Learning In A Digital Age - Part I

This post is a part of series on learning in a digital age which focuses on advantages of Online learning over class room model of learning.  The classroom model of learning where professor is teaching and students listen, sleep, talk and even learn sometimes is absolutely flawed model.  This model has worked in the premier institutes where best of the breed approach is selected. It turns out that this model works when you have the following:

1.) You have Best Professors in the world who can make any subject interesting (How many colleges have it?).
2.) Every student learns at the same pace (I don't think so.)
3.) Every student asks questions (Many students have questions but they are afraid to ask.)
4.) Every student will think creatively at the same time
5.) Professors should always have answers to all kind of questions that students have.

Reality Check: Even in the premier institutes this is not granted as not all the students graduated till now have equally outperformed in the history.

If premier institutes can't produce equal results then why we have borrowed such class room learning model into our schools.  This is where Online Learning comes to the rescue and something that I believe will take over traditional form of learning in next few years.  Here are some benefits Online Learning provides. 

1.) Any student can learn at their own pace and literally whatever they want to learn, really they can.
2.) There are many Q&A sites flourishing in many categories and they will explode in coming years, where students can ask to industry experts in forums.
3.) They can progress and achieve heights which otherwise they wouldn't have achieved in classroom with fixed curriculum.
4.) Different students have interests in different fields and they can achieve great successes in their own niches.
5.) The classroom model takes mass production into account whereas Online Learning takes mass customization approach which is superb. 

The best example in action is http://www.khanacademy.org/ where you can learn basic math (even 1+1=2) to graduate level mathematics.  Khan Academy knows this point that not every student knows everything and it wants to give a message that literally anyone can learn.  You can track you progress, ask questions and put your knowledge to test.  Wonderful progress tracking features are available for professors and parents.  Amazing stuff.  (See more buzz in few days about Khan Academy once Salman Khan who started this revolution features on TED Conference in March this year).

If you want to learn and you get excited you can finish learning mathematics in a very short time compared to classroom model where you progress on a semester basis.  This is ridiculous.  Do we have to wait in this fast age for one semester to advance in a certain field?  

There are so many videos available online nowadays that in certain fields you can finish up 4 year degree in less than 2 years.  Isn't it amazing !



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