After the massive online open course model peaked a few years back, educators and computer specialists have created newer modes of learning to keep up with trends in information technology. These dynamic advancements have a tremendous potential to attract more students, improve the learning process, motivate enrollees and increase completion rates.

These trends can serve as a guide for online colleges and universities who aim for quality improvement of their teaching methods and for students who plan to go the online route to take up masters or doctoral degrees.

Tip for students:

Technology may have made learning more efficient, fun and easier but some things remain the same. Writing essays are a major part of a student’s life in school but quite a few of them do not possess the skills to write a good essay. Even for those who do know, turning in a well-written essay is an added burden to an already overloaded curriculum. Fortunately, help is not hard to find. An online essay writing service you should visit guarantees professional, plagiarism-free essays for all educational levels.

Gamification

For quite a few years now, the gaming industry has been dominating the entertainment sector more than other forms of leisure. The focus and engagement of the player to a game is so intense that it has been used in other fields not merely for entertainment because of its capacity to keep the user engaged.

Gamification in online education is the process of applying game design and processes into courses to motivate students and get them committed to their goals. It can be very helpful and appropriate in such courses like an ma in security program. Studies have shown that retention of information is minimal when students see and listen but when they are actively involved in an act, they remember 90 percent of what they are doing.

M-Learning

In 2014, mobile outpaced desktop in internet usage. The field of education did not fall behind, using mobile learning in teaching materials for students. Mobile makes learning accessible anytime and anywhere. With its GPS and QR codes, it makes a great tool for contextual learning.

eLearning through mobile has increased completion rate and improved retention because educators adapt to the small screen and give learning materials in chunks. It is also easier to establish a learning community through mobile devices.

Augmented Reality in Learning

Augmented learning is on-demand learning where the environment adapts to the learner. For example, if an MA in Plotical Science student is learning about political history in a certain country, an augmented reality device can transport him to an appropriate environment. There are apps for AR devices that allow the student access to manuscripts that are normally kept hidden. There are also courses being developed for Oculus Rift and Google Glass.

Project-Based Learning

Project-based learning thrusts the student into seeking real-world problems and gaining skills,  understanding and knowledge through deep investigation and engagement. Through this online teaching method, used in all levels in education, the student learns how to achieve goals and skills such as critical thiking and problem solving, and self-management.

PBL is authentic because it features actual context, standards, tasks and tools and includes the student’s interests and concerns related to the issue. They collaborate through the use of technology to improve the process and final product.

Return-on-Investment Prospect

Eventually, students planning to enrol in school will consider the program’s return-on-investment. With student loans rising, this becomes a serious concern.

Online education means savings in travel, rent, fees of trainers and training facilities. The costs include fees for instructional designers and administrators, courses and virtual learning material, and technology. Major costs will be for eLearning content, especially if customized for the school or students and technology which will include virtual classrooms, application tools, LMS and remote infrastructure.

Overall, the ROI of education is still historically better than the conventional investments. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2016, individuals with a bachelor’s degree had median weekly earnings of $1,250 while the highest earning male professional and masters degree holders earned $3,871 each week.

Related Readings

How Are You Using the Internet to Market Your Business

Best Online Resources for Researchers

Originally posted on April 20, 2016 @ 9:23 pm