New Age: Why Online Education Is Catching On
Nowadays the academic plan in Higher School of Economics includes obligatory online courses on Coursera and Open Education Online platforms in addition to traditional classes.
These educational platforms cooperate with world universities in order to expand access to prestigious education for people willing to get knowledge. Taking up online courses students have to complete tasks on time and study the subject on their own. The biggest upside of this educational system is that everyone, who wants to gain new knowledge, can take up a course in any sphere they are interested in. This modern type of learning is becoming more popular among people willing to study and become more broad-minded.
Firstly, online courses are more convenient since it takes less time to complete them than traditional classes. This type of education is appropriate for those who want to be independent while studying because students do not have to stick to the timetable of classes. Online course is usually divided into a few weeks study, when student has to watch all lectures and pass tests by the time of deadline. So online education is the best way of studying whenever and wherever you want.
Secondly, students become members of virtual international classrooms where they can communicate with other students and professors. The greatest advantage of the online education is that it does not require sitting indoors in the classroom as the only thing you need to study online is the access to the Internet what makes these courses favorable for people of all ages all over the world.
Moreover, online lectures and courses provide people with a big variety of subjects from organic chemistry to business analytics. Students can choose any courses in any university they like to take up. Online education is a great opportunity of getting knowledge in different spheres even if people do not have an access to full traditional education because of their schedule or the place of living. For example, if a person works as a dentist and loves music, he can choose the online course in music theory to get acquainted with classical musicians.
In addition, not everyone has a possibility to attend the university since it can cost thousands of rubles. However, online education is an affordable way of studying on your own because it is usually cheaper than the traditional one or sometimes is free. Nevertheless, online courses are highly appreciated by employers as well as traditional universities. If you get an online degree from a prestigious university, you will be also a desired candidate for a position.
One of the most appealing points about online education is that it is ecological friendly in comparison with traditional courses. It is a crucial remark in the 21st century when solving ecological problem is the most important step for everyone. As doing online courses does not require commuting to universities or schools, people can reduce traffic jams and the amount of carbon dioxide given off by cars. In addition, taking up online courses diminishes the usage of paper, which is used to print tests, books and other learning materials.
To sum it up, technological advancement will continue to open the doors for the new age of education. There is no doubt that within the next generation online education will become a norm and every university will have online courses to offer students.
Text by
Liubov Zaytseva