Learning via the Internet is a trend that has gained popularity behind the closed doors of apartments and offices. How is the online learning education segment developing? We will answer this question in our article.
Facts & statistics about online learning
Online learning is a form of distance learning. It has existed on the market in various forms for decades. Even before the pandemic, Internet education was developing more and more actively every year. Although online learning is more convenient for students for many reasons, they still face the same problems as in offline learning. These are often homework problems. To solve them, students can google “pay someone to write my paper” and ask for help on special writing services. Professional writers will help you with writing different types of papers.
Before the pandemic came into our lives, experts told us that the American segment of e-learning for 2017-2022 would grow to $6.22 billion. Online learning growth in the United States is attributed to many students taking additional courses along with traditional education – more than 30% of students practice this. Moreover, 99% of them are located in the USA.
In the European Union, the e-learning market is led by Germany. There, it develops at a rate of 8.5% per year.
How the pandemic affected the market
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic. It has caused disruptions to the education system around the world as the quarantine forced institutions to close down institutions in the traditional format. According to expert estimates, the changes have affected about 70% of the world’s students and schoolchildren.
While learning over the Internet does not seem like a daunting task, most schools and universities faced significant challenges in the implementation phase. Some of the main difficulties were as follows:
- The use of technology by the older generation of teachers.
- Difficulty tracking progress with academic performance.
- Control over the conduct of tests and exams in a remote format.
- Access to online educational tools and platforms.
- The need for additional costs for their implementation.
It was easier for educational institutions that already offered online learning programs. There are many examples in the USA and Europe. Eight Ivy League universities (including Harvard University, Princeton University, Brown University, and Yale University) have successfully implemented distance learning, albeit with some caveats. Basically, this practice is carried out along with the traditional forms of training. Some universities have previously operated online learning courses that duplicate the programs of the main specializations.
So far, only the University of Pennsylvania offers a full online education in the American Ivy League educational institutions. Other universities in the country that provide fully online bachelor’s degree programs are:
- Arizona State University
- Oregon State University
- University of Florida
- Colorado State University
- Oklahoma University
- Colorado State University
- Washington State University
- University of Massachusetts Lowell
- Pace University
The global market for massive online training courses is predicted to grow by 29% annually from 2021 to 2025 and become the fastest growing industry in the education sector. This means that the market turnover could reach $21.4 billion by 2025.
Coursera is considered the leading online learning education platform. In 2020, according to Global EdTech Unicorns, the capitalization of this service exceeded $2.5 billion!
Pros of distance learning
2020 is the heyday of online learning. Many universities have tried this format for the first time and it turned out that it is no worse than the traditional one. Let’s talk about its pros.
- Distance learning allows you to study anywhere with the Internet. In addition, you can study at foreign universities while being at home, and this provides significant savings over living in another country. You listen to lectures either in recordings or online (webinars).
- It lies in the fact that you yourself draw up a study schedule because you master most of the program on your own. The advantage makes it possible to combine study with work, start earlier, and finish later.
- Minimization of time and money costs. In comparison, online training is almost always cheaper than face-to-face training. You save money for the university on renting premises, paying for electricity, operating equipment, and the work of various secondary employees (except for teachers). If you are studying remotely, you do not need to use public transport.
- Clear knowledge. You will not have unnecessary disciplines, only those that you actually subscribed to. If this is programming, then you will study only programming, and won’t be forced to write any essay on marketing or other types of unnecessary papers.
- Connection with reality. Distance learning is based on the connection with reality, current events and phenomena, and examples from life. Therefore, the knowledge gained can always be applied in practice.
Many believe that learning over the Internet is booming because of the pandemic. However, this is not quite true. The numbers indicate that the industry has only accelerated in its development, but the trend itself – the widespread introduction of online learning education, the creation of training courses, and the interaction with teachers without the physical presence in the classroom – has been with us for a long time and, perhaps, it will be with us forever.
