subject: Distance Learning – The Move Out of the Classroom [print this page] Distance Learning The Move Out of the Classroom
It appears more and more of us are joining the e' education revolution. From MBA's to short courses, a growing number of us are embracing the universality of the internet to bypass the classroom and learn online.
A report by IBISWorld last week claimed that the online education industry in Australia is set to grow by an estimated 22.4% per annum over the next five years. That is incredible growth by anyone's standards in fact, a report by business magazine BRW ranked the online education industry as third in the top ten booming industries in Australia today.
So why are more students choosing online education? One reason is of course the convenience distance learning is flexible and can be done at your own pace and at times that suit you best; you can take part in the comfort of your own home. By contrast, many of us would struggle to attend every classroom lesson booked on a course as we attempt to balance work, family, and social commitments. In short, distance learning is flexible.
Another reason may be the exciting innovations and opportunities that are arising thanks to this relatively new combination of education, technology, and the World Wide Web. The Australian Distance Language School (www.adls.com.au) offers distance learning courses by connecting Spanish students with tutors in South America, and connecting French students with tutors in Northern Africa. You can't get much more distant' distance learning than that!
The Australian Distance Language School's model means that students have direct, personal, 1-to-1 tutorials with qualified native teachers for as low as $10 per hour. This is why e learning and distance learning programs are proving to be so popular and so powerful.
The South Korean English learning industry saw a similar boom a couple of years ago. Students are contacted by mobile phone from English tutors based in the Philippines typically daily for 10 to 20 minutes. The model again passes on huge savings on the cost of private lessons to the students by employing people in developing countries where the cost of living is much lower.
Although there will probably always be a place for classroom learning, e learning and distance learning as an alternative form are set to grow at a rapid place in the coming years. So if you are interested in learning a new skill, but never really liked school all that much, perhaps e learning may be the answer you've been seeking.
