A distinct advantage over traditional brick and mortar schools Essays

A distinct advantage over traditional brick and mortar schools Essays A distinct advantage over traditional brick and mortar schools Paper A distinct advantage over traditional brick and mortar schools Paper A distinct advantage over traditional brick and mortar schools LATA Language and Communication: Research western Governors university Online Learning: A Distinct Advantage Over Traditional Brick And Mortar Schools As the times change and technology advances, people need to look for new and better ways to apply this technology to their lives. This does not just apply to someones personal or business lives, this also can apply to the way individuals learn. Information Is stored and backed up on computers. While online learning Is the fastest growing segment of learning, this idea is not new. Distance learning began before computers and online classes. It started with correspondence schools, moved to audio books, tapes and videos. Students had little to no interaction with the Instructor or with other classmates (Miller, 2000). There were several Issues with this type of learning, mainly due to materials easily becoming outdated. This changed with the advent of the personal computer and later with the Introduction of the internet in 1994. While the internet initially originated to promote communication between academics, scientist and government organizations, It helped to pave the ay for a new way to deliver education (Miller, 2000). This turned into online learning. This new way of learning has caught on in many households around the world. Traditional brick and mortar schools. They are the following: What technological benefits that a person can come away with after completing an online degree? ; How does online learning offer more flexibility to the learner compared to a brick and mortar school? In what ways are online learning programs more cost effective than a brick and mortar school? With the discussion of these topics this will show that experts agree that online learning is a better learning forum than brick and mortar schools because they utilize the latest technologies, offer flexible learning to a wide variety of people and offer a lower cost solution to valuable degrees. This paper will look at the three factors that support online learning as a better format than brick and mortar schools. Technological Benefits Online learning uses the latest technologies to provide the student with practical knowledge they can use after they have completed their degree. Online education is a microcosm of business practices and prepares the students for the real world Macmillan, 2010). Online school programs help the students gain the knowledge they will need for when they are completed with their degree and enter the business world. They take real experiences from companies and teach based on them. Online programs require the learner to use several programs, maintain files and utilize email and other programs to turn in coursework. All of that coursework is distributed online either through email or websites. The internet also provides access to several tools to aid the learner in completing the required coursework. The traditional brick and mortar schools use text books and examples, whereas online schools use the current technology and focus on student experiences. Online business courses allow teachers and students to utilize the same processes as companies when it comes to the use of computers and the internet, as well as communication, teamwork, self-direction and meeting deadlines from a distance. (Macmillan, 2010). Online learning teaches the student how to multi-task unlike a traditional college setting. The benefits of online education helps the students gain perspective on here they fit into the world and keeps their learning relevant and rigorous (Macmillan, 2010). Online learning prepares students to work in groups, which encourages team building, independent learning and accountability of the stude nts (Lie Ruby, 2008). Online group projects keep the student interacting with each other. Everyone needs to work together, find times coordinate online, and get their part done. This way of team building is similar to a company setting. Employees are busy with their own tasks and sometimes work needs to be done by email, phone, or internet. Not all projects can be completed in person. In the traditional learning experience, textbooks and manuals simply offer fact after fact with occasional static illustrations. Interactive online learning enhances that experience and brings education too more engaging level for the learner (Wendell, 2002). Online learning supports three types of learning experiences, expository instruction (digital devices transmit knowledge), active learning (the learner builds knowledge through online drills, simulations and games), and interactive learning (the learner builds knowledge through interaction with others) (US Department of Education, 2010). Online learning also requires the learner to be focused in learning; there could be distractions in the home that can cause the student to lose focus when learning. The majority of the individuals have full time Jobs or families. These students look at college as an education and not a social experience. Some of the online students go back to school to get career advancement, higher pay, or even for personal growth. Whereas the traditional brick and mortar has students with an average age of 18 21 and can be more focused on their social life. These students get pressure from their parents to tend and can are likely to attend parties, sporting events and even Join a Fraternity or Sorority. They also lack the discipline for time and financial budgeting. Many students rely on their parents for financial support during college. Online learners demonstrate particular ambition and resourcefulness especially when balancing work and family, life that can be an asset in the work place. As the years go on, technology grows and develops. A little over twenty years ago computers were Just starting to Join the household and today it is very common to have many computers with other advanced technology. The explosion of technology has made teaching outside the classroom possible for the learners with easy access to course material (Lie Ruby, 2008). Teachers are able to use the latest technology in their virtual classes, with Just the click of a button a new experience appears. More students are choosing the choice of online learning everyday due to the use of technology that it uses and the convenience that it has. Unlike traditional classrooms where immediate verbal and non-verbal feedback can be given to the entire class, teachers of online programs recognize the significance of offering prompt feedback on dents assignments and questions (Lie Ruby, 2008). If a student has questions online, the teacher is able to respond quickly, compared to a brick and mortar school where the student might have to wait until the next class to ask the question. Even though educators utilize technology in the delivery of online education, those educators have to remain focused on the instructional outcomes not Just the form of delivery. Flexibility The flexibility of online learning allows individuals from