education essay online

Online Education Essay in English (200-250) Words Paragraph & PDF

Online Education Essay in English: Online education is one of the major changes in the global education industry after COVID hits the country. Read Online Education Essay from here only.

Table of Contents

Online education is a type of learning in which students get instructional content via the internet. It is a flexible and convenient method of learning that has grown in popularity in recent years.

Online Education Essay

Online education is one of the major changes in the global education industry after COVID hits the country. The internet is used for this type of learning. This form of learning has been made easier with new and improved technologies. Higher education institutions favour online learning as well. In short and extended articles about online education, this article will inform students of its benefits and outcomes.

Education spans a range more than just attending classes and reading books to learn things. It exceeds all restrictions. Learning extends beyond the pages of a book. We are fortunate to live in a time where learning is accessible online. Yes! We can educate our kids and ourselves while sitting in our own homes. Online education is a good option for doing this. All needy kids who are unable to enroll in local schools now have access to education thanks to online learning.

Online Education Essay PDF

Download Online Education Essay PDF: Online Education Essay in English

Online Education Essay in English (200-250) words

Today’s Essay on Online Education covers an important subject. There are different types of essays about online education in English for students and children in this post.

Here we, at adda247 are providing 10 lines essays, short essays, and long essays on online education.

• Online education is the process of acquiring education using the internet.
• The Internet is the foundation of online learning.
• Online education was an idea that existed years back.
• It protects students’ sensitive time and money.
• It provides students with a range of courses while sitting at their homes.
• It helped in achieving a balance between safety and education during the pandemic.
• However, it may be shown that it is bad for students’ health.
• In areas with poor network connectivity, studying online is challenging.
• There are numerous online learning resources, including Adda247,Coursera, Udemy etc.
• Online learning features including texts, videos, and animations aid in student comprehension.

Online Education Essay in Paragraph 200-250 Words

These days, technology has impacted every industry, including education. The most recent method of getting an education through the internet is online education. Utilizing your smartphones, laptops, or tablets for learning is a fun and productive method. Both teachers and students can benefit greatly from it, but there are also many drawbacks. Learning from anywhere is flexible with online education.

Non-time-boundness is another advantageous property. You don’t have to sit from morning until lunch like in a typical school. Depending on your preference, you can study online day or night. There is no upper age limit for learning online, in addition to the flexibility of time and location. You can pick the subjects and skills you want to learn by using online education. There are numerous institutions that provide their degrees and courses online. As a result, it is a more practical option to educate yourself without physically visiting schools or universities. Additionally, it helps you save money on transportation and other expenses.

People who reside in areas with poor internet connectivity, however, struggle with online learning. The core of online education is the internet. Your health may suffer if you spend more time in front of devices. Only those with the ability to discipline themselves should consider it.

Online Education Essay in 500-1000 words for UPSC

Introduction: Online education is a flexible method of providing instruction that includes all online learning. Online learning helps students who need to do their work on their own time and at their own speed and gives teachers access to students who may not be able to enroll in a regular classroom course.

The modern method of education, known as online education, differs greatly from the traditional method of learning. For a better comprehension of the students, the instructor or mentor employs a variety of techniques, including texts, audios, films, animations, etc.

Every field is experiencing a rapid increase in the amount of distant learning and the awarding of online degrees. The number of institutions and schools that provide online education is likewise increasing. Students who are seeking degrees online need to be careful in making sure that they finish their coursework through a reputable and recognized university.

Synchronization is a well-known benefit of online learning. Here, the chosen format allows for lively dialogue between the students and the teachers. Sources are exchanged through these communications, and a synergy that is open-ended develops as a result of a learning process. It helps the learner learn more when each person shares their point of view or opinion through conversations and comments on others’ work. This unique advantage can only be achieved through online learning, which creates a virtual learning environment focused on the needs of the students.

We don’t need to commute over long distances or travel to different place because we can take classes online. While pursuing a degree online to advance our careers, we can remain where we are and keep our current jobs. Digital nomads—those who advocate a technologically enabled or location-independent lifestyle—are also helped by online schooling. No matter where we are, we may finish our schoolwork and view lectures.

The online education experience offers a lot more reasonable schedule, whether we are full-time or part-time students. The low cost of online education has contributed to its popularity. Online courses are less expensive than those provided at schools or colleges because of this. While attending a university, we might need to pay for things like transportation, lodging, and meals; however, online education might not.

The inherent flexibility of online learning is one of its key benefits, but there is a catch: one needs to be very self-motivated. The top online learners use a variety of strategies for maintaining their assignments. Setting aside time each week for studying and designing a workspace with few distractions can both be highly beneficial.

Conclusion: Increased educational access, high-quality learning opportunities, improved student outcomes and abilities, and more educational options are some of the possible benefits of online education. Because of online education, variables like location, time, and quality are no longer taken into account when looking for degree programmes or higher education.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Education for Essay

Advantages of online education.

Save time and money: Students who pursue their education online do so at a considerable time and financial savings. It cuts down on both the cost and time of transportation. Accessible to All : Everyone has access to online schooling. Online education is available to students of all backgrounds and ages. For students who have physical disabilities, this is one of the main benefits. They can receive an education from the comfort of their own home without having to travel anyplace. No Time Limit : Students have a lot of freedom with online education. Anytime, students can seek knowledge. There is no time limit like there is in the traditional learning method.

Choice : Online education offers a wide range of courses. Students can study skills like personality development and other things that are typically challenging to master offline in addition to course material.

Disadvantages of Online Education

Dependency : Online learning is beneficial for those who can study independently. Kids and other students cannot effectively study online without help. Self-concentration is necessary for this kind of study. Lack of Resources : Online education requires computers or mobile devices as well as strong internet connectivity. Online study is not possible for those without computers or in places with network problems. Disengagement from Society : Spending a lot of time in front of a screen could be bad for your health. The students’ physical growth is also impacted by it. They will grow apart from their friends and society if they don’t attend school.

Online vs Offline Education Comparision

• Time management: Unlike online education, where you can choose a time slot that best suits your needs, offline education has a set timetable.
• Cost-Effectiveness : Online learning is significantly less expensive than traditional learning. Transportation costs are just one of the numerous costs associated with the existing educational system. Students require appropriate uniforms as well as a number of other items.
• Online learning presents new challenges for students, but it also has the potential to cut them off from their surroundings. Children’s physical and mental development are both aided by attending school. They enjoy spending time with their friends and teachers.
• Choice: In an online classroom, students are allowed to select the subject they want to learn about. They can view it multiple times for better comprehension. Students have no options in offline schooling.
• Knowledge Outside the Books: In an offline setting, students physically interact. They also learn other manners, such as self-control, appropriate behaviour, and other related abilities. These competencies are not produced by offline schooling.

Online Education Essay in Hindi

ऑनलाइन शिक्षा पर आज का निबंध एक महत्वपूर्ण विषय को शामिल करता है। इस पोस्ट में छात्रों और बच्चों के लिए अंग्रेजी में ऑनलाइन शिक्षा के बारे में विभिन्न प्रकार के निबंध हैं।

ऑनलाइन शिक्षा पर 10 पंक्तियों के निबंध, लघु निबंध और लंबे निबंध प्रदान कर रहे हैं।

ऑनलाइन शिक्षा इंटरनेट का उपयोग करके शिक्षा प्राप्त करने की प्रक्रिया है। इंटरनेट ऑनलाइन सीखने का आधार है। ऑनलाइन शिक्षा एक ऐसा विचार था जो वर्षों पहले अस्तित्व में था। यह छात्रों के संवेदनशील समय और धन की रक्षा करता है। यह छात्रों को उनके घरों पर बैठकर कई तरह के पाठ्यक्रम प्रदान करता है। इसने महामारी के दौरान सुरक्षा और शिक्षा के बीच संतुलन हासिल करने में मदद की। हालांकि, यह दिखाया जा सकता है कि यह छात्रों के स्वास्थ्य के लिए खराब है। खराब नेटवर्क कनेक्टिविटी वाले क्षेत्रों में, ऑनलाइन अध्ययन करना चुनौतीपूर्ण है। Adda247, Coursera, Udemy आदि सहित कई ऑनलाइन शिक्षण संसाधन हैं। टेक्स्ट, वीडियो और एनिमेशन सहित ऑनलाइन सीखने की विशेषताएं छात्र की समझ में सहायता करती हैं। 250-300 शब्दों में ऑनलाइन शिक्षा निबंध

इन दिनों, प्रौद्योगिकी ने शिक्षा सहित हर उद्योग को प्रभावित किया है। इंटरनेट के माध्यम से शिक्षा प्राप्त करने का सबसे हालिया तरीका ऑनलाइन शिक्षा है। सीखने के लिए अपने स्मार्टफोन, लैपटॉप या टैबलेट का उपयोग करना एक मजेदार और उत्पादक तरीका है। इससे शिक्षक और छात्र दोनों ही काफी लाभान्वित हो सकते हैं, लेकिन कई कमियां भी हैं। ऑनलाइन शिक्षा के साथ कहीं से भी सीखना लचीला है।

गैर-समयबद्धता एक और लाभप्रद संपत्ति है। आपको एक ठेठ स्कूल की तरह सुबह से दोपहर के भोजन तक बैठने की ज़रूरत नहीं है। आप अपनी पसंद के आधार पर दिन हो या रात ऑनलाइन पढ़ाई कर सकते हैं। समय और स्थान के लचीलेपन के अलावा, ऑनलाइन सीखने के लिए कोई ऊपरी आयु सीमा नहीं है। आप ऑनलाइन शिक्षा का उपयोग करके उन विषयों और कौशलों को चुन सकते हैं जिन्हें आप सीखना चाहते हैं। ऐसे कई संस्थान हैं जो अपनी डिग्री और पाठ्यक्रम ऑनलाइन प्रदान करते हैं। नतीजतन, शारीरिक रूप से स्कूलों या विश्वविद्यालयों का दौरा किए बिना खुद को शिक्षित करना एक अधिक व्यावहारिक विकल्प है। इसके अतिरिक्त, यह आपको परिवहन और अन्य खर्चों पर पैसे बचाने में मदद करता है।

हालांकि, जो लोग खराब इंटरनेट कनेक्टिविटी वाले क्षेत्रों में रहते हैं, उन्हें ऑनलाइन सीखने में कठिनाई होती है। ऑनलाइन शिक्षा का मूल इंटरनेट है। यदि आप उपकरणों के सामने अधिक समय बिताते हैं तो आपका स्वास्थ्य खराब हो सकता है। केवल उन्हें ही इस पर विचार करना चाहिए जो स्वयं को अनुशासित करने की क्षमता रखते हैं।

यूपीएससी के लिए 500-1000 शब्दों में ऑनलाइन शिक्षा निबंध

परिचय: ऑनलाइन शिक्षा निर्देश प्रदान करने का एक लचीला तरीका है जिसमें सभी ऑनलाइन शिक्षण शामिल हैं। ऑनलाइन सीखने से उन छात्रों को मदद मिलती है जिन्हें अपना काम अपने समय पर और अपनी गति से करने की आवश्यकता होती है और शिक्षकों को उन छात्रों तक पहुंच प्रदान करता है जो नियमित कक्षा पाठ्यक्रम में नामांकन करने में सक्षम नहीं हो सकते हैं।

