and setting new learner expectations. As technology becomes more available and accessible, it’s only natural that more people are going to be on board with online learning.
- Improving tech. Online learning also becomes more accessible with improving technology. A decade ago, video conferencing was possible, but it was expensive, glitchy, and somewhat unreliable. Today, even the lowest-shelf tech products are capable of streamlined, high-quality video transmission. In the future, technology may evolve to the point where today’s seamless communication and collaboration seem archaic in contrast. With better tech, the education possibilities expand dramatically.
- More immersive experiences. Although online learning can apply to practically unlimited subjects, it’s limited in its ability to deliver hands-on experiences. However, this is changing. For example, virtual reality (VR) simulations are often used by medical professionals to practice things like surgical procedures, and similar technologies may be able to deliver such experiences to individual learners in a variety of contexts. With more immersive experiences, the possibilities for online learning increase dramatically.
- Adaptation and improvement. People have been teaching in classrooms for thousands of years, but teaching in an online environment is still somewhat new. In its infancy, this approach was awkwardly fumbled by inexperienced educators. But by now, we’ve had enough experience and have gathered enough collective data to understand what works and what doesn’t in online learning environments. In the future, we’ll be even better at delivering online learning experiences.
- Inherent advantages. Although not everyone is a fan of online learning, there are some inherent advantages that are difficult to ignore. Only online learning can support a truly global reach in a reasonable way. Only online learning can support asynchronous learning. Only online learning can save time and resources associated with traveling to school or work.
- Global competition. On top of that, there’s significant pressure for more institutions and organizations to offer online learning options, simply because of precedent and global competition. As a simple example, if one-third of universities are currently offering online programs, and those programs are very popular, it practically forces the remaining two-thirds of the universities to adopt similar programs to avoid losing students. The fact that there are online education opportunities all around the world increases competition even further.
What Could Stop the Takeover?
Are there any factors limiting the takeover of online learning?
- Integration costs. Technology isn’t always cheap, and setting up and integrating that technology demands considerable investments of both time and resources. In some cases, the costs of integration outweigh the potential benefits of incorporating online learning. This may change when technology gets cheaper and more accessible, but for now, it’s a limitation.
- Differentiated learning styles. There are many different learning styles. Some people thrive in online learning environments, while others struggle in them. And even the best online learners may prefer learning in a real, physical environment at least some of the time. It’s clear that there’s no single, universally “best” approach to education, so it’s unlikely that we’ll eventually recognize online learning as the one dominant approach.
- Personal preferences. Some people simply prefer to learn in person, perhaps because they want to see and meet other people, because they can focus better in such an environment, or simply because it gets them out of the house. These individual preferences are likely to remain diverse well into the future.
- Synchronous demands. There are some applications and contexts where the asynchronous, fractured content of online learning simply isn’t applicable. Although it’s possible to manage synchronous online courses, it’s often more practical to do so in a physical, traditional learning environment.
- Practical applications. No matter how good VR and AR technologies become, it’s going to be hard to replace the benefits of physical experiences in some learning contexts. For this reason alone, it’s unlikely that online learning will ever become totally dominant.
So is online learning going to become the norm in the future? That depends heavily on a number of variables that we simply aren’t able to predict. We can generally guess that our online learning technology is going to become more sophisticated and more widely accessible, but it’s impossible to guess how individual preferences are going to evolve decades, or even mere years into the future. Although there are many reasons for optimism about the future of online learning, there are just as many reasons to suspect that its growth momentum could slow or stagnate.