Learning as we knew it changed drastically thanks to technology – and it still does. The Internet made access to information easier than ever. Not only that, but it made education more accessible. Today, people can access courses at any moment and learn without having to be physically present in a classroom. While some of the challenges persist, the world of e-learning has evolved greatly at this point.
In this article, we’ll explore the history of e learning and how it led to the creation of the first MOOC education course.
Evolution of Online Learning throughout the Years
The internet has transformed the way we access information and learn, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. With the increase in interest in online courses, people have more access to education than ever. You can enroll in courses from any place of the world with an internet connection, which has been a game changer for people who had limited access to educational opportunities in the past.
Technology made education easier in many other ways, too. Today, when a student struggles with their paper, they can simply buy college essays from professional essay writers for hire and get them done on schedule. This eliminates all those delayed deadlines or the excessive stress students were previously facing when they had to complete endless things from their schedule in just a few hours. So, not only is educational access bigger these days – it’s also the access to academic assistance, educational sources, and inspiration to write plagiarism-free papers.
Yes, today you can literally enroll in university online and obtain academic degrees from the comfort of your home. You can also enroll in a variety of courses to strengthen your knowledge and gain new skills. However, things weren’t like this before. Let’s take a look at the evolution throughout the years:
· Before the internet was into the picture, distance education wasn’t really an option
· Starting from the 1990s, the trend for e-learning was slowly emerging. This is when personal computers were developed, which made e-learning more simplified.
· In the span of ten years from 2000 and 2010, the field marked the most achievements in history such as educational gaming, library digitization, eBooks, and mobile learning. The advancement of technologies made it possible for people to create more educational resources, and the online learning niche started growing in popularity.
· From 2011 onward, this has become one of the biggest trends in the educational world. This is when the MOOCs were first created and made available to students from all around the world. The pandemic pushed things further and education became greatly reliant on technology just a few years back. Today, millions of people study online.
The Emergence of Online Education MOOOCs
The term MOOC appeared in 2008 and was coined by George Siemens, a writer and researcher. It means Massive Open Online Course. These courses are done online and are open to everyone. They mark the first step into modern online education. At the beginning, it was used by the renowned universities like MIT and Harvard who offered free and paid courses on platforms like edX and Coursera.
Even today, MOOCs are one of the most accessible, low-cost options to obtain skills and certifications in almost every subject. The pioneering technology behind MOOCs marks a learning evolution, and allows people of all ages and all parts of the world to obtain the skills they need.
The Challenges of Online Learning: A Peek into the Future
Even though a lot has changed over the years, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t challenges in the world of online learning today. As a matter of fact, the pandemic was the biggest proof that there are still many gaps in this – and that education is not as accessible as we thought.
During the pandemic, students had to switch to online learning. This was unexpected and the results were messy. Many of them don’t have access to laptops and tools they need to learn online, or a good internet connection. Even though online courses make information accessible, this is limited to those with good internet connection and devices to access that information.
Yes, online courses made education much more affordable for everyone. The courses are far less expensive compared to higher education. Students can now study in colleges or universities without the transport or living costs.
Even so, there’s a lot to be done to make online learning available to all. There are still many who don’t have access to it. The online world is full of inaccurate resources, too, so students need guidance on how to find reliable sources to learn from.
Judging by the progress in the eLearning world so far, we can only expect more changes in the future, changes that might just help us overcome these challenges and get better educational opportunities than ever.