शिक्षा की आधुनिक पद्धति, जिसे ऑनलाइन शिक्षा के रूप में जाना जाता है, सीखने की पारंपरिक पद्धति से बहुत अलग है। छात्रों की बेहतर समझ के लिए, प्रशिक्षक या संरक्षक कई तरह की तकनीकों का इस्तेमाल करते हैं, जिनमें टेक्स्ट, ऑडियो, फिल्म, एनिमेशन आदि शामिल हैं।

हर क्षेत्र दूरस्थ शिक्षा और ऑनलाइन डिग्री प्रदान करने की मात्रा में तेजी से वृद्धि का अनुभव कर रहा है। ऑनलाइन शिक्षा प्रदान करने वाले संस्थानों और स्कूलों की संख्या भी बढ़ रही है। ऑनलाइन डिग्री चाहने वाले छात्रों को यह सुनिश्चित करने में सावधानी बरतने की जरूरत है कि वे एक प्रतिष्ठित और मान्यता प्राप्त विश्वविद्यालय के माध्यम से अपना शोध कार्य पूरा करें।

तुल्यकालन ऑनलाइन सीखने का एक प्रसिद्ध लाभ है। यहां, चुना गया प्रारूप छात्रों और शिक्षकों के बीच जीवंत संवाद की अनुमति देता है। इन संचारों के माध्यम से स्रोतों का आदान-प्रदान किया जाता है, और एक सीखने की प्रक्रिया के परिणामस्वरूप एक तालमेल विकसित होता है। यह शिक्षार्थी को अधिक जानने में मदद करता है जब प्रत्येक व्यक्ति बातचीत और दूसरों के काम पर टिप्पणियों के माध्यम से अपनी बात या राय साझा करता है। यह अनूठा लाभ केवल ऑनलाइन सीखने के माध्यम से प्राप्त किया जा सकता है, जो छात्रों की जरूरतों पर केंद्रित एक आभासी सीखने का माहौल बनाता है।

हमें लंबी दूरी तय करने या अलग-अलग जगहों की यात्रा करने की आवश्यकता नहीं है क्योंकि हम ऑनलाइन कक्षाएं ले सकते हैं। अपने करियर को आगे बढ़ाने के लिए ऑनलाइन डिग्री का पीछा करते हुए, हम जहां हैं वहीं रह सकते हैं और अपनी वर्तमान नौकरी रख सकते हैं। डिजिटल खानाबदोश – जो तकनीकी रूप से सक्षम या स्थान-स्वतंत्र जीवन शैली की वकालत करते हैं – को भी ऑनलाइन स्कूली शिक्षा से मदद मिलती है। चाहे हम कहीं भी हों, हम अपना स्कूल का काम पूरा कर सकते हैं और व्याख्यान देख सकते हैं।

ऑनलाइन शिक्षा का अनुभव बहुत अधिक उचित कार्यक्रम प्रदान करता है, चाहे हम पूर्णकालिक या अंशकालिक छात्र हों। ऑनलाइन शिक्षा की कम लागत ने इसकी लोकप्रियता में योगदान दिया है। इस वजह से स्कूलों या कॉलेजों में प्रदान किए जाने वाले ऑनलाइन पाठ्यक्रमों की तुलना में ऑनलाइन पाठ्यक्रम कम खर्चीले हैं। विश्वविद्यालय में भाग लेने के दौरान, हमें परिवहन, आवास और भोजन जैसी चीज़ों के लिए भुगतान करना पड़ सकता है; हालाँकि, ऑनलाइन शिक्षा नहीं हो सकती है।

ऑनलाइन सीखने का अंतर्निहित लचीलापन इसके प्रमुख लाभों में से एक है, लेकिन एक पकड़ है: किसी को बहुत आत्म-प्रेरित होने की आवश्यकता है। शीर्ष ऑनलाइन शिक्षार्थी विभिन्न प्रकार की रणनीतियों का उपयोग करते हैं

अपने कार्यों को बनाए रखने के लिए। अध्ययन के लिए हर हफ्ते समय अलग करना और कुछ ध्यान भटकाने वाले कार्यक्षेत्र को डिजाइन करना दोनों ही अत्यधिक फायदेमंद हो सकते हैं।

निष्कर्ष: बढ़ी हुई शैक्षिक पहुंच, उच्च गुणवत्ता वाले सीखने के अवसर, बेहतर छात्र परिणाम और क्षमताएं, और अधिक शैक्षिक विकल्प ऑनलाइन शिक्षा के कुछ संभावित लाभ हैं। ऑनलाइन शिक्षा के कारण, डिग्री प्रोग्राम या उच्च शिक्षा की तलाश में स्थान, समय और गुणवत्ता जैसे चरों को ध्यान में नहीं रखा जाता है।

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Essay on Online Education- FAQs

Q.Are online learning and distance learning the same?

Ans.  Online learning follows a school learning format and provides students more campus-like feel. Students have a formal or informal interactions with the teachers as well as their peers. But in distance learning, there is no interaction with teachers or classmates.

Q. What are some benefits of online classes?

• Flexibility.
• Reduced Costs.
• More Free Time.
• Increased Course Variety.
• Career Advancement Opportunities.

Q. How does online education affect students?

Ans.Online learning has helped students to become independent learners before they make their way into the real world.

Q. Are online classes good for students?

Ans. The importance of online classes are that they are much more convenient and flexible as compared to traditional learning platforms.

Q. Why do students prefer online learning?

Ans. Online courses are  easily accessible on much smaller budgets . In addition to the convenience and the cost, a large number of students are turning to online learning courses because they have become a better way to learn.

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Are online learning and distance learning the same?

Online learning follows a school learning format and provides students more campus-like feel. Students have a formal or informal interactions with the teachers as well as their peers. But in distance learning, there is no interaction with teachers or classmates.

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Essay on Online Education

Here we have shared the Essay on Online Education in detail so you can use it in your exam or assignment of 150, 250, 400, 500, or 1000 words.

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Essay on Online Education in 150-250 words

Essay on online education in 300-450 words, essay on online education in 500-1000 words.

Online education has emerged as a transformative force in the field of education, especially in recent times. With advancements in technology and internet accessibility, online education offers a flexible and accessible platform for learning. It allows students to access educational resources, participate in virtual classrooms, and interact with teachers and peers from anywhere in the world.

One of the significant advantages of online education is its flexibility. Students can access learning materials and lectures at their convenience, allowing them to balance their studies with other commitments. Online education also provides opportunities for self-paced learning, allowing students to progress at their own speed.

Additionally, online education expands access to quality education, particularly for those in remote areas or with physical limitations. It breaks down geographical barriers, enabling students to learn from renowned institutions and experts worldwide.

Moreover, online education encourages interactive and collaborative learning. Virtual classrooms and discussion forums promote engagement and exchange of ideas, fostering a dynamic learning environment.

However, it is important to acknowledge that online education also poses challenges. Lack of reliable internet connectivity, the need for self-discipline and motivation, and limited opportunities for hands-on learning are some of the potential drawbacks.

In conclusion, online education has revolutionized the education landscape, offering flexibility, accessibility, and collaborative learning opportunities. While it comes with challenges, online education has the potential to transform the way we learn and broaden access to quality education.

Title: Online Education: Revolutionizing the Learning Landscape

Introduction :

Online education has emerged as a transformative force in the field of education. With advancements in technology and internet accessibility, online learning platforms have revolutionized the way people acquire knowledge and skills. This essay discusses the advantages, challenges, and impact of online education on the learning landscape.

Advantages of Online Education

Online education offers numerous advantages. Firstly, it provides flexibility and convenience. Students can access learning materials and participate in virtual classes at their own pace and schedule. This flexibility allows learners to balance their studies with other commitments, such as work or personal responsibilities. Secondly, online education breaks down geographical barriers, enabling students to access quality education regardless of their location. It offers a wide range of courses and programs from reputed institutions and experts worldwide. Lastly, online education fosters interactive and collaborative learning through discussion forums, virtual classrooms, and online group projects, promoting engagement and knowledge exchange.

Challenges of Online Education

Online education also presents certain challenges. Limited access to reliable internet connectivity can hinder the learning experience, particularly in remote areas or developing regions. Additionally, online learning requires self-discipline, time management skills, and intrinsic motivation to stay focused and complete courses. The absence of face-to-face interactions and physical classrooms may reduce the opportunity for hands-on practical experiences, which are essential in certain fields of study. Furthermore, online education may not suit all learning styles, as some students may prefer traditional classroom settings or require personalized attention.

Impact of Online Education

Online education has had a significant impact on the learning landscape. It has expanded access to education, enabling individuals who may have faced barriers, such as geographical limitations or physical disabilities, to pursue their educational goals. Online learning has democratized education, providing opportunities for lifelong learning and professional development. It has also fostered a culture of continuous learning, allowing individuals to acquire new skills and adapt to the changing demands of the job market. Moreover, online education has prompted traditional educational institutions to incorporate technology and online platforms into their teaching methods, enhancing the overall quality of education.

Conclusion:

Online education has revolutionized the way we learn, making education more accessible, flexible, and interactive. Despite challenges, it offers numerous advantages, such as flexibility, global access, and collaborative learning. As technology continues to advance, online education will play an increasingly pivotal role in shaping the future of learning and meeting the diverse educational needs of individuals worldwide.

Title: Online Education – Transforming the Learning Landscape

Online education has emerged as a transformative force in the field of education, revolutionizing the way people learn and acquire knowledge. With advancements in technology and internet connectivity, online learning platforms have gained popularity and have become an integral part of the educational landscape. This essay explores the advantages, challenges, and impact of online education on the learning experience, as well as its potential for the future of education.

Online education offers numerous advantages that contribute to its growing popularity. Firstly, it provides flexibility and convenience. Students can access learning materials and participate in virtual classes at their own pace and schedule. This flexibility allows learners to balance their studies with other commitments, such as work or personal responsibilities. Online education breaks down geographical barriers, enabling students to access quality education regardless of their location. It offers a wide range of courses and programs from reputed institutions and experts worldwide, expanding educational opportunities for students in remote areas or those who are unable to attend traditional classrooms. Secondly, online education promotes self-paced learning. Students can progress through the material at their own speed, reviewing concepts as needed and spending additional time on challenging topics. This individualized approach allows for personalized learning experiences, catering to the unique needs and abilities of each student.

Moreover, online education fosters interactive and collaborative learning. Virtual classrooms, discussion forums, and online group projects provide opportunities for engagement, knowledge exchange, and networking. Students can interact with peers and instructors from diverse backgrounds and cultures, enhancing their global perspective and communication skills.

While online education offers numerous advantages, it also presents certain challenges that need to be addressed. Firstly, access to reliable internet connectivity is crucial for effective online learning. However, in many regions, particularly in developing countries or rural areas, access to high-speed internet may be limited, hindering the learning experience for some students.

Secondly, online learning requires self-discipline, time management skills, and intrinsic motivation. Without the structure of a traditional classroom setting, students must take responsibility for their own learning, set goals, and stay organized to succeed in an online learning environment. The lack of face-to-face interactions and physical presence of instructors and classmates may also reduce social interaction and the sense of community that is often experienced in traditional classrooms.

