In the last decade, the increased accessibility of online education has changed the lives of countless students across the world. However, with all its benefits, online education can often be viewed as limited. Here's why we disagree!
These days, students are arguably under more pressure to deliver higher quantities of work in shorter spaces of time. That’s why the convenience and added assistance of online learning can be a useful tool in which to learn faster and revise harder. Private tuition online also continues to be beneficial to many students who require some extra time outside the classroom to revisit and go over topics that they initially may have struggled with.
But what is the future of online education? Is it limited to just private tuition, videoclips, digitised PowerPoint presentations and discussion boards? Absolutely not! Online education has a bright future.
A large proportion of online learning takes place in the tuition sector, where lessons are being delivered by private tutors located across the world. Here in the UK, some of the very best teachers and qualified education professionals are offering their expertise and learning techniques via different online platforms such as Skype, Zoom, WeChat and more.
In these sessions, students have the opportunity to revisit and understand further the topics and information they may be struggling with in the classroom. Sessions may also cover important exam preparation. For example, should a student be preparing for the 13+ Common Entrance exams, but he/she is not currently attending a school where these are worked towards, private tuition is vital in order to prepare a student for such occasions.
Benefits of online lessons are countless but can it offer the same experience of learning in person within a classroom? Arguably, it offers a better experience. In the UK for example, students are typically in class sizes of between 20-40 students, depending on the specific school and education sector of course. However, what all institutions have in common is a lack of time available (and resources) to spend with a student one-to-one.
All students, no matter what their learning capability may be, can benefit from personalised, individual tuition with an experienced professional. Private tuition allows the individual student to ask questions openly and confidently, without the embarrassment of a classroom setting. It can unlock potential in many students who may find the day-to-day slog of school daunting.
Here at UK Study Centre, we have seen the benefits of online tuition first hand. As we work with students from both the UK and overseas, we come across many students who require private tuition as a vital part of their schooling careers. Most often, private tuition will run alongside our education consultancy, as students who are hoping to enrol at top UK independent schools will need to sit specific 7+, 11+, 13+ and 16+ exams. For those students who are from overseas, and may not be studying toward such exams in their current schools, private tuition gives them a lifeline in which to prepare properly for independent education in the UK.
Online education is not simply limited to online classrooms. Across the internet, there are many useful sites in which to test and revise information you have learnt, completely independently. However, it’s important to know which sites can be used as useful learning tools and which cannot!
Typically, you should stick to sites that are endorsed by the top exam boards such as Pearson, Edexcel and Cambridge Assessment. Such exam boards also release exam practice papers online for download. It is also useful to identify who has written the content of test sites and whether their experience can be trusted. Test sites that have been written by experienced teachers will always prove more beneficial to students rather than those that have been generated by website designers.
This year, Harrow School is launching a new virtual sixth form which will teach A-levels online to pupils anywhere in the world. Harrow is a well-known, top independent day and boarding school located in the suburbs of London. Their move is risky, but should be celebrated for its willingness to give students across the world an opportunity to learn from this celebrated institution. Heather Rhodes, Principal of Harrow School Online says that:
We live in a rapidly changing world, and education must too adapt to the new challenges this presents, and reflect young people’s lifestyles and aspirations. It’s a privilege to be at the forefront of this new chapter of education.
The school is now welcoming applications from international students who intend to begin their sixth form education in September 2020. The course has been developed with Pearson and will initially focus on the STEM subjects — Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths and also Economics.
Intake will be prioritised for students with strong English speaking, reading and writing skills and lessons will take place live online with experienced teachers. These teachers will be UK-qualified and recruited/trained to the same standard of any Harrow School teaching professional.
So is this the future for online education? Will all students soon be able to attend school from the comfort of their own homes? Perhaps not, but it is a radical and exciting development from one of the most highly-regarded schools in the country. Here at UK Study Centre, we are looking forward to working with students across the world who would like to enrol at Harrow School Online, if you would like more information about how we can help please contact us.
There is no doubt that online education is on the rise, particularly in the forms of online courses and tuition. While it remains unlikely that learning online will completely eradicate traditional schooling methods, the flexibility, accessibility and financial aspects of attending lessons online will always be attractive to students seeking an alternative.
Of course, “e-learning” can never replicate the life lessons that come with attending school or university in person, but for those unable to attend, whether it’s down to geographical location or otherwise, online education is a worthy alternative.
UK Study Centre has been offering private tuition online for many years, working with some of the very best tutoring professionals across the UK. Should you be interested in online tuition or school entrance support, get in touch here.