5 ONLINE
EDUCATION TRENDS
FOR COLLEGE
Online education allows
non-traditional students the
opportunity to earn a degree
without leaving the comfort of
their own home. This educational approach
has opened doors for individuals with
circumstances prohibiting them from
participating in on-campus education.
Whether they are working full time, raising
families, or they live in a different state, online
education provides the opportunity to earn a
degree remotely. According to U.S. News and
World Report, the number of online students is
continuing to grow and experts are predicting a
number of trends within the next year for online
learning.
1. Adoption of “Microcredentials” –
As non-traditional students are on the
rise, universities are developing multiple
program levels since not everyone is
looking to complete a four-year degree.
Microcredentials offer certificate programs,
digital “badges” of completion, and other
types of credentials to prove successful
completion of continued education
coursework.
2. Tailored Curriculums from Data
Insights – Since students complete all of
their work online, universities are receiving
data that is not typically available in a
traditional classroom setting. Analytics
teams are using this data to predict student
success, and in turn, teachers are enhancing
their curriculum to meet the needs of their
students.
3. Artificial Intelligence – Universities are
investing in artificial intelligence, such as
virtual assistants, to provide an additional
layer of support on top of that which
students receive from their professors.
4. Nonprofit Programs – Experts are
continuing to see a drop in for-profit
programs as more nonprofits are ramping up
their online education offerings. Nonprofit
institutions are working to keep up with the
demand for more online programs.
5. Ranging Disciplines – As online
programs continue to grow, they are offering
an increasing number of focus areas that may
not have been thought of until recent years.
Some students who already have degrees
are looking for specialized programs to learn
new technology in their field and to increase
their knowledge and credibility.
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• Youth Development Activities – Students are given the opportunity to engage
in hobbies outside of the classroom for the chance to find out what makes them
excited to learn.
TEACHING THE FUTURE
Teachers are tasked every day with correcting spelling
tests, entering grades, writing lesson plans, and now with
integrating technology along the way. They would be
doing their students a disservice if they choose to
ignore the fact that technology has become woven
into our daily lives, but they are taking cautious steps
to ensure that they are using and teaching technology
in a beneficial way. Doing so provides students with a
fundamental approach to utilizing technology to increase
productivity, access resources and to lay the groundwork for
use in their future careers. Teachers continue to learn and grow through continuing
education courses that allow them to integrate new methods for incorporating
technology in the classroom to ultimately guide our students to a successful future.
Providing students with access to technology in a structured setting provides them
with the freedom to individually learn and discover solutions to real-world problems
and prepare them for the future. Students have a paved path to achieve success with
the help of cooperative, communal workspaces, online portals that encourage cross-
collaboration, and support from their teachers, peers and parents.
PERSONALIZED
LEARNING FOR
HIGH SCHOOL
Personalized learning adapts a
structured educational environment
into a malleable approach to learning
and teaching. Each learning style
is different, and there is not one
approach to teaching that fits them
all. Personalized learning provides
students with attainable success in
the classroom by allowing teachers to
understand the strengths and weaknesses
of each individual student and adapt lesson
plans to allow students to work at their own
pace.
Building Student Profiles: Personalized learning
pulls from the strengths and weaknesses of individual students and tailors lessons to
improve learning outcomes. Teachers are able to utilize these pathways to learning to
guide their students to success.
Digital Approach to Personalized Learning: Utilizing data from digital
coursework provides an even stronger approach to personalized learning through
analytics. These analytics monitor a student’s performance and can predict future
patterns for learning, giving teachers the tools necessary to prepare an appropriate
curriculum for their students.
Teacher Adaptation: Teachers develop a new approach to instructing their
students when adopting personalized learning. In a typical classroom, there are
students who are ahead of the curve and students behind the curve, with very few
considered to be on the curve. A teacher typically aims to teach on the curve, with
students on either end falling short of their learning capabilities. Personalized
learning gives faculty the ability to spend more time tailoring their approach on an
individual level.