Additionally, practical subjects that require hands-on experiences, such as laboratory work, performing arts, or certain vocational skills, may be challenging to replicate in an online setting. The absence of physical resources and equipment may limit the practical learning experiences necessary for some fields of study.

Moreover, online education may not suit all learning styles. Some students may thrive in traditional classroom settings with direct instructor guidance, while others may struggle with self-paced learning or the absence of real-time interaction.

Online education has had a significant impact on the learning landscape. It has expanded access to education, enabling individuals who may have faced barriers, such as geographical limitations, financial constraints, or physical disabilities, to pursue their educational goals. Online learning has democratized education, providing opportunities for lifelong learning, professional development, and skills enhancement. Learners from different backgrounds, ages, and locations can access quality education without the need for physical relocation or disruption to their personal and professional lives.

Moreover, online education has prompted traditional educational institutions to incorporate technology and online platforms into their teaching methods. This integration has led to the development of blended learning approaches, combining online and in-person instruction. The use of multimedia resources, interactive tools, and virtual simulations enhances the overall quality of education, making it more engaging and effective.

Online education has also fostered a culture of continuous learning. With rapidly evolving industries and advancements in knowledge, lifelong learning has become essential for personal and professional growth. Online courses, webinars, and educational platforms provide opportunities for individuals to acquire new skills, stay updated with industry trends, and adapt to the changing demands of the job market.

Furthermore, online education has the potential to address the issue of educational equity. It offers a level playing field for students, irrespective of their socioeconomic background or geographical location. Students from disadvantaged communities can access the same quality education as their counterparts from more privileged backgrounds, narrowing the educational gap and promoting social mobility.

Online education also promotes student-centered learning approaches. It empowers learners to take ownership of their education, encouraging critical thinking, problem-solving, and independent learning. The vast resources available online enable students to explore diverse perspectives, conduct research, and engage in self-directed learning experiences.

Conclusion :

Online education has transformed the learning landscape, offering numerous advantages and opportunities for learners around the world. It provides flexibility, accessibility, and personalized learning experiences. However, challenges such as internet connectivity, self-discipline, and limited hands-on experiences need to be addressed to ensure the effectiveness of online education. As technology continues to advance and educational institutions adapt to the changing needs of learners, online education will play an increasingly vital role in the future of education, making learning more accessible, inclusive, and impactful.

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How Effective Is Online Learning? What the Research Does and Doesn’t Tell Us

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Editor’s Note: This is part of a series on the practical takeaways from research.

The times have dictated school closings and the rapid expansion of online education. Can online lessons replace in-school time?

Clearly online time cannot provide many of the informal social interactions students have at school, but how will online courses do in terms of moving student learning forward? Research to date gives us some clues and also points us to what we could be doing to support students who are most likely to struggle in the online setting.

The use of virtual courses among K-12 students has grown rapidly in recent years. Florida, for example, requires all high school students to take at least one online course. Online learning can take a number of different forms. Often people think of Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, where thousands of students watch a video online and fill out questionnaires or take exams based on those lectures.

In the online setting, students may have more distractions and less oversight, which can reduce their motivation.

Most online courses, however, particularly those serving K-12 students, have a format much more similar to in-person courses. The teacher helps to run virtual discussion among the students, assigns homework, and follows up with individual students. Sometimes these courses are synchronous (teachers and students all meet at the same time) and sometimes they are asynchronous (non-concurrent). In both cases, the teacher is supposed to provide opportunities for students to engage thoughtfully with subject matter, and students, in most cases, are required to interact with each other virtually.

Coronavirus and Schools

Online courses provide opportunities for students. Students in a school that doesn’t offer statistics classes may be able to learn statistics with virtual lessons. If students fail algebra, they may be able to catch up during evenings or summer using online classes, and not disrupt their math trajectory at school. So, almost certainly, online classes sometimes benefit students.

In comparisons of online and in-person classes, however, online classes aren’t as effective as in-person classes for most students. Only a little research has assessed the effects of online lessons for elementary and high school students, and even less has used the “gold standard” method of comparing the results for students assigned randomly to online or in-person courses. Jessica Heppen and colleagues at the American Institutes for Research and the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research randomly assigned students who had failed second semester Algebra I to either face-to-face or online credit recovery courses over the summer. Students’ credit-recovery success rates and algebra test scores were lower in the online setting. Students assigned to the online option also rated their class as more difficult than did their peers assigned to the face-to-face option.

Most of the research on online courses for K-12 students has used large-scale administrative data, looking at otherwise similar students in the two settings. One of these studies, by June Ahn of New York University and Andrew McEachin of the RAND Corp., examined Ohio charter schools; I did another with colleagues looking at Florida public school coursework. Both studies found evidence that online coursetaking was less effective.

About this series

This essay is the fifth in a series that aims to put the pieces of research together so that education decisionmakers can evaluate which policies and practices to implement.

The conveners of this project—Susanna Loeb, the director of Brown University’s Annenberg Institute for School Reform, and Harvard education professor Heather Hill—have received grant support from the Annenberg Institute for this series.

To suggest other topics for this series or join in the conversation, use #EdResearchtoPractice on Twitter.

Read the full series here .

It is not surprising that in-person courses are, on average, more effective. Being in person with teachers and other students creates social pressures and benefits that can help motivate students to engage. Some students do as well in online courses as in in-person courses, some may actually do better, but, on average, students do worse in the online setting, and this is particularly true for students with weaker academic backgrounds.

Students who struggle in in-person classes are likely to struggle even more online. While the research on virtual schools in K-12 education doesn’t address these differences directly, a study of college students that I worked on with Stanford colleagues found very little difference in learning for high-performing students in the online and in-person settings. On the other hand, lower performing students performed meaningfully worse in online courses than in in-person courses.

But just because students who struggle in in-person classes are even more likely to struggle online doesn’t mean that’s inevitable. Online teachers will need to consider the needs of less-engaged students and work to engage them. Online courses might be made to work for these students on average, even if they have not in the past.

Just like in brick-and-mortar classrooms, online courses need a strong curriculum and strong pedagogical practices. Teachers need to understand what students know and what they don’t know, as well as how to help them learn new material. What is different in the online setting is that students may have more distractions and less oversight, which can reduce their motivation. The teacher will need to set norms for engagement—such as requiring students to regularly ask questions and respond to their peers—that are different than the norms in the in-person setting.

Online courses are generally not as effective as in-person classes, but they are certainly better than no classes. A substantial research base developed by Karl Alexander at Johns Hopkins University and many others shows that students, especially students with fewer resources at home, learn less when they are not in school. Right now, virtual courses are allowing students to access lessons and exercises and interact with teachers in ways that would have been impossible if an epidemic had closed schools even a decade or two earlier. So we may be skeptical of online learning, but it is also time to embrace and improve it.

A version of this article appeared in the April 01, 2020 edition of Education Week as How Effective Is Online Learning?

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Argumentative Essay: Online Learning and Educational Access

Conventional learning is evolving with the help of computers and online technology. New ways of learning are now available, and improved access is one of the most important benefits available. People all around the world are experiencing improved mobility as a result of the freedom and potential that online learning provides, and as academic institutions and learning organisations adopt online learning technologies and remote-access learning, formal academic education is becoming increasingly legitimate. This essay argues the contemporary benefits of online learning, and that these benefits significantly outweigh the issues, challenges and disadvantages of online learning.

Online learning is giving people new choices and newfound flexibility with their personal learning and development. Whereas before, formal academic qualifications could only be gained by participating in a full time course on site, the internet has allowed institutions to expand their reach and offer recognized courses on a contact-partial, or totally virtual, basis. Institutions can do so with relatively few extra resources, and for paid courses this constitutes excellent value, and the student benefits with greater educational access and greater flexibility to learn and get qualified even when there lots of other personal commitments to deal with.

Flexibility is certainly one of the most important benefits, but just as important is educational access. On top of the internet’s widespread presence in developed countries, the internet is becoming increasingly available in newly developed and developing countries. Even without considering the general informational exposure that the internet delivers, online academic courses and learning initiatives are becoming more aware of the needs of people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and this means that people from such backgrounds are in a much better position to learn and progress than they used to be.

The biggest argument that raises doubt over online learning is the quality of online courses in comparison to conventional courses. Are such online courses good enough for employers to take notice? The second biggest argument is the current reality that faces many people from disadvantaged backgrounds, despite the improvements made in this area in recent years – they do not have the level of basic access needed to benefit from online learning. In fact, there are numerous sources of evidence that claim disadvantaged students are not receiving anywhere near the sort of benefits that online learning institutions and promoters are trying to instigate. Currently there are many organisations, campaigns and initiatives that are working to expand access to higher education. With such high participation, it can be argued that it is only a matter of time before the benefits are truly realised, but what about the global online infrastructure?

There is another argument that is very difficult to dispel, and that is the response of different types of students to the online learning paradigm. Evidence shows that there are certain groups of students that benefit from college distance learning much more than other groups. In essence, students must be highly motivated and highly disciplined if they are to learn effectively in their own private environment.

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• Published: 25 January 2021

Online education in the post-COVID era

• Barbara B. Lockee 1  

Nature Electronics volume  4 ,  pages 5–6 ( 2021 ) Cite this article

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The coronavirus pandemic has forced students and educators across all levels of education to rapidly adapt to online learning. The impact of this — and the developments required to make it work — could permanently change how education is delivered.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the world to engage in the ubiquitous use of virtual learning. And while online and distance learning has been used before to maintain continuity in education, such as in the aftermath of earthquakes 1 , the scale of the current crisis is unprecedented. Speculation has now also begun about what the lasting effects of this will be and what education may look like in the post-COVID era. For some, an immediate retreat to the traditions of the physical classroom is required. But for others, the forced shift to online education is a moment of change and a time to reimagine how education could be delivered 2 .

Looking back

Online education has traditionally been viewed as an alternative pathway, one that is particularly well suited to adult learners seeking higher education opportunities. However, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has required educators and students across all levels of education to adapt quickly to virtual courses. (The term ‘emergency remote teaching’ was coined in the early stages of the pandemic to describe the temporary nature of this transition 3 .) In some cases, instruction shifted online, then returned to the physical classroom, and then shifted back online due to further surges in the rate of infection. In other cases, instruction was offered using a combination of remote delivery and face-to-face: that is, students can attend online or in person (referred to as the HyFlex model 4 ). In either case, instructors just had to figure out how to make it work, considering the affordances and constraints of the specific learning environment to create learning experiences that were feasible and effective.

The use of varied delivery modes does, in fact, have a long history in education. Mechanical (and then later electronic) teaching machines have provided individualized learning programmes since the 1950s and the work of B. F. Skinner 5 , who proposed using technology to walk individual learners through carefully designed sequences of instruction with immediate feedback indicating the accuracy of their response. Skinner’s notions formed the first formalized representations of programmed learning, or ‘designed’ learning experiences. Then, in the 1960s, Fred Keller developed a personalized system of instruction 6 , in which students first read assigned course materials on their own, followed by one-on-one assessment sessions with a tutor, gaining permission to move ahead only after demonstrating mastery of the instructional material. Occasional class meetings were held to discuss concepts, answer questions and provide opportunities for social interaction. A personalized system of instruction was designed on the premise that initial engagement with content could be done independently, then discussed and applied in the social context of a classroom.

