Go to School in Your Underthings: The Future of Education

March 9, 2010 by Joel Milani

You’ve seen the commercials, and it’s official: we are truly an advanced society. We can attend school in our pajamas. Long-distance space travel must be just around the corner.

The implications of this development might seem trivial, but I assure you they are anything but.

Web-Based Education

Online education is a relatively new idea that takes students out of the classroom and places them in front of a computer. Assignments are turned in electronically. Tutoring is done via email correspondence. Lectures are given in a variety of ways from two-way video conferencing to pre-recorded class sessions. No human contact between teacher and student need ever take place, and the student need never stray from the warm, soothing glow of the computer screen.

Bending Space and Time? Not a Problem

Online education means re-thinking the way we learn. Imagine a lecture hall filled with 10,000 students who meet three times a week. It’s not possible with traditional brick and mortar campuses, but it happens through online education.

The beauty of the Internet is truly in its ability to bridge great distances. Those distances could be geographical, or simply the space between you and a useful piece of information. Online education utilizes that inherent quality to provide access to higher education at a fraction of the cost of traditional college. Students in Australia can take a course from a Canadian professor while corresponding with their classmates in Scotland. Time zones aren’t an issue because the professor can pre-record lectures, post PowerPoint presentations, or provide a system of online assignments and testing.

Learn More

There are a lot of factors to consider when deciding whether online school is right for you. Check out these websites and continue to read our blog to ensure that you make a well-informed decision.

How do Online and Traditional Colleges Differ?

Cost of Online vs. Tratitional Colleges

First-Hand Experience of an Online Student

Photo courtesy of Qtea via Flickr