Online education has become huge, as you are now aware. Some of its many benefits include cost-effectiveness, a variety of choices, accessibility, and virtually no limitations. The total number of students participating in at least one online course has surpassed 6.7 million in the US, and the numbers are steadily increasing. Here are some additional facts about online education that you may not know.
A Fast-Growing Tendency
Distance education is used by a wide range of students with their own professional interests and fields of study. Now more than ever, educational institutions are focused on e-learning and are constantly upgrading their portfolios with distance courses and online trainings that are tailored to the needs of every student (See Top Tips For Online Teachers).
- Data from the past few years shows that out of 20.2 million college students in America, almost 5.8 million of them, nearly 30%, were enrolled in some form of distance education.
- Undergraduate participation in distance education over the last 3 years grew from 21% to 32%.
- The rapid increase in online learning is confirmed when one considers the fact that in 2003-2004 only 16% of undergraduates participated in distance education.
Where Age Is Not A Factor
Online education can turn every learner into a lifetime student. E-learning can offer possibilities for any age group and erase social, gender, and economic inequalities. The latest data shows that distance learning is highly diverse. There are a large number of students of all ages who are working in an online program or in online courses. One of the many advantages of e-learning is the fact that it offers the convenience, pacing, and flexibility that every student is looking for.
- 4.5% of students in the 15-23 age group only participated in online courses and 3.2% of these students earned their degree completely online.
- 10.4% of the 24-30 age group were only enrolled in online courses and 8% of this group earned their degree solely through distance education.
- 15.9% of the 30+ age group did their college work entirely online and 13% of them earned their degree only through an online course.
Online Courses Help People Learn Fast
Today’s companies want their people to learn fast so as to meet the expectations of a highly dynamic business environment, and e-learning is perfectly suited to meet this requirement. A Brandon-Hall Study revealed that learning online typically requires 40% to 60% less employee time than learning the same subject in a traditional classroom setting.
- Students in online learning conditions performed modestly better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.
- E-learning helped participants learn nearly 5 times more material.
- 37% of the online students said that they enrolled because of the accelerated courses and viewed them as a faster track to getting their desired degree.
Online Learning Allows Students With Disabilities To Excel
Mobile learning allows learners to access courses anywhere, anytime. Innovative mobile technologies are playing a key role in harnessing the full learning potential of mobile devices. Undergraduate students with disabilities are more likely to enroll in distance education (Know More About Your Virtual Learners).
- 26% of all undergraduates who enroll in some form of distance education have some form of mobility impairment.
- 21% of all undergraduates enrolled in distance education have a form of sensory impairment.
- 4% of all undergraduates who study in a 100% online degree program have a form of mobility impairment.
E-Learning – The New Eco
Oh yes, mobile learning is environmentally friendly. The corporate world is looking for a way to conduct its operations in an environmentally sustainable manner, and the online learning format helps firms deliver training in an eco-friendly manner.
- E-learning uses no paper, requires no traveling, and uses fewer resources, all of which saves a lot of energy.
- Producing and providing e-learning courses consumes an average of 90% less energy and produces 85% fewer CO2 emissions compared to face-to-face trainings.
- The reduction in the amount of traveling also has an impact. Besides the pollution factor, online learning saves money and time – the average American spends 51 minutes a day commuting to and from work/training and spends $8,758 annually on transportation.
Here Are Some More Interesting Facts About E-Learning:
- 77% of academic leaders rate the learning outcomes in online education as the same or superior to those in face-to-face education.
- 62.4% of institutions of higher education have evolved from offering only online courses to providing online degrees.
- A new high of 69.1% of academic leaders now say that online learning is critical to their long-term strategy.
- Graduates of online degree programs can earn up to $84,000 annually, and 29% earn $85,000–$150,000 annually.
- More than 80% of online undergraduate students have transfer credits from previous college courses that can be applied to their degree requirements.
- 33% of online students study business.
- A survey by the BBC in 2003 revealed that micro online learning modules can improve understanding, retention, and application levels by at least 30%.
- 29% of online graduates earn an annual income of $85-150k.
- 60% of students taking an online course are employed full-time.
- 52% of the people involved in mobile learning use it in bed after waking up and 46% in bed before they go to sleep.
It’s official! The number of companies using e-learning is increasing daily. Studies show that the current e-learning market will grow globally by a stunning 17.81% every year until 2020. So it’s totally worth considering your participation in this thrilling process (Learn How To Distinguish Yourself As An Online Teacher). Welcome to the future!