These predecessors to contemporary online education leveraged key principles of instructional design — the systematic process of applying psychological principles of human learning to the creation of effective instructional solutions — to consider which methods (and their corresponding learning environments) would effectively engage students to attain the targeted learning outcomes. In other words, they considered what choices about the planning and implementation of the learning experience can lead to student success. Such early educational innovations laid the groundwork for contemporary virtual learning, which itself incorporates a variety of instructional approaches and combinations of delivery modes.

Online learning and the pandemic

Fast forward to 2020, and various further educational innovations have occurred to make the universal adoption of remote learning a possibility. One key challenge is access. Here, extensive problems remain, including the lack of Internet connectivity in some locations, especially rural ones, and the competing needs among family members for the use of home technology. However, creative solutions have emerged to provide students and families with the facilities and resources needed to engage in and successfully complete coursework 7 . For example, school buses have been used to provide mobile hotspots, and class packets have been sent by mail and instructional presentations aired on local public broadcasting stations. The year 2020 has also seen increased availability and adoption of electronic resources and activities that can now be integrated into online learning experiences. Synchronous online conferencing systems, such as Zoom and Google Meet, have allowed experts from anywhere in the world to join online classrooms 8 and have allowed presentations to be recorded for individual learners to watch at a time most convenient for them. Furthermore, the importance of hands-on, experiential learning has led to innovations such as virtual field trips and virtual labs 9 . A capacity to serve learners of all ages has thus now been effectively established, and the next generation of online education can move from an enterprise that largely serves adult learners and higher education to one that increasingly serves younger learners, in primary and secondary education and from ages 5 to 18.

The COVID-19 pandemic is also likely to have a lasting effect on lesson design. The constraints of the pandemic provided an opportunity for educators to consider new strategies to teach targeted concepts. Though rethinking of instructional approaches was forced and hurried, the experience has served as a rare chance to reconsider strategies that best facilitate learning within the affordances and constraints of the online context. In particular, greater variance in teaching and learning activities will continue to question the importance of ‘seat time’ as the standard on which educational credits are based 10 — lengthy Zoom sessions are seldom instructionally necessary and are not aligned with the psychological principles of how humans learn. Interaction is important for learning but forced interactions among students for the sake of interaction is neither motivating nor beneficial.

While the blurring of the lines between traditional and distance education has been noted for several decades 11 , the pandemic has quickly advanced the erasure of these boundaries. Less single mode, more multi-mode (and thus more educator choices) is becoming the norm due to enhanced infrastructure and developed skill sets that allow people to move across different delivery systems 12 . The well-established best practices of hybrid or blended teaching and learning 13 have served as a guide for new combinations of instructional delivery that have developed in response to the shift to virtual learning. The use of multiple delivery modes is likely to remain, and will be a feature employed with learners of all ages 14 , 15 . Future iterations of online education will no longer be bound to the traditions of single teaching modes, as educators can support pedagogical approaches from a menu of instructional delivery options, a mix that has been supported by previous generations of online educators 16 .

Also significant are the changes to how learning outcomes are determined in online settings. Many educators have altered the ways in which student achievement is measured, eliminating assignments and changing assessment strategies altogether 17 . Such alterations include determining learning through strategies that leverage the online delivery mode, such as interactive discussions, student-led teaching and the use of games to increase motivation and attention. Specific changes that are likely to continue include flexible or extended deadlines for assignment completion 18 , more student choice regarding measures of learning, and more authentic experiences that involve the meaningful application of newly learned skills and knowledge 19 , for example, team-based projects that involve multiple creative and social media tools in support of collaborative problem solving.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, technological and administrative systems for implementing online learning, and the infrastructure that supports its access and delivery, had to adapt quickly. While access remains a significant issue for many, extensive resources have been allocated and processes developed to connect learners with course activities and materials, to facilitate communication between instructors and students, and to manage the administration of online learning. Paths for greater access and opportunities to online education have now been forged, and there is a clear route for the next generation of adopters of online education.

Before the pandemic, the primary purpose of distance and online education was providing access to instruction for those otherwise unable to participate in a traditional, place-based academic programme. As its purpose has shifted to supporting continuity of instruction, its audience, as well as the wider learning ecosystem, has changed. It will be interesting to see which aspects of emergency remote teaching remain in the next generation of education, when the threat of COVID-19 is no longer a factor. But online education will undoubtedly find new audiences. And the flexibility and learning possibilities that have emerged from necessity are likely to shift the expectations of students and educators, diminishing further the line between classroom-based instruction and virtual learning.

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Lockee, B.B. Online education in the post-COVID era. Nat Electron 4 , 5–6 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41928-020-00534-0

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The effects of online education on academic success: A meta-analysis study

• Published: 06 September 2021
• Volume 27 , pages 429–450, ( 2022 )

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• Hakan Ulum   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-1398-6935 1  

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The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of online education, which has been extensively used on student achievement since the beginning of the pandemic. In line with this purpose, a meta-analysis of the related studies focusing on the effect of online education on students’ academic achievement in several countries between the years 2010 and 2021 was carried out. Furthermore, this study will provide a source to assist future studies with comparing the effect of online education on academic achievement before and after the pandemic. This meta-analysis study consists of 27 studies in total. The meta-analysis involves the studies conducted in the USA, Taiwan, Turkey, China, Philippines, Ireland, and Georgia. The studies included in the meta-analysis are experimental studies, and the total sample size is 1772. In the study, the funnel plot, Duval and Tweedie’s Trip and Fill Analysis, Orwin’s Safe N Analysis, and Egger’s Regression Test were utilized to determine the publication bias, which has been found to be quite low. Besides, Hedge’s g statistic was employed to measure the effect size for the difference between the means performed in accordance with the random effects model. The results of the study show that the effect size of online education on academic achievement is on a medium level. The heterogeneity test results of the meta-analysis study display that the effect size does not differ in terms of class level, country, online education approaches, and lecture moderators.

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1 Introduction

Information and communication technologies have become a powerful force in transforming the educational settings around the world. The pandemic has been an important factor in transferring traditional physical classrooms settings through adopting information and communication technologies and has also accelerated the transformation. The literature supports that learning environments connected to information and communication technologies highly satisfy students. Therefore, we need to keep interest in technology-based learning environments. Clearly, technology has had a huge impact on young people's online lives. This digital revolution can synergize the educational ambitions and interests of digitally addicted students. In essence, COVID-19 has provided us with an opportunity to embrace online learning as education systems have to keep up with the rapid emergence of new technologies.

Information and communication technologies that have an effect on all spheres of life are also actively included in the education field. With the recent developments, using technology in education has become inevitable due to personal and social reasons (Usta, 2011a ). Online education may be given as an example of using information and communication technologies as a consequence of the technological developments. Also, it is crystal clear that online learning is a popular way of obtaining instruction (Demiralay et al., 2016 ; Pillay et al., 2007 ), which is defined by Horton ( 2000 ) as a way of education that is performed through a web browser or an online application without requiring an extra software or a learning source. Furthermore, online learning is described as a way of utilizing the internet to obtain the related learning sources during the learning process, to interact with the content, the teacher, and other learners, as well as to get support throughout the learning process (Ally, 2004 ). Online learning has such benefits as learning independently at any time and place (Vrasidas & MsIsaac, 2000 ), granting facility (Poole, 2000 ), flexibility (Chizmar & Walbert, 1999 ), self-regulation skills (Usta, 2011b ), learning with collaboration, and opportunity to plan self-learning process.

Even though online education practices have not been comprehensive as it is now, internet and computers have been used in education as alternative learning tools in correlation with the advances in technology. The first distance education attempt in the world was initiated by the ‘Steno Courses’ announcement published in Boston newspaper in 1728. Furthermore, in the nineteenth century, Sweden University started the “Correspondence Composition Courses” for women, and University Correspondence College was afterwards founded for the correspondence courses in 1843 (Arat & Bakan, 2011 ). Recently, distance education has been performed through computers, assisted by the facilities of the internet technologies, and soon, it has evolved into a mobile education practice that is emanating from progress in the speed of internet connection, and the development of mobile devices.

With the emergence of pandemic (Covid-19), face to face education has almost been put to a halt, and online education has gained significant importance. The Microsoft management team declared to have 750 users involved in the online education activities on the 10 th March, just before the pandemic; however, on March 24, they informed that the number of users increased significantly, reaching the number of 138,698 users (OECD, 2020 ). This event supports the view that it is better to commonly use online education rather than using it as a traditional alternative educational tool when students do not have the opportunity to have a face to face education (Geostat, 2019 ). The period of Covid-19 pandemic has emerged as a sudden state of having limited opportunities. Face to face education has stopped in this period for a long time. The global spread of Covid-19 affected more than 850 million students all around the world, and it caused the suspension of face to face education. Different countries have proposed several solutions in order to maintain the education process during the pandemic. Schools have had to change their curriculum, and many countries supported the online education practices soon after the pandemic. In other words, traditional education gave its way to online education practices. At least 96 countries have been motivated to access online libraries, TV broadcasts, instructions, sources, video lectures, and online channels (UNESCO, 2020 ). In such a painful period, educational institutions went through online education practices by the help of huge companies such as Microsoft, Google, Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, and Slack. Thus, online education has been discussed in the education agenda more intensively than ever before.

Although online education approaches were not used as comprehensively as it has been used recently, it was utilized as an alternative learning approach in education for a long time in parallel with the development of technology, internet and computers. The academic achievement of the students is often aimed to be promoted by employing online education approaches. In this regard, academicians in various countries have conducted many studies on the evaluation of online education approaches and published the related results. However, the accumulation of scientific data on online education approaches creates difficulties in keeping, organizing and synthesizing the findings. In this research area, studies are being conducted at an increasing rate making it difficult for scientists to be aware of all the research outside of their ​​expertise. Another problem encountered in the related study area is that online education studies are repetitive. Studies often utilize slightly different methods, measures, and/or examples to avoid duplication. This erroneous approach makes it difficult to distinguish between significant differences in the related results. In other words, if there are significant differences in the results of the studies, it may be difficult to express what variety explains the differences in these results. One obvious solution to these problems is to systematically review the results of various studies and uncover the sources. One method of performing such systematic syntheses is the application of meta-analysis which is a methodological and statistical approach to draw conclusions from the literature. At this point, how effective online education applications are in increasing the academic success is an important detail. Has online education, which is likely to be encountered frequently in the continuing pandemic period, been successful in the last ten years? If successful, how much was the impact? Did different variables have an impact on this effect? Academics across the globe have carried out studies on the evaluation of online education platforms and publishing the related results (Chiao et al., 2018 ). It is quite important to evaluate the results of the studies that have been published up until now, and that will be published in the future. Has the online education been successful? If it has been, how big is the impact? Do the different variables affect this impact? What should we consider in the next coming online education practices? These questions have all motivated us to carry out this study. We have conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis study that tries to provide a discussion platform on how to develop efficient online programs for educators and policy makers by reviewing the related studies on online education, presenting the effect size, and revealing the effect of diverse variables on the general impact.

