The Basics of Online Learning: the Future of Education?

There’s nothing special or complicated about going online these days. For many people, it can even be regarded as second nature. Upon waking up, checking email or updating status on social networking sites comes to mind first. It’s not surprising that the field of education went along these developments and made online learning its answer to innovation.

Online course providers are increasing in number and anticipated to cater to an equally growing number of students. As a matter of fact, online learning is not limited to schools. Many academic institutions that are into classroom-based learning are also increasingly relying on technology to respond to the diverse needs of students and instructors alike. Nowadays, the ease of using videoconferencing, web-based modules and instant messaging appeals to a number of teachers and students, particularly those who can’t be present in the same room or those who have difficulty attending physical classes.

Note how beneficial online learning can be for both teachers and students. Highly qualified instructors can get hired by International Career Institute, for instance, and accommodate classes outside their city or country. More importantly, technology allows them to post additional materials, continue discussions through email, customize lessons, flip classrooms, or simply accomplish more. Instructors at International Career Institute can also work around their schedules and determine a convenient time for teaching.

Nowadays, the ease of using videoconferencing, web-based modules and instant messaging appeals to a number of teachers and students, particularly those who can’t be present in the same room or those who have difficulty attending physical classes.

Students in forward looking institutions, on the other hand, can take advantage of quality teachers regardless of where they are based. If further training is necessary and the school lacks the resources required for it, the school can connect to another institution and facilitate lessons through online means. The Internet has shrunk the world to one happily connected village so it’s not surprising to see a school making use of affiliations to improve services and place learning in a global context.

Employers are quickly catching up too. Many of them accept and appreciate distance learning graduates as they do not only demonstrate knowledge in their specialization; they also possess self-discipline, a trait that most applicants today lack but quite apparent in many International Career Institute graduates. Interestingly, the International Career Institute is catering to many corporate clients who want to keep their employees brushed up on latest trends and armed with new skills.

If like most students, you are considering cost, pace and convenience, it is best to opt for an institution whose programs are specially designed for students who want to be armed with the skills that are most practical in their field. Individuals who are looking for a new career or a new skill perhaps can fulfill their goal in a matter of weeks or months.

English language teachers’ new role?

Look, we simply don’t get paid enough to have to deal with this kind of crap, OK? We’re in this for the sheer fun of it, the ‘alternative’ lifestyle and the chance to experience exotic locales. The last bloody thing we need is someone trying to turn this into a bona fide profession. However, that’s exactly what is in danger of happening if bloody CLIL takes off, according to those Craptus TEFL loving buggers at the Guardian…

As education authorities around the world set ambitious targets to raise English skills, this is the time for English language teachers to share their expertise and views on how to combine content and language in the same lessons, say leading Clil experts David Marsh and Peeter Mehisto. They call for more cooperation across the curriculum and highlight the issues that will be raised at our special debate Clil: Complementing or Compromising English Language Teaching?’

So, all you long termers, are you scared at the prospect of actually having to have expertise in a particular field other than that of merely speaking the language of the country you were born in? I’ve been teaching content based learning for the past five years and let me tell you, you have to put in the background reading or you get eaten alive in the classroom. That’s right, linguistic superiority just doesn’t cut it in CLIL. It’s a brave new world folks, are you ready for it?

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Read more of the Guardian article…