Online education has provided some of the most reputable institutions in the world the ability to enlighten students with flexibility and convenience, but interestingly enough, its use and applied tactic has remained fairly conventional since its inception. As if its sole purpose was to ease the burden of travel, eliminate overcrowded classrooms and absolve professors of their mounds of would be paper work, it has failed to evolve and deliver where it counts the most – to the students.
Supplying learners with computer access to documents, slide shows and videos while supporting their progression with text chat is no longer enough. It’s time for institutions to start thinking out of the box and evaluate outlets which can help them achieve the most enriched learning experience possible. This assessment should place major emphasis on creative ways to deliver educational material interactively and in some cases, in combination with face to face instruction. Like a finely sharpened sword relegated to dicing tomatoes, online education has been effectively under used and will continue to be until new approaches are taken.
By incorporating software that offers VOIP (voice chat), web cam and application sharing, another dimension of depth could be added to fully online or blended learning courses. These types of software capabilities allow a shift from lecture – to student-centered instruction in which students become active and interactive learners. In effect, increasing information literacy and enhancing abilities that will benefit students throughout their entire academic and employment careers. Imagine the added educational value and effectiveness of software capabilities that can create a full scale virtual classroom in collaboration with coursework fed through dynamic multimedia.
Computer technology has already revolutionized the world, isn’t it about time that it does the same for higher education?