There have been many critical discussions and comprehensive studies on the differences between online and face to face learning; however, the focus of this paper is different in the sense that it clarifies the magnitude of the effect of online education and teaching process, and it represents what factors should be controlled to help increase the effect size. Indeed, the purpose here is to provide conscious decisions in the implementation of the online education process.

The general impact of online education on the academic achievement will be discovered in the study. Therefore, this will provide an opportunity to get a general overview of the online education which has been practiced and discussed intensively in the pandemic period. Moreover, the general impact of online education on academic achievement will be analyzed, considering different variables. In other words, the current study will allow to totally evaluate the study results from the related literature, and to analyze the results considering several cultures, lectures, and class levels. Considering all the related points, this study seeks to answer the following research questions:

What is the effect size of online education on academic achievement?

How do the effect sizes of online education on academic achievement change according to the moderator variable of the country?

How do the effect sizes of online education on academic achievement change according to the moderator variable of the class level?

How do the effect sizes of online education on academic achievement change according to the moderator variable of the lecture?

How do the effect sizes of online education on academic achievement change according to the moderator variable of the online education approaches?

This study aims at determining the effect size of online education, which has been highly used since the beginning of the pandemic, on students’ academic achievement in different courses by using a meta-analysis method. Meta-analysis is a synthesis method that enables gathering of several study results accurately and efficiently, and getting the total results in the end (Tsagris & Fragkos, 2018 ).

2.1 Selecting and coding the data (studies)

The required literature for the meta-analysis study was reviewed in July, 2020, and the follow-up review was conducted in September, 2020. The purpose of the follow-up review was to include the studies which were published in the conduction period of this study, and which met the related inclusion criteria. However, no study was encountered to be included in the follow-up review.

In order to access the studies in the meta-analysis, the databases of Web of Science, ERIC, and SCOPUS were reviewed by utilizing the keywords ‘online learning and online education’. Not every database has a search engine that grants access to the studies by writing the keywords, and this obstacle was considered to be an important problem to be overcome. Therefore, a platform that has a special design was utilized by the researcher. With this purpose, through the open access system of Cukurova University Library, detailed reviews were practiced using EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) that allow reviewing the whole collection of research through a sole searching box. Since the fundamental variables of this study are online education and online learning, the literature was systematically reviewed in the related databases (Web of Science, ERIC, and SCOPUS) by referring to the keywords. Within this scope, 225 articles were accessed, and the studies were included in the coding key list formed by the researcher. The name of the researchers, the year, the database (Web of Science, ERIC, and SCOPUS), the sample group and size, the lectures that the academic achievement was tested in, the country that the study was conducted in, and the class levels were all included in this coding key.

The following criteria were identified to include 225 research studies which were coded based on the theoretical basis of the meta-analysis study: (1) The studies should be published in the refereed journals between the years 2020 and 2021, (2) The studies should be experimental studies that try to determine the effect of online education and online learning on academic achievement, (3) The values of the stated variables or the required statistics to calculate these values should be stated in the results of the studies, and (4) The sample group of the study should be at a primary education level. These criteria were also used as the exclusion criteria in the sense that the studies that do not meet the required criteria were not included in the present study.

After the inclusion criteria were determined, a systematic review process was conducted, following the year criterion of the study by means of EBSCO. Within this scope, 290,365 studies that analyze the effect of online education and online learning on academic achievement were accordingly accessed. The database (Web of Science, ERIC, and SCOPUS) was also used as a filter by analyzing the inclusion criteria. Hence, the number of the studies that were analyzed was 58,616. Afterwards, the keyword ‘primary education’ was used as the filter and the number of studies included in the study decreased to 3152. Lastly, the literature was reviewed by using the keyword ‘academic achievement’ and 225 studies were accessed. All the information of 225 articles was included in the coding key.

It is necessary for the coders to review the related studies accurately and control the validity, safety, and accuracy of the studies (Stewart & Kamins, 2001 ). Within this scope, the studies that were determined based on the variables used in this study were first reviewed by three researchers from primary education field, then the accessed studies were combined and processed in the coding key by the researcher. All these studies that were processed in the coding key were analyzed in accordance with the inclusion criteria by all the researchers in the meetings, and it was decided that 27 studies met the inclusion criteria (Atici & Polat, 2010 ; Carreon, 2018 ; Ceylan & Elitok Kesici, 2017 ; Chae & Shin, 2016 ; Chiang et al. 2014 ; Ercan, 2014 ; Ercan et al., 2016 ; Gwo-Jen et al., 2018 ; Hayes & Stewart, 2016 ; Hwang et al., 2012 ; Kert et al., 2017 ; Lai & Chen, 2010 ; Lai et al., 2015 ; Meyers et al., 2015 ; Ravenel et al., 2014 ; Sung et al., 2016 ; Wang & Chen, 2013 ; Yu, 2019 ; Yu & Chen, 2014 ; Yu & Pan, 2014 ; Yu et al., 2010 ; Zhong et al., 2017 ). The data from the studies meeting the inclusion criteria were independently processed in the second coding key by three researchers, and consensus meetings were arranged for further discussion. After the meetings, researchers came to an agreement that the data were coded accurately and precisely. Having identified the effect sizes and heterogeneity of the study, moderator variables that will show the differences between the effect sizes were determined. The data related to the determined moderator variables were added to the coding key by three researchers, and a new consensus meeting was arranged. After the meeting, researchers came to an agreement that moderator variables were coded accurately and precisely.

2.2 Study group

27 studies are included in the meta-analysis. The total sample size of the studies that are included in the analysis is 1772. The characteristics of the studies included are given in Table 1 .

2.3 Publication bias

Publication bias is the low capability of published studies on a research subject to represent all completed studies on the same subject (Card, 2011 ; Littell et al., 2008 ). Similarly, publication bias is the state of having a relationship between the probability of the publication of a study on a subject, and the effect size and significance that it produces. Within this scope, publication bias may occur when the researchers do not want to publish the study as a result of failing to obtain the expected results, or not being approved by the scientific journals, and consequently not being included in the study synthesis (Makowski et al., 2019 ). The high possibility of publication bias in a meta-analysis study negatively affects (Pecoraro, 2018 ) the accuracy of the combined effect size, causing the average effect size to be reported differently than it should be (Borenstein et al., 2009 ). For this reason, the possibility of publication bias in the included studies was tested before determining the effect sizes of the relationships between the stated variables. The possibility of publication bias of this meta-analysis study was analyzed by using the funnel plot, Orwin’s Safe N Analysis, Duval and Tweedie’s Trip and Fill Analysis, and Egger’s Regression Test.

2.4 Selecting the model

After determining the probability of publication bias of this meta-analysis study, the statistical model used to calculate the effect sizes was selected. The main approaches used in the effect size calculations according to the differentiation level of inter-study variance are fixed and random effects models (Pigott, 2012 ). Fixed effects model refers to the homogeneity of the characteristics of combined studies apart from the sample sizes, while random effects model refers to the parameter diversity between the studies (Cumming, 2012 ). While calculating the average effect size in the random effects model (Deeks et al., 2008 ) that is based on the assumption that effect predictions of different studies are only the result of a similar distribution, it is necessary to consider several situations such as the effect size apart from the sample error of combined studies, characteristics of the participants, duration, scope, and pattern of the study (Littell et al., 2008 ). While deciding the model in the meta-analysis study, the assumptions on the sample characteristics of the studies included in the analysis and the inferences that the researcher aims to make should be taken into consideration. The fact that the sample characteristics of the studies conducted in the field of social sciences are affected by various parameters shows that using random effects model is more appropriate in this sense. Besides, it is stated that the inferences made with the random effects model are beyond the studies included in the meta-analysis (Field, 2003 ; Field & Gillett, 2010 ). Therefore, using random effects model also contributes to the generalization of research data. The specified criteria for the statistical model selection show that according to the nature of the meta-analysis study, the model should be selected just before the analysis (Borenstein et al., 2007 ; Littell et al., 2008 ). Within this framework, it was decided to make use of the random effects model, considering that the students who are the samples of the studies included in the meta-analysis are from different countries and cultures, the sample characteristics of the studies differ, and the patterns and scopes of the studies vary as well.

2.5 Heterogeneity

Meta-analysis facilitates analyzing the research subject with different parameters by showing the level of diversity between the included studies. Within this frame, whether there is a heterogeneous distribution between the studies included in the study or not has been evaluated in the present study. The heterogeneity of the studies combined in this meta-analysis study has been determined through Q and I 2 tests. Q test evaluates the random distribution probability of the differences between the observed results (Deeks et al., 2008 ). Q value exceeding 2 value calculated according to the degree of freedom and significance, indicates the heterogeneity of the combined effect sizes (Card, 2011 ). I 2 test, which is the complementary of the Q test, shows the heterogeneity amount of the effect sizes (Cleophas & Zwinderman, 2017 ). I 2 value being higher than 75% is explained as high level of heterogeneity.

In case of encountering heterogeneity in the studies included in the meta-analysis, the reasons of heterogeneity can be analyzed by referring to the study characteristics. The study characteristics which may be related to the heterogeneity between the included studies can be interpreted through subgroup analysis or meta-regression analysis (Deeks et al., 2008 ). While determining the moderator variables, the sufficiency of the number of variables, the relationship between the moderators, and the condition to explain the differences between the results of the studies have all been considered in the present study. Within this scope, it was predicted in this meta-analysis study that the heterogeneity can be explained with the country, class level, and lecture moderator variables of the study in terms of the effect of online education, which has been highly used since the beginning of the pandemic, and it has an impact on the students’ academic achievement in different lectures. Some subgroups were evaluated and categorized together, considering that the number of effect sizes of the sub-dimensions of the specified variables is not sufficient to perform moderator analysis (e.g. the countries where the studies were conducted).

2.6 Interpreting the effect sizes

Effect size is a factor that shows how much the independent variable affects the dependent variable positively or negatively in each included study in the meta-analysis (Dinçer, 2014 ). While interpreting the effect sizes obtained from the meta-analysis, the classifications of Cohen et al. ( 2007 ) have been utilized. The case of differentiating the specified relationships of the situation of the country, class level, and school subject variables of the study has been identified through the Q test, degree of freedom, and p significance value Fig.  1 and 2 .

3 Findings and results

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect size of online education on academic achievement. Before determining the effect sizes in the study, the probability of publication bias of this meta-analysis study was analyzed by using the funnel plot, Orwin’s Safe N Analysis, Duval and Tweedie’s Trip and Fill Analysis, and Egger’s Regression Test.

When the funnel plots are examined, it is seen that the studies included in the analysis are distributed symmetrically on both sides of the combined effect size axis, and they are generally collected in the middle and lower sections. The probability of publication bias is low according to the plots. However, since the results of the funnel scatter plots may cause subjective interpretations, they have been supported by additional analyses (Littell et al., 2008 ). Therefore, in order to provide an extra proof for the probability of publication bias, it has been analyzed through Orwin’s Safe N Analysis, Duval and Tweedie’s Trip and Fill Analysis, and Egger’s Regression Test (Table 2 ).