varied backgrounds and experiences opportunities to attend school on their own schedules. Not only is there legibility for the students but also for the institutions they attend. Many people have found that an online education is able to fit their lifestyle better. Online education appeals to employees who otherwise could not pursue higher education due to time or geographic constraints. (Merrimac, 2006). Online education allows the employees flexibility to choose a major that might not be available in their local geographic area (Merrimac, 2006). Instead of driving 3 hours to a school, that has a major of ones choice, one is able to get online and not leave the area of their home and major in he area they want to study. This not only saves time for the student, but also money for gas and any car maintenance. An online school lets you attend class anytime be it lunchtime, at home with your kids, or even traveling on vacation (Merrimac, 2006). A student is now able to have a family vacation and go to school at the same time. This would not be able to happen in a traditional brick and mortar school. One would have to take time off school to have a family vacation. Online schools are very convenient for their students. Online method of teaching allows the student to main access to the syllabus, course assignments, scoring guides, power point presentations and other important documents 24 hours a day 7 days a week (Lie times so they have better understanding of the course materials. A traditional brick and mortar school only allow the students to refer to their book or their notes for their class. They only have these two resources to help them through the course. They are not able to go back to a certain days lesson and look at the power point that was used for the day. By delivering flexible means of online education, this has increased the acceptance of online learning to businesses allowing for a better- educated workforce (Merrimac, 2006). More companies are allowing online education for their staff and encourage them to further their education because of the flexibility online schools offer. Employees can now attend school at any time as they are not constrained by their work schedule. The flexibility of online learning has sparked interest in the military. Soldiers in the military are able to attend college even if they are out at sea (Mullein, 2002). The military offers online learning to provide a program that soldiers need. With the amount of movement required by soldiers, all that is required is a laptop and internet connection to bring high quality education to the soldier. Everyone has their own experience when it comes to high education. In Germans 2004 article, students were asked questions regarding their experiences with online courses. Mr.. Irony responded the amount of homework was roughly the same for both online and traditional courses, the amount of class time spent online was minimal. He was able to go online for 15 minutes to see new material and reply to questions whereas in a traditional class he would have to stay en hour for the same information (Ackerman, 2004). The flexibility of online schooling is a great asset when students are deciding where to get an education. Cost Effective Online learning offers more cost effective solutions for not only the learner, but for businesses offering tuition assistance. Online schools are catering to businesses by offering a discounted tuition and customized programs to fit the needs of specific companies and industries (Merrimac, 2006). Companies are able to send their staff through school at a discounted rate and focused on the classes that they seem fit to heir industry. The processing of tuition reimbursement and admissions is often times easier for employees at online schools versus brick and mortar schools (Merrimac, 2006). This is Just another advantage of online schools. In a study performed in March of 2005, some of the most important reasons cited for online education were due to increasing employee satisfaction and retention (Merrimac, 2006). This has not only been effective for businesses but for the military as well. The online programs have been useful in not only recruiting efforts, but in also retaining soldiers for re-enlistment. In the same study 29% of corporate reimbursements go to online programs (Merrimac, 2006). This has increased over the years as more Universities have added more online classes to their curriculum and more students choose the online education. The technology used for online education can be cheaper than those in traditional brick and mortar schools. When a student has a class that involves a lab, online technology can create virtual laboratory simulations. This will be cheaper for the student and the school. The school will save money on supplies for the labs and the students are able to get the same lab experience online without the extra lab and commuting costs. The demand of online education allows institution to broaden their student body without building parking back on the amount of staff they would need for the online base versus traditional schools. More students are able to Join a well-known University without paying extra costs like a traditional student. A traditional students extra costs can consist of a meal plan, room and board, technology fees, lab fees, and even book costs. An online school provides the materials needed online and can cut hundreds of dollars for the student. These costs are cut because most students already have the necessary equipment required for successful completion of the courses, a personal computer and an internet connection. This is another reason students should choose online school over a traditional school. Conclusion Online schooling has an advantage over brick and mortar schools for many reasons. The technologies people learn during their classes can be applied to Jobs they receive after school. The students become more qualified going into positions with already having experience with the technology from their school. Next, flexibility of inline schooling is more appealing to a person than the traditional brick and mortar schools. A person is able to go to class while in their pajamas on their couch. Online classes is the only way a student does not have to miss a day of school and still go on their family vacation. A student is also able access all the forms and coursework needed at any time of the day. Flexibility of the class is an asset for the student. The student is able to go online for as long as they need to, be it 15 minutes or 2 hours. The last point is the cost savings the student and or company will have. Some cost paving are better for online schooling than brick and mortar. The usual fees off meal plan, room and board, technology fees, and book fees are not included for the online schools. This is leaving the costs for online schools to be only at a fraction off cost than traditional schools. Students can get the same education and spend the money saved on other items. Experts agree that online learning is a better learning forum than brick and mortar schools because they utilize the latest technologies, offer flexible learning to a wide variety of people and offer a lower cost solution to valuable degrees. Contain, W. W. (2003). Education into what it used to be.