Guest post by Lindsey Wright, who writes for the education resource OnlineSchools.org.
In 2008 the global intelligence firm IDC published a white paper forecasting the expected growth of information in the digital universe. The report claimed that in 2008 there were more bits of digital information being transferred between networks than there were stars in outer space, which is a pretty bold claim considering the almost incomprehensible size of the universe. At any rate, the reach of the Web is indeed profound, and it continues to change the way people all across the world live on a day-to-day basis. It continues to grow and embed itself in culture.
Since one of the most fundamental purposes of the Internet is to provide and disseminate information, it makes sense that education has been deeply affected by the rise of the digital landscape in the last couple decades. In the United States the online school has become a widespread phenomenon, allowing people from all backgrounds to pursue advanced degrees from the comfort of their homes. Distance learning isn’t a new concept, of course, but the idea that somebody could get an accredited Ph.D. from his kitchen table was probably a rather absurd notion twenty years ago. The U.S. boasts some of the world’s best colleges, yet the attractiveness of self-paced learning is slowly starting to trump the collegiate experience.
Probably the greatest feature of online education is its inherent blindness. It doesn’t matter if you live in Japan or Australia or France. It doesn’t matter if you’re 15 years old or if you’ve just turned 50. It doesn’t matter if you graduated from high school in the bottom third of your class. In all of these cases, online schooling provides a way for people to gain access to information that they would otherwise be restricted from either because of their academic history, their geographical location, or their lack of finances. No longer does an individual have to pay for a college meal plan or to stay in a dormitory to get access to collegiate circles. Online education cuts costs, plain and simple.
The online school is not just an American phenomenon. All across the world universities are offering virtual degrees, and the general belief is that as more people gain access to the Internet, so too will those people gain access to academic programs they might never have encountered otherwise. It is also widely accepted that the more educated a developing country becomes, the better its chances are of success and parity with developed powers around the world. In a way, online education seems to have the potential to equalize the global playing field to some extent.
A few examples
Pakistan’s Allama Iqbal Open University is the world’s second largest, established in 1974. In addition to being relatively inexpensive compared to most universities around the world, Allama Iqbal broadcasted hundreds of educational radio and television programs in attempt to increase the reach of its services in 2005 and 2006. The university has also worked very hard to develop a video conferencing infrastructure that is now used to teach thousands of students in different regions within the country. The university integrates online education into its practices in ways that are much less expensive than building college centers, which are costly to maintain and develop. It is a great example of a hybrid institution, one that relies heavily on both centralized educational facilities and a growing focus on using the Internet to conduct classes.
The Wawasan Open University in Malaysia prides itself on its “…flexible approaches to make higher education accessible to all — anytime, anywhere.” It is slightly different from Allama Iqbal in that it was actually founded with a central focus on being an online distance learning center. While it has a central campus located in Penang, it has its own online learning management system and tutorial support services that students are required to access weekly to maintain rapport with their personalized tutors. It is the only open distance learning university of its kind in Malaysia, and it provides affordable education to tons of students each year while allowing them to maintain work schedules and families.
The African Virtual University (AVU) is gaining momentum in an area that has a very large need for programs of its kind. AVU defines itself as a Pan African Intergovernmental Organization whose purpose is to increase access to quality higher education on the continent. What is interesting about AVU is that it functions both as an initiative driven to create an open continental distance learning infrastructure in addition to actually being an institution of learning itself. It has already created an enormous e-learning network within Africa, with partner institutions in over 27 countries. Since 2007 is has educated thousands of students, and it continues to manage a digital library.
These three examples are only a tiny speck on the world map of online education. Institutions and umbrella organizations in almost every region with Internet access are growing, relying more and more on the Web to connect students with teachers and information. This is especially useful in places that are still attempting to develop industrially, and only adds fuel to the flaring embers of growth. It is clear that online education is flourishing beyond the U.S. As educational technology continues to decrease in price and proliferate, it seems likely that the balance of knowledge around the world will slowly but surely shift to a new equilibrium.
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