Is eLearning The Future of Education? Will It Replace Traditional Schooling?
Written by: pTranslate Contributors
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS | EDUCATION
The COVID-19 pandemic sure has impacted every single person in its own ways. We had no other choice but to adapt to it, and each industry has its own ways to deal with the uncertainty it brought. One of the most heavily-impacted fields is education.
Online education has been a thing for a very long time. The concept of eLearning was introduced in 1999, and it has only grown along with the invention of smartphones and other technologies. However, it has only risen since the start of the pandemic, as schools close and people can’t go out of their houses anymore. eLearning has then become a debate topic as to how it might change the education system in the post-COVID world. People pose the question of whether it is the future of education or just a temporary fad.
Indeed, eLearning has its own pros and cons, and so does traditional schooling. However, in this day and age, we can expect to see a shift to a brand new teaching model, where students no longer have to go to school to learn. They can just learn at home, from the comfort of their room. It won’t replace traditional schooling, at least in the near future, but we can still see some impacts it will create.
How has eLearning revolutionized the learning space?
1. eLearning is cost-effective
eLearning platform is a lot less costly than direct teaching, especially in employee training and development. With an eLearning platform, instructional designers can easily create a course once and for all. This course can be easily tweaked and modified over time to fit specific needs and changes.
Traditional schooling, on the other hand, requires the teachers to convey the message directly over and over. They have to teach the courses directly to students, and do that again and again for the upcoming classes. With eLearning, a lot of time is saved, and teachers can use that time to develop a relevant and high-quality course. It is a one-time investment.
Along with that, as both teachers and students no longer have to go to school, they save a bit of money in commuting. Other costs involved such as printing and material costs can also be reduced. Overall, eLearning brings good to both sides of the learning and educating process.
2. eLearning is highly flexible
We all know the power of eLearning when it comes to revising the lessons. When a student needs to go back on the learning material, they can have an easier time doing that on an LMS.
Everything can be uploaded on there, and it’s just a few clicks away from studying. The convenience that this feature offers sure is the number-one reason why eLearning is preferred. With traditional learning, the students almost have no other way to go back on the classes and lessons that they missed or struggled to understand.
Additionally, students can study literally anywhere, anytime they want. For example, if you’re too busy with your schedule and can’t fit in a traditional class in the normal hours, you can use eLearning to study at later times when you are free. This flexibility allows for easier scheduling and encourages autonomy.
The students must develop for themselves a sense of discipline when using eLearning. If they don’t have enough discipline, the flexibility that eLearning provides can easily turn into procrastination. Consequently, they will have reduced efficiency and can’t effectively retain the information provided in the course.
3. eLearning is highly customizable
Another major feature of eLearning that makes it so popular is its customizability. It can be tweaked and modified easily using available tools. Instructional designers can create a course that allows learners to study at their own pace. They can also design tests that are suitable that range from easier to harder difficulties. The system can evaluate the current level of the learners, and assign suitable tests to them.
Not only that, learners can even choose the courses that they find best fit for them, and go through the course at their own pace – 1 day, 1 week, or 1 month. The freedom that it allows is huge.
The pros of traditional classrooms and why eLearning won't replace it soon
1. eLearning is not direct
Although VR and AR have been implemented into eLearning, it will not be able to replace hands-on experience. Hands-on experience is invaluable in learning. We learn better from experiencing something than reading and listening about it. When putting our hands to something, we are using all of our five senses, and it triggers a stronger learning experience than other methods. Therefore, it is the main reason why we can’t replace traditional learning with eLearning yet. We need to apply what we learn into practice to better memorize and understand it.
For subjects that don’t require hands-on experience (such as learning to write in foreign languages), eLearning is great. Similarly, companies have also used eLearning for their informing of policies and their onboarding process. These are when eLearning comes in handy. However, when teaching someone to operate a machine or any interactive skills, traditional classrooms work better.
2. eLearning eliminates interactivity
eLearning happens online, and so we won’t be able to interact with other people as directly as traditional schooling. Traditional schooling allows for interaction between learners. It promotes a sense of society and community among learners. Researches have also shown that learners who interact with others have a better chance to exchange information, therefore retaining knowledge better.
The power of eLearning for your business
Although there are major and impactful pros and cons, eLearning is still a powerful platform to spread knowledge. In businesses, the value of constantly training and developing the skillset of employees is crucial. If implemented in the right way and for the right thing, an eLearning system can accomplish what a team of instructors does at a lower cost. It is a worthy investment that businesses should consider.
Moreover, as businesses grow and expand globally, the need for eLearning will be even higher. Businesses need to create courses that fit the need of their foreign workforce. Communicating effectively with foreign employees in their languages helps save a lot of time and boost efficiency.
At pTranslate, we understand that problem and work to localize your courses to bring them to your intended employees, or customers.
Read more about how an eLearning localization service can help propel your businesses forward HERE.
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