Top 10 Mind-blowing Facts About Distance Education
Whenever we listen about distance education we often hear about words like flexibility and online lectures. Although there are millions of students across the world who enroll in distance education every year still there is not much known about this area.
There is a prevailing misconception or a belief that the concept of distance education is quite new in the education system when the reality is completely opposite. The concept of this model of education came into existence in the 1960s.
The surge of distance education in recent years can be seen by anyone and this happened because this model of education came up as an alternative to traditional classroom teaching or I should say the only alternative it is.
It is obvious that not everyone can get regular admission to a prestigious university because of the limited seats and increasing population. Also, this is the reason behind the inception of distance learning.
Amazing Facts About Distance Education
There are a plethora of amazing facts that you should know about distance education and these are:
- The Market Of Online Education Is Expected To Grow And Reach Usd 350 Billion By 2025. The market for online and distance education was already growing because of the involvement of education technology but this increased by leaps and bounds, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The Number Of Students Who Are Enrolling In Online And Distance Education Is Expected To Reach 9.6 Million by the end of 2021 in India. There was already a surge in the number of distance students as the number of online students was 1.6 million in 2016 but the rate of rising in the number has increased manifolds because traditional classroom teaching failed at the time of the pandemic.
- The Age Group Of 30 Or Older Represents 41% Of The Population In Online Education. This age group tends to be more inclined towards online education than younger students.
- The Age Group Of 24-29 Comprises 35.5% Of The Population In Online Education as it has been seen that the young population with a lower income is more inclined towards online education in order to have a boost in their career.
- It is estimated that there is around a twofold increase in the fees of traditional institutions and this is the reason that plenty of students are now choosing to pursue their higher studies in a distance mode. Distance education offers both affordability and flexibility to students which gives them leverage to both work and learn at the same time.
- Online And Distance Degrees Are Recognized By Employers. If students are enrolling themselves in UGC-DEB-recognized universities then their distance degrees will be recognized everywhere and they can get jobs easily.
- There Are Employers Who Encourage Their Employees To Take Up Distance Education. Prestigious companies finance the higher education of their employees from a distance mode to upskill them.
- In 2019 It Has Been Noted That In Ug Courses 65% Of Online Students Were Women whereas only 35% were reported as men.
- Students Can Pursue Two Programs Together if they pursue one degree via distance mode. Students can pursue two programs either both in distance mode or one in a distance mode and the other in a regular mode. The combination of programs should be like this:
- One degree + one diploma/PG Diploma/Certificate program
- One PG Diploma + one diploma/Certificate program
- Two PG diplomas
- Two certificate programs
- Two diploma programs
- Online And Distance Education Is Actually Improving Digital Literacy amongst students. Students get the opportunity to use various digital platforms to attend lectures, study content online, and also submit assignments.
Some Reasons How Distance Education Can Be A Better Choice
Online and distance education came into existence as an alternative to traditional classroom teaching. Hence, it provides the solution to all the shortcomings faced while studying in a regular mode. The market size of online and distance education has increased tremendously at the end of this decade as more and more students are trusting distance universities.
Here are some reasons why distance education can be a better choice for you:
- Offers An Advantage To Learn From Anywhere: Online education provides leverage to students as they can study anytime and from anywhere. Students only need either a smartphone or a laptop and a good internet connection to complete their curriculum. Distance education offers enormous flexibility and this is the reason that many working professionals choose to study via distance mode instead of regular mode because this won’t demand you to delay your employment as you can continue it along with your higher studies.
- Accessibility Is The Key Aspect Of Distance Education: Distance education came into existence with an aim to disseminate education in every corner of the world. There are plenty of universities that provide education via online platforms and give the benefit of e-content so that students even from remote areas can pursue their higher studies.
- Affordable Courses: Online and distance education is famous for its affordability. The concept of distance learning came into existence because traditional institutes became expensive because of fewer seats and an increasing population. Hence, students have got the option of distance courses now as they are more affordable and offer more seats than regular institutes.
- Inculcate Technical Know-how: Online and distance education is a mixture of offline and online teaching. Students get to learn the know-how of digital learning platforms and operate them flawlessly. This is actually increasing digital literacy amongst students which is paving the way towards high-profile jobs as many employers prefer distance students as they can take out time while studying and they are technically equipped as well.