Table 2 consists of the results of the rates of publication bias probability before counting the effect size of online education on academic achievement. According to the table, Orwin Safe N analysis results show that it is not necessary to add new studies to the meta-analysis in order for Hedges g to reach a value outside the range of ± 0.01. The Duval and Tweedie test shows that excluding the studies that negatively affect the symmetry of the funnel scatter plots for each meta-analysis or adding their exact symmetrical equivalents does not significantly differentiate the calculated effect size. The insignificance of the Egger tests results reveals that there is no publication bias in the meta-analysis study. The results of the analysis indicate the high internal validity of the effect sizes and the adequacy of representing the studies conducted on the relevant subject.

In this study, it was aimed to determine the effect size of online education on academic achievement after testing the publication bias. In line with the first purpose of the study, the forest graph regarding the effect size of online education on academic achievement is shown in Fig.  3 , and the statistics regarding the effect size are given in Table 3 .

The flow chart of the scanning and selection process of the studies

Funnel plot graphics representing the effect size of the effects of online education on academic success

Forest graph related to the effect size of online education on academic success

The square symbols in the forest graph in Fig.  3 represent the effect sizes, while the horizontal lines show the intervals in 95% confidence of the effect sizes, and the diamond symbol shows the overall effect size. When the forest graph is analyzed, it is seen that the lower and upper limits of the combined effect sizes are generally close to each other, and the study loads are similar. This similarity in terms of study loads indicates the similarity of the contribution of the combined studies to the overall effect size.

Figure  3 clearly represents that the study of Liu and others (Liu et al., 2018 ) has the lowest, and the study of Ercan and Bilen ( 2014 ) has the highest effect sizes. The forest graph shows that all the combined studies and the overall effect are positive. Furthermore, it is simply understood from the forest graph in Fig.  3 and the effect size statistics in Table 3 that the results of the meta-analysis study conducted with 27 studies and analyzing the effect of online education on academic achievement illustrate that this relationship is on average level (= 0.409).

After the analysis of the effect size in the study, whether the studies included in the analysis are distributed heterogeneously or not has also been analyzed. The heterogeneity of the combined studies was determined through the Q and I 2 tests. As a result of the heterogeneity test, Q statistical value was calculated as 29.576. With 26 degrees of freedom at 95% significance level in the chi-square table, the critical value is accepted as 38.885. The Q statistical value (29.576) counted in this study is lower than the critical value of 38.885. The I 2 value, which is the complementary of the Q statistics, is 12.100%. This value indicates that the accurate heterogeneity or the total variability that can be attributed to variability between the studies is 12%. Besides, p value is higher than (0.285) p = 0.05. All these values [Q (26) = 29.579, p = 0.285; I2 = 12.100] indicate that there is a homogeneous distribution between the effect sizes, and fixed effects model should be used to interpret these effect sizes. However, some researchers argue that even if the heterogeneity is low, it should be evaluated based on the random effects model (Borenstein et al., 2007 ). Therefore, this study gives information about both models. The heterogeneity of the combined studies has been attempted to be explained with the characteristics of the studies included in the analysis. In this context, the final purpose of the study is to determine the effect of the country, academic level, and year variables on the findings. Accordingly, the statistics regarding the comparison of the stated relations according to the countries where the studies were conducted are given in Table 4 .

As seen in Table 4 , the effect of online education on academic achievement does not differ significantly according to the countries where the studies were conducted in. Q test results indicate the heterogeneity of the relationships between the variables in terms of countries where the studies were conducted in. According to the table, the effect of online education on academic achievement was reported as the highest in other countries, and the lowest in the US. The statistics regarding the comparison of the stated relations according to the class levels are given in Table 5 .

As seen in Table 5 , the effect of online education on academic achievement does not differ according to the class level. However, the effect of online education on academic achievement is the highest in the 4 th class. The statistics regarding the comparison of the stated relations according to the class levels are given in Table 6 .

As seen in Table 6 , the effect of online education on academic achievement does not differ according to the school subjects included in the studies. However, the effect of online education on academic achievement is the highest in ICT subject.

The obtained effect size in the study was formed as a result of the findings attained from primary studies conducted in 7 different countries. In addition, these studies are the ones on different approaches to online education (online learning environments, social networks, blended learning, etc.). In this respect, the results may raise some questions about the validity and generalizability of the results of the study. However, the moderator analyzes, whether for the country variable or for the approaches covered by online education, did not create significant differences in terms of the effect sizes. If significant differences were to occur in terms of effect sizes, we could say that the comparisons we will make by comparing countries under the umbrella of online education would raise doubts in terms of generalizability. Moreover, no study has been found in the literature that is not based on a special approach or does not contain a specific technique conducted under the name of online education alone. For instance, one of the commonly used definitions is blended education which is defined as an educational model in which online education is combined with traditional education method (Colis & Moonen, 2001 ). Similarly, Rasmussen ( 2003 ) defines blended learning as “a distance education method that combines technology (high technology such as television, internet, or low technology such as voice e-mail, conferences) with traditional education and training.” Further, Kerres and Witt (2003) define blended learning as “combining face-to-face learning with technology-assisted learning.” As it is clearly observed, online education, which has a wider scope, includes many approaches.

As seen in Table 7 , the effect of online education on academic achievement does not differ according to online education approaches included in the studies. However, the effect of online education on academic achievement is the highest in Web Based Problem Solving Approach.

4 Conclusions and discussion

Considering the developments during the pandemics, it is thought that the diversity in online education applications as an interdisciplinary pragmatist field will increase, and the learning content and processes will be enriched with the integration of new technologies into online education processes. Another prediction is that more flexible and accessible learning opportunities will be created in online education processes, and in this way, lifelong learning processes will be strengthened. As a result, it is predicted that in the near future, online education and even digital learning with a newer name will turn into the main ground of education instead of being an alternative or having a support function in face-to-face learning. The lessons learned from the early period online learning experience, which was passed with rapid adaptation due to the Covid19 epidemic, will serve to develop this method all over the world, and in the near future, online learning will become the main learning structure through increasing its functionality with the contribution of new technologies and systems. If we look at it from this point of view, there is a necessity to strengthen online education.

In this study, the effect of online learning on academic achievement is at a moderate level. To increase this effect, the implementation of online learning requires support from teachers to prepare learning materials, to design learning appropriately, and to utilize various digital-based media such as websites, software technology and various other tools to support the effectiveness of online learning (Rolisca & Achadiyah, 2014 ). According to research conducted by Rahayu et al. ( 2017 ), it has been proven that the use of various types of software increases the effectiveness and quality of online learning. Implementation of online learning can affect students' ability to adapt to technological developments in that it makes students use various learning resources on the internet to access various types of information, and enables them to get used to performing inquiry learning and active learning (Hart et al., 2019 ; Prestiadi et al., 2019 ). In addition, there may be many reasons for the low level of effect in this study. The moderator variables examined in this study could be a guide in increasing the level of practical effect. However, the effect size did not differ significantly for all moderator variables. Different moderator analyzes can be evaluated in order to increase the level of impact of online education on academic success. If confounding variables that significantly change the effect level are detected, it can be spoken more precisely in order to increase this level. In addition to the technical and financial problems, the level of impact will increase if a few other difficulties are eliminated such as students, lack of interaction with the instructor, response time, and lack of traditional classroom socialization.

In addition, COVID-19 pandemic related social distancing has posed extreme difficulties for all stakeholders to get online as they have to work in time constraints and resource constraints. Adopting the online learning environment is not just a technical issue, it is a pedagogical and instructive challenge as well. Therefore, extensive preparation of teaching materials, curriculum, and assessment is vital in online education. Technology is the delivery tool and requires close cross-collaboration between teaching, content and technology teams (CoSN, 2020 ).

Online education applications have been used for many years. However, it has come to the fore more during the pandemic process. This result of necessity has brought with it the discussion of using online education instead of traditional education methods in the future. However, with this research, it has been revealed that online education applications are moderately effective. The use of online education instead of face-to-face education applications can only be possible with an increase in the level of success. This may have been possible with the experience and knowledge gained during the pandemic process. Therefore, the meta-analysis of experimental studies conducted in the coming years will guide us. In this context, experimental studies using online education applications should be analyzed well. It would be useful to identify variables that can change the level of impacts with different moderators. Moderator analyzes are valuable in meta-analysis studies (for example, the role of moderators in Karl Pearson's typhoid vaccine studies). In this context, each analysis study sheds light on future studies. In meta-analyses to be made about online education, it would be beneficial to go beyond the moderators determined in this study. Thus, the contribution of similar studies to the field will increase more.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of online education on academic achievement. In line with this purpose, the studies that analyze the effect of online education approaches on academic achievement have been included in the meta-analysis. The total sample size of the studies included in the meta-analysis is 1772. While the studies included in the meta-analysis were conducted in the US, Taiwan, Turkey, China, Philippines, Ireland, and Georgia, the studies carried out in Europe could not be reached. The reason may be attributed to that there may be more use of quantitative research methods from a positivist perspective in the countries with an American academic tradition. As a result of the study, it was found out that the effect size of online education on academic achievement (g = 0.409) was moderate. In the studies included in the present research, we found that online education approaches were more effective than traditional ones. However, contrary to the present study, the analysis of comparisons between online and traditional education in some studies shows that face-to-face traditional learning is still considered effective compared to online learning (Ahmad et al., 2016 ; Hamdani & Priatna, 2020 ; Wei & Chou, 2020 ). Online education has advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of online learning compared to face-to-face learning in the classroom is the flexibility of learning time in online learning, the learning time does not include a single program, and it can be shaped according to circumstances (Lai et al., 2019 ). The next advantage is the ease of collecting assignments for students, as these can be done without having to talk to the teacher. Despite this, online education has several weaknesses, such as students having difficulty in understanding the material, teachers' inability to control students, and students’ still having difficulty interacting with teachers in case of internet network cuts (Swan, 2007 ). According to Astuti et al ( 2019 ), face-to-face education method is still considered better by students than e-learning because it is easier to understand the material and easier to interact with teachers. The results of the study illustrated that the effect size (g = 0.409) of online education on academic achievement is of medium level. Therefore, the results of the moderator analysis showed that the effect of online education on academic achievement does not differ in terms of country, lecture, class level, and online education approaches variables. After analyzing the literature, several meta-analyses on online education were published (Bernard et al., 2004 ; Machtmes & Asher, 2000 ; Zhao et al., 2005 ). Typically, these meta-analyzes also include the studies of older generation technologies such as audio, video, or satellite transmission. One of the most comprehensive studies on online education was conducted by Bernard et al. ( 2004 ). In this study, 699 independent effect sizes of 232 studies published from 1985 to 2001 were analyzed, and face-to-face education was compared to online education, with respect to success criteria and attitudes of various learners from young children to adults. In this meta-analysis, an overall effect size close to zero was found for the students' achievement (g +  = 0.01).

In another meta-analysis study carried out by Zhao et al. ( 2005 ), 98 effect sizes were examined, including 51 studies on online education conducted between 1996 and 2002. According to the study of Bernard et al. ( 2004 ), this meta-analysis focuses on the activities done in online education lectures. As a result of the research, an overall effect size close to zero was found for online education utilizing more than one generation technology for students at different levels. However, the salient point of the meta-analysis study of Zhao et al. is that it takes the average of different types of results used in a study to calculate an overall effect size. This practice is problematic because the factors that develop one type of learner outcome (e.g. learner rehabilitation), particularly course characteristics and practices, may be quite different from those that develop another type of outcome (e.g. learner's achievement), and it may even cause damage to the latter outcome. While mixing the studies with different types of results, this implementation may obscure the relationship between practices and learning.

