Is education’s future online?
“The future is about access, anywhere learning and collaboration, both locally and globally.” — Matt Britland, Director of ICT at The Eleanor Holles School, writer and adviser for Guardian Teacher Network, director of Realise Learning
You might think that the future of learning is filled with projected touch screens, video textbooks and a range of cutting-edge technology. But perhaps the future is simply online — where learners, educators, and institutions are connected and engaged — across devices, around the world.
The number of institutions offering online MBA programmes grew by almost 50% between 2011 and 2016, according to AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), as learners continue to turn to the more flexible, convenient and cheaper learning model.
But will online learning influence education for the better? The best indicators can be found in the roots of what effective educators seek to provide for students: access to relevant knowledge through an engaging learning environment.
Access
Having a meticulously constructed education programme with engaging content and valuable outcomes is of little use if it can only be accessed by a select few.
Accessible is defined as “able to be reached” and therefore includes considerations such as location and admissions limits. The downfall of a physical university campus is that it limits access to those who live far away, and puts a cap on the number of students it can accommodate.
Online learning answers both of these considerations, as students from anywhere in the world can participate, provided they have a reliable internet connection and sufficient financial backing.
There is already evidence of this shift in South Africa, with prestigious institutions such as the University of Cape Town broadening access to education by allowing certain postgraduate programmes to be completed online and part-time.
The University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) became the first South African business school to offer real-time online lectures for its MBA in 2016, and in April 2017 USB Executive Development (USB-ED) will launch an MBA CORe online short course with leaders in online education, GetSmarter.
The 16-week online course is designed for both MBA aspirants and working professionals wanting to upskill, focusing on three of the most challenging technical MBA subjects: economics, quantitative methods and managerial accounting.
The course is available to anyone, worldwide, but USB-ED suggests matric-level maths and a basic understanding of spreadsheets before enrolling.
Relevant knowledge
Clay Shirky, a US writer, consultant and teacher on the social and economic effects of internet technologies, and writer-in-residence at NYU Journalism Institute, says of traditional classes, grades and degrees: “Not one of them is real. They’re all just how we do it. Here’s what’s real: students are real. Knowing things is real. Being able to do things is real.”
It’s a strong stance, but one containing more than just a grain of truth. Although many will rightly argue that a primary education from a recognised school and a tertiary education from a prestigious university will continue to hold some weight, at least for the foreseeable future, it’s hard to deny the fact that people want relevant, practical and immediately applicable knowledge — a desire not often fulfilled by traditional education.
Consider the amount of learning that is still necessary for most as they enter the workplace, even if their studies were focused on the field they entered. An efficient online education programme would create a seamless transition, leaving further education up to the employee’s desire for career advancement.
Shirky goes on to say that the advantage that technology offers to education is not that it will replace older institutions, but rather that it allows for the breaking up of course packages offered by these institutions to provide “particular parts of them at a scale and cost unmatchable by the old order”.
Learning environment
Perhaps the biggest challenge facing online education is recreating the benefits students derive from physical interaction and interpersonal discussions in classrooms and lecture halls, as well as the traditional “university experience”.
Rita Kop, Dean of Education at Yorkville University in Canada — whose interests lie at the crossroads of human learning and technology — writes about how “presence” has an effect on meaningful learning.
She notes how certain scholars believe that “the closer the ties between the people involved, the higher the level of presence and the higher the level of engagement in the learning activity.”
It’s obvious how a traditional classroom or lecture theatre environment helps students in this regard, and it does pose a big challenge to online education.
Online learning institutions are, however, taking steps to mimic this environment through engaging learning material, discussion forums, dedicated course instructors and continued support throughout the online learning journey.
Amy Johnson, chief of education at GetSmarter, says: “Support of this nature ensures that learners remain motivated throughout their online learning journey.”
Online educators have put measures in place to equal, and even improve upon, traditional learning practices, but only time will tell if these measures are effective enough to shape the future of education.
From the looks of it, they just might be.