Is Online Learning Here to Stay?
The past few years have seen a lot of change in the world. The Coronavirus pandemic has touched everyone, but education was one of the sectors hit the hardest. When schools suddenly closed and everyone was asked to isolate in their homes, educators were suddenly expected to move everything online. Enter the online learning boom.
Online learning is nothing new. In fact, about a third of courses were taught online before the pandemic (Bay View Analytics, 2022). However, COVID-19 pushed educators online—whether they wanted to be there or not. The pandemic forced online education on many who would otherwise opt out, students and instructors alike. Research shows that during the fall 2020 semester, about two-thirds of students took online classes, while the same amount of students the previous fall 2019 semester were not enrolled in online classes (Lederman, 2021). Online and blended learning classes are on the rise, especially in typically large introductory classes.
Not only were people enrolling in courses through traditional universities, but online universities and certification programs grew as well. Coursera (an online course provider) alone registered twenty million new users in 2021; the same number it had gained in the previous three years combined (The Rise of Online Learning, 2023). The easy access, self-paced options, and opportunity for career advancement are just a few of the benefits of online learning. (To learn more about the history of distance learning and who takes online classes, read Who Takes Online Classes?) Still don’t know if online learning is right for you? Read Six Factors to Consider When Picking an Online Course to help you decide if online learning is right for you.
So, whether you are looking to get your degree, upskill, or simply improve your mind, online learning is available to you. At MyEducator, we have dozens of online, interactive resources available covering a wide range of topics, such as accounting, data analytics, Excel skills, and more. Check out our ever-growing catalog of courses and find one that is right for you. Don’t see anything you like? Contact us to suggest a new course or to write and publish your own resource with MyEducator today!
Sources
Bay View Analytics. (2022). Turning point for digital curricula. Retrieved May 16, 2023, from https://www.bayviewanalytics.com/reports/turningpointdigitalcurricula_infographic.pdf
Lederman, D. (2021). New data offer sense of how COVID expanded online learning. Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/09/16/new-data-offer-sense-how-covid-expanded-online-learning
The rise of online learning. (2023, April 14). Lumin PDF Editor. Retrieved May 16, 2023, from https://www.luminpdf.com/blog/the-rise-of-online-learning/
