The Top 10 Benefits of Online Learning

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Online learning is on the rise! According to data from the World Economic Forum, due to factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the increased availability of online courses, online education has been growing massively popular at a very fast rate.

It’s easy to understand why. Once dismissed as an inferior substitute to in-person learning, online learning actually delivers a range of potential benefits that rival those of other learning methods. Examples of said benefits include:

Accessibility

This is likely the most widely-understood and accepted benefit of online learning. Some individuals may not be able to attend in-person classes on subjects that interest them due to not living near a college or university that offers such classes.

Such a common barrier to learning isn’t an issue when a student takes online classes. As long as they have a reliable internet connection, they can “attend” class.

Pacing

Many online courses give learners the opportunity to complete lessons and assignments at their own pace. This degree of flexibility may be ideal for those who have busy lifestyles.

Additionally, with an online class, you may have the option to complete a lesson multiple times if you feel you didn’t thoroughly absorb all the information the first time around. That’s typically not an option with traditional classes.

Catering to Different Learning Styles

The materials for an online learning course can take many forms. Examples include (but aren’t necessarily limited to):

Recorded lectures
Reading materials
Videos (with animated videos being particularly ideal for education)
Slideshows
Podcasts

Research indicates that different segments of people have different learning styles. Online courses may serve students of all major learning styles, allowing numerous students to take full advantage of all a class has to offer.

Savings

Online learning eliminates many of the expenses that are usually associated with traditional in-person classes. When designing and offering an online class, an educator doesn’t need to pay for physical space, books, and other such features.

At the very least, this decreases expenses for teachers and educational institutions. Ideally, they will pass these savings along to students, making online learning a more affordable alternative to attending in-person classes.

Environmental Benefits

No one needs to travel anywhere to participate in an online class. Additionally, online classes usually don’t require any shipping of materials, such as textbooks.

Thus, online learning can substantially decrease a class’ environmental impact.

Educational institutions and brands should take note. According to surveys, consumers are now increasingly likely to support brands that attempt to promote sustainability. If an educational institution reduces its carbon footprint by offering online learning options, students may be more inclined to support it.

Networking

Some online classes encourage students to collaborate with one another on assignments and projects. Because the students who participate in an online course may be dispersed throughout the globe, collaboration gives students the chance to network with individuals across the planet.

Relevance

Updating content for an in-person course (and, when necessary, designing a new course entirely) can be a time-consuming and costly process. That’s not the case with designing and releasing a new or updated online course.

Again, the basic physical demands of online courses can be fairly minimal. Among other benefits, this makes it easy for educators to update their classes and release new ones quite rapidly.

The result? Online courses on timely and relevant topics are easier to come by than in-person courses.

The advantages this may yield for students can range from the practical to the merely appealing. For example, an online course teaching students how to use new technology is likely to be available sooner than an in-person course on the same subject. Online courses may also be more likely to touch on recent news stories, pop culture trends, and other topics.

Variety of Options

The fact that developing and releasing online learning courses is fairly easy when compared to traditional learning courses means that there is a wide variety of options from which to choose when deciding what course to take. On the other hand, a student’s options might be somewhat limited if they are only taking courses available through their nearest college or university.

Opportunities to Research Courses and Instructors

The wide variety of options a student can choose from when looking into online courses also provides them with access to numerous potential instructors. That means students have greater opportunities to research instructors, helping them identify those best equipped to serve their needs.

Customization

A traditional in-person learning experience at a university consists of a professor delivering the same lecture to an entire room of students. It doesn’t matter if not every student in a class has the same needs or learning styles—they all nevertheless receive the same information in the same manner.

This is yet another advantage of online learning. Through online learning apps, students often have the option to customize their experiences in ways that they couldn’t if they were participating in live classes.

All that said, it’s important to keep in mind that online learning options are still essentially new. Trends indicate online learning is going to continue to grow in popularity in the coming years. If it does, it’s likely additional benefits will come to light. This is merely the beginning.

Use Powtoon to Develop Video Content for Online Learning

If you design your online learning classes, Powtoon’s video maker can help you develop live-action and animated video content that brings your lessons to life. Even if you have next to no video production experience, Powtoon makes generating video content easy and affordable. Sign up today to learn more!

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Hanna Abitbul

Hanna is Powtoon's Content Marketing Strategist. She joined Powtoon as a copywriter in 2019, after graduating from university with a specialized degree in marketing and business. She continues to inspire people to create incredible video content with blog posts, videos, guides, and more. Hanna's passions include reading, singing, and caring for animals (#proudvegan). Nothing makes her happier than waking up to her two black kitties who, contrary to popular belief, are good luck!