Some meta-analytical studies have focused on the effectiveness of the new generation distance learning courses accessed through the internet for specific student populations. For instance, Sitzmann and others (Sitzmann et al., 2006 ) reviewed 96 studies published from 1996 to 2005, comparing web-based education of job-related knowledge or skills with face-to-face one. The researchers found that web-based education in general was slightly more effective than face-to-face education, but it is insufficient in terms of applicability ("knowing how to apply"). In addition, Sitzmann et al. ( 2006 ) revealed that Internet-based education has a positive effect on theoretical knowledge in quasi-experimental studies; however, it positively affects face-to-face education in experimental studies performed by random assignment. This moderator analysis emphasizes the need to pay attention to the factors of designs of the studies included in the meta-analysis. The designs of the studies included in this meta-analysis study were ignored. This can be presented as a suggestion to the new studies that will be conducted.

Another meta-analysis study was conducted by Cavanaugh et al. ( 2004 ), in which they focused on online education. In this study on internet-based distance education programs for students under 12 years of age, the researchers combined 116 results from 14 studies published between 1999 and 2004 to calculate an overall effect that was not statistically different from zero. The moderator analysis carried out in this study showed that there was no significant factor affecting the students' success. This meta-analysis used multiple results of the same study, ignoring the fact that different results of the same student would not be independent from each other.

In conclusion, some meta-analytical studies analyzed the consequences of online education for a wide range of students (Bernard et al., 2004 ; Zhao et al., 2005 ), and the effect sizes were generally low in these studies. Furthermore, none of the large-scale meta-analyzes considered the moderators, database quality standards or class levels in the selection of the studies, while some of them just referred to the country and lecture moderators. Advances in internet-based learning tools, the pandemic process, and increasing popularity in different learning contexts have required a precise meta-analysis of students' learning outcomes through online learning. Previous meta-analysis studies were typically based on the studies, involving narrow range of confounding variables. In the present study, common but significant moderators such as class level and lectures during the pandemic process were discussed. For instance, the problems have been experienced especially in terms of eligibility of class levels in online education platforms during the pandemic process. It was found that there is a need to study and make suggestions on whether online education can meet the needs of teachers and students.

Besides, the main forms of online education in the past were to watch the open lectures of famous universities and educational videos of institutions. In addition, online education is mainly a classroom-based teaching implemented by teachers in their own schools during the pandemic period, which is an extension of the original school education. This meta-analysis study will stand as a source to compare the effect size of the online education forms of the past decade with what is done today, and what will be done in the future.

Lastly, the heterogeneity test results of the meta-analysis study display that the effect size does not differ in terms of class level, country, online education approaches, and lecture moderators.

*Studies included in meta-analysis

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Ulum, H. The effects of online education on academic success: A meta-analysis study. Educ Inf Technol 27 , 429–450 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10740-8

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Essay on Online Education

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In the realm of education, the advent of online learning has been nothing short of a revolution. Transforming traditional pedagogical approaches and democratizing access to knowledge, online education has reshaped the landscape of learning in the 21st century. This essay delves into the multifaceted dimensions of online education, exploring its benefits, challenges, and its profound impact on students, educators, and society at large.

Introduction to Online Education

Online education, or e-learning, refers to the delivery of educational content via digital platforms and the internet. It encompasses a wide range of learning experiences, from fully online courses and degree programs to blended formats that combine online and face-to-face interactions. This mode of education leverages technology to transcend geographical boundaries, offering flexible, accessible, and personalized learning opportunities.

Benefits of Online Education

Accessibility and flexibility.

One of the most significant advantages of online education is its unparalleled accessibility. Students from remote or underserved regions can access quality education that was previously beyond reach. Moreover, online learning offers flexibility in terms of time and pace, accommodating students’ diverse schedules and learning speeds. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for those balancing education with work or family responsibilities.

Cost-Effectiveness

Online education often presents a cost-effective alternative to traditional education. It eliminates the need for physical infrastructure, reduces travel and accommodation expenses, and often offers course materials online at no extra cost. These factors make higher education more affordable and accessible to a broader audience.

Wide Range of Courses and Programs

The digital nature of online education allows institutions to offer an extensive array of courses and programs. This diversity caters to a wide spectrum of interests and career paths, enabling students to pursue specialized fields of study that might not be available locally.

Personalized Learning Experience

Technology-enabled learning offers personalized education tailored to individual learning styles and speeds. Adaptive learning technologies, interactive content, and data analytics enable educators to customize the learning experience, enhancing student engagement and outcomes.

Challenges of Online Education

Digital divide.

Despite its accessibility, online education can exacerbate the digital divide. Students without reliable internet access or adequate digital devices are at a disadvantage, highlighting the need for infrastructure improvements and equitable access to technology.

Student Engagement and Motivation

Online learning environments can sometimes impede student engagement and motivation. The lack of physical presence and direct interaction with peers and instructors may lead to feelings of isolation and disconnection, affecting students’ learning experience and outcomes.

Quality and Accreditation Concerns

The rapid expansion of online education raises questions about quality assurance and accreditation. Ensuring the credibility of online courses and degrees is crucial for student trust and employability. Rigorous standards and accreditation processes are necessary to maintain educational quality.

Adapting Teaching Strategies

Transitioning from traditional to online education requires significant adjustments in teaching strategies. Instructors must be adept at using digital tools and creating engaging, interactive online content. Professional development and support for educators are essential to ensure effective online teaching practices.

Impact of Online Education

On students.

Online education has democratized access to learning, enabling students to acquire knowledge and skills relevant to their career aspirations and personal development. It has also fostered a culture of lifelong learning, allowing individuals to pursue education at any stage of their lives. However, the success of online learning for students depends on their self-discipline, motivation, and ability to adapt to self-directed learning environments.

On Educators

For educators, online education has expanded the scope of teaching possibilities, from developing innovative course materials to reaching a global audience. It has also presented challenges, including the need to adapt pedagogical methods and ensure student engagement in virtual classrooms. Educators must continuously learn and evolve to harness the potential of digital learning platforms effectively.

Online education has significant implications for society, contributing to workforce development and economic growth by providing flexible, skill-based learning opportunities. It can also promote social inclusion by making education accessible to marginalized communities, thereby reducing educational disparities. However, realizing these societal benefits requires addressing the challenges of the digital divide and ensuring the quality of online education.

Future Directions

The future of online education is likely to see increased integration of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and other emerging technologies to enhance interactive learning experiences and simulate real-world environments. Moreover, the emphasis on micro-credentials and competency-based education is expected to grow, aligning education more closely with industry needs and career pathways.

In conclusion, Online education represents a paradigm shift in the way knowledge is imparted and acquired. Its benefits, including accessibility, flexibility, and personalized learning, have the potential to transform educational landscapes worldwide. However, realizing its full potential requires addressing the challenges of technological access, student engagement, and quality assurance. As online education continues to evolve, it will play a crucial role in shaping the future of learning, empowering individuals, and driving social progress. In embracing the opportunities and navigating the challenges of online education, students, educators, and policymakers can collectively foster an inclusive, innovative, and informed society.

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Online Education Essay

Online Education

In the age of technology, online education has become increasingly popular for many individuals. It is an innovative way to acquire knowledge, skills, and credentials from the comfort of your own home. Online education provides students with the flexibility to learn from any location and at any time, making it an ideal choice for those who cannot attend traditional classes due to work or family obligations.

Synchronous online courses are typically offered on a specific schedule and students must log in to participate at a certain time. Asynchronous courses, on the other hand, are typically self-paced and students can participate at any time. Both forms of educational programs are readily available for remote access with a functional internet connection.

Online education essay explains that it offers numerous benefits for both students and educators. For students, it provides an opportunity to learn at their own pace and can help them save money on tuition, transportation, and housing expenses. It also allows students to engage in a more interactive learning process and to develop relationships with peers and instructors. In addition, online learning can help prepare students for the changing job market and can broaden their career prospects. For those interested in exploring online education further, platforms offer valuable resources and guidance, often with the added benefit of discounts through an  essaypro promo code .

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For educators, online education provides an opportunity to reach a wider audience and to offer courses to students who may not have the resources or flexibility to attend traditional classes. In addition, online education, like AI homework assistants , fosters students’ independence and self-confidence. By providing support and guidance throughout the learning process, students feel empowered to tackle challenges independently. 

Popularity and Access

Online education is one of the most popular forms of education in the modern world. It has been around for a while and has grown exponentially since its conception. Online education offers a wide variety of options for students of all ages, from high school to college, and even graduate and professional programs. With the advances in technology, online education has become easier to access, more affordable and more widely available.

Online education offers many advantages to students. One of the biggest advantages is the flexibility that online education offers students. It allows students to take classes from anywhere, at any time, making it easier to fit classes into their busy schedules. Additionally, the flexibility of online courses enables students to pursue their education at their convenience, enabling them to adjust the pace of their studies to align with their personal schedules and responsibilities. Online education also allows students to pursue courses in areas that may not be available at their local college or university. This can be especially beneficial to those who are looking to specialize in a certain area or to gain a more comprehensive understanding of a certain topic.

In addition to the flexibility that online education offers, it is also more affordable than traditional classroom instruction. Many online universities and colleges offer reduced tuition rates and scholarships to help cover the cost of tuition. Furthermore, there is generally no need to purchase textbooks or other educational materials, as most of the material is available online. Online education also eliminates the need to commute to and from a physical campus, which can help reduce both cost and time. Additionally, some students pay for college papers if they need assistance with coursework. It may even allow students to focus on other important aspects of their education and personal life.

Advantages of Online Education

• Online education also provides a great deal of support for students. Online universities and colleges provide students with access to a wide range of resources, from tutors to online discussion forums and study help. Online instructors are more accessible than traditional classroom instructors because you can reach them through email or instant messaging.
• Online education refers to any form of learning conducted over the internet. It can cover anything from a single course to a full degree program. Students can access course materials and interact with their peers and teachers from anywhere in the world, at any time of day. This makes it ideal for those with busy lives, as it allows them to fit their studies around their other commitments.
• Online education also offers students the opportunity to learn at their own pace. Rather than having to stick to a rigid timetable, students can choose when and how often they access the course material. This allows those who are struggling to take their time and those who are more able to accelerate their learning.
• Another key benefit of online education is the cost. Generally speaking, online courses are much cheaper than traditional courses, as they do not require physical premises or materials. This makes them ideal for those on a budget, as they are able to access a quality education without breaking the bank.
• Online education also allows students to access a much wider range of courses than they would be able to in a traditional setting. With no geographical or time restrictions, students can access courses from all over the world, giving them access to the latest developments in their chosen field.

Drawbacks of Online Education

• Of course, there are some drawbacks to online education. For one, the lack of physical interaction can make it difficult to form relationships with teachers and peers, which can make it harder to stay motivated. It can also be difficult to stay on track without the structure of a classroom environment.
• Nevertheless, online education is becoming an increasingly popular choice for students around the world. With its flexibility, affordability and potential for personal growth, it is easy to see why. As technology continues to advance, it is likely that online education will become even more popular, providing students with greater access to knowledge and skills than ever before.

Conclusion – Online Education Essay

Overall Online Education Essay explains that it can be a great way for students to pursue their educational goals. It offers a great deal of flexibility and affordability, and it can be a great way to gain a comprehensive understanding of a certain topic or field. However, it is important to be aware of the drawbacks that can come with online education, such as the lack of face-to-face interaction and the need for self-discipline.

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Essay on Online Education | Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Education Essay

February 13, 2024 by Prasanna

Essay on Online Education: Online learning is one of the imminent trends in the education sector around the globe. This mode of learning is done through the internet. With advanced and upgraded technologies, this mode of learning has been made simpler. Online Education is also preferred in higher learning Institutions. This article will render the students about online education, its outcomes, and advantage in short and long essays on Online Education.

You can also find more  Essay Writing  articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Long and Short Essays on Online Education for Students and Children in English

We provide children and students with essay samples on a long essay of 500 words and a short essay on Online Education in Lockdown of 150 words on the topic “Online education in India Essay” for reference.

Short Essay on Online Education 150 Words in English

Short Essay on Online Education advantages and Disadvantages is helpful to students of classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Education is an integral part of people’s lives; it will either make them or break them in the prospect depending on their careers. Education is broadly diverse today compared to the 1950s because of progressions in teaching methods and other prominent inventions that implement more apparent teaching techniques.

In E-learning, the students study from home or any other place, that is most convenient for them. They can acquire learning material online. The study materials in online education could be texts, audio, notes, videos, and images. However, the method of study has its benefits and various drawbacks too.

Online education is suitable for those who can not visit or obtain the traditional education method for one reason or the other. Nearly 6.1 million college students are currently attending online courses, and this number is growing by around 30 percent yearly.

Online education provides a myriad of advantages for people, as well as companies because it allows for, among others, flexibility. A great way to benefit more from online education is to consolidate online education and traditional ways of teaching.

Online Education Essay 500 Words in English

Long Essay on Online Education 400 Words in English is helpful to students of classes 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12.

Introduction:  Online education is an amenable instructional delivery process that includes any learning that takes place via the internet. Online learning enables educators to communicate with students who may not be capable of enrolling in a traditional classroom course and assists students who need to work on their own schedule and at their own speed.

Every discipline is registering a surge in the volume of distance learning and imparting of online degrees, with remarkable pace. Schools and institutions that offer online education are also growing in number. Students pursuing degrees through online methods must be scrupulous in ensuring their coursework is completed through a valued and credentialed university.

Online education is known to offer the benefit of synergy. Here, the format employed makes room for dynamic communications between students and the teachers. Through these communications, sources are shared, and an open-ended synergy evolves through a learning process. When each person bestows a view or opinion through discussions and comments on others’ work course, it benefits the student to learn better. This unique advantage is manifested in a student-centred virtual learning environment that online learning format alone can contribute.

With online classes, we don’t need to travel to a different city or commute long distances. We can stay where we are and keep our current job while we work toward improving our career with an online degree. Online education also helps digital nomads—someone who espouses a technology-enabled or location-independent lifestyle. We can watch lectures and complete our coursework wherever we are.

Whether we are a full-time or part-time online student, the online education experience provides a much more manageable schedule. Online education has gained much approval on account of its cheapness. Such is the fact that online courses are more affordable than those offered at schools or colleges. While studying in universities, we may have to spend some money such as transportation, lodging, and meals, online education may not require such expenses.

One of the important aspects of online learning is its inherent flexibility, however, there is a catch, one has to be extremely self-motivated. The best online students develop various approaches for staying up to date on their coursework. Things like setting aside time every week to study and create a workspace with minimal distractions can help immensely.

Conclusion on Online Education Essay

Online education’s potential advantages involve increased educational access; it provides a high-quality learning opportunity, improves student outcomes and skills, and expands educational choice options. Therefore, location, time, and quality are no longer considered factors in seeking degree courses or higher education because of online education.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Education Essay

Introduction to Online Education Essay:  Online education refers to the type of knowledge which is imparted through the internet. Millions of people globally are enrolled in online courses and can learn from the comfort of their homes. Online education can come in different ways; they could be educational webinars and videos on the internet or even face to face learning on the laptop with the teacher, which utilises the internet.

Online education contributes a myriad of advantages for people, as well as companies because it provides flexibility among other work. This indicates that despite people’s physical locations, they can accomplish the same level of education by taking similar online courses.

Teachers and professors optimise the timelessness and focus of the learning curriculum while students are able to fit learning time into their hectic schedules. Online education offers extensive benefits to students by giving a manageable schedule, student enhancement and augmented education access and choice.

Advantages of Online Education 

Online education enables us to learn from various mentors and teachers in different areas, increasing our knowledge and perspective. It reduces nervousness among students, as many are able to communicate more through online education than regular classes. One can learn from merely anyplace as long as they have an available internet device.

Online education normally provides a chance to study at our own speed as there is no rush. Most online courses are usually enjoyable and more comfortable compared to attending traditional classes. It spares you the inconvenience of having to travel to a particular destination every single day.

Online education usually is more affordable. Online education further happens to be comparatively cheaper in comparison to conventional educational approaches. Under traditional university programs, the students are required to compensate for transportation, textbooks, institutional facilities such as gyms, libraries, swimming pools, and other costs that expedite the cost of university education up. Online education, on its part, charges only for tuition and additional essential expenses. Virtual education thus offers both the wealthy and the poor an opportunity.

It allows one to learn innovative approaches through the internet and therefore become more skilful. In online education, if there are any variations in the syllabus, updates can be done instantly compared to conventional means of education.

Online education is flexible and adaptable since one can study at any time, even at midnight. It can help increase the grades of some people as compared to standard traditional education. Some people learn more through online education.

There is no need to wait for office hours to speak to the instructor; you can immediately access them through chat or email. There is considerably a large amount of educational information on the internet. Online education can also help one to be in the mix of a diverse group of people from varied educational, social, cultural and philosophical backgrounds. The subject matter is always available on the internet, unlike traditional education.

Disadvantages of Online Education

The advantages that online education brings to students are immense and indisputable. Pursuing an online course is an excellent option in education, particularly when traditional learning situations have many obstacles, such as commuting or distance. However, as everything has two sides, online education also has some fundamental drawbacks that can be inconvenient.

Using the computer too much can make the students prone to plagiarism. It can also cause vision problems as we sit near the laptop almost the whole day. Online education may also hinder physical development. Online education can be quite complicated for a person to be accountable for their own learning without someone to drive them to do something.

Online education detaches you from your classmates. One might need to put in extra time in some cases to understand the learning process. It is easier to cheat in an online exam than when in a class and hence may not be advisable during exams. Online education also gives one a lot of autonomy which may be critical for our learning. There are a number of distractions on the internet through adverts, and this might interrupt our learning. Online education also has significantly less self-assessment.

Online education has both advantages and shortcomings, but it is an excellent method of learning that can help develop a student’s performance. To succeed in online education, one should choose an ideal university and course to avoid pursuing education from among the various suspicious universities that employers may reject. The other most essential thing is to assure that one needs to maintain communication with the school faculty and fellow students. The important point is proper time administration that helps one manage our time to complete and submit prescribed assignments in time.

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✍️Essay on Online Classes: Samples in 100, 150, 200 Words

• Updated on  
• Oct 20, 2023

Online classes, also known as virtual classes, have over time revolutionized education. They are known for providing students with the flexibility to access educational content and at the same time interact with professors in the comfort of their homes. With time, this mode of learning has gained huge popularity due to its accessibility and the ability to cater to diverse learning styles.

In this digital age, online classes have become a fundamental part of education, enabling all individuals to acquire knowledge, skills etc. Are you looking to gain some more information about online classes? Well, you have come to the right place. Here you will get to read some samples of online classes. 

Table of Contents

• 1 What are Online Classes?
• 2 Essay on Online Classes in 100 Words
• 3 Essay on Online Classes in 150 Words
• 4 Essay on Online Classes in 200 Words

Also Read: Online Courses

What are Online Classes?

Online classes are educational courses or learning programs which are conducted over the Internet. They provide students with the opportunity to study and complete their coursework remotely from the comfort of their homes. Online classes are a part of formal education. They can be taken in schools or colleges or can be offered by various online learning platforms. 

Online classes may include a variety of digital resources as well as tools. These may include quizzes, assignments, video lectures, discussion forums, connecting with friends via email, chat video calls etc. This type of learning offers the student flexibility in terms of when and where they can access their coursework and study. It is also helpful for those who study part-time have busy schedules and prefer remote learning. 

With the onset of COVID-19 , online classes became a huge hit hence the evolution of online classes. It offers one with different levels of education, skill training and much more. 

Essay on Online Classes in 100 Words

Online classes have become a central aspect of modern education. They offer flexibility, accessibility, and convenience, allowing students to learn from the comfort of their homes. The rise of online classes was accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, making a shift from traditional classrooms to virtual learning environments. 

However, there are many disadvantages to online classes. Students may struggle with distractions, lack of in-person interaction, and technical issues. Additionally, they have opened up new avenues for global collaboration and lifelong learning. In an increasingly digital world, online classes are likely to remain a significant part of education.

Essay on Online Classes in 150 Words

Online classes have become a prevalent mode of education, especially in the past two years. These digital platforms offer several advantages. First, they provide flexibility, allowing students to learn from the comfort of their homes. This is especially beneficial for those with busy schedules or who are studying part-time. 

Second, online classes often offer a wider range of courses, enabling learners to explore diverse subjects. Additionally, these classes promote self-discipline and time management skills as students must regulate their own study routines.

However, there are challenges associated with online learning. Technical issues can disrupt classes, and the lack of face-to-face interaction may hinder social development. It can also be isolating for some students.

In conclusion, online classes offer convenience and a variety of courses, but they also present challenges related to technology and socialization. The future of education likely involves a blend of traditional and online learning methods, catering to diverse learning needs.

Also Read: Online Learning

Essay on Online Classes in 200 Words

Online classes have become a prevalent mode of education. However, this shift has brought about both advantages and challenges.

One significant benefit of online classes is accessibility. They allow students from diverse backgrounds and locations to access quality education without any constraints. This inclusivity promotes diversity and global learning experiences. Additionally, online classes often offer flexible schedules, enabling students to balance their studies with other responsibilities.

However, online classes present challenges too. Technical issues and a lack of face-to-face interaction can hinder effective learning. Students may even struggle with self-discipline and motivation, leading to a decline in academic performance. Moreover, the absence of physical facilities like libraries and laboratories can limit hands-on learning opportunities.

In conclusion, online classes have revolutionized education by providing accessibility and flexibility. Yet, they also pose challenges related to technical issues, motivation, and practical experiences. 

Related Articles

Every student has their own pace of study, and this is where distance learning’s benefits really shine. You can go at your own speed in online classes, go over the material as needed, and complete the work in a method that best suits your learning preferences.

Online courses can be successful provided they are well-designed and delivered, just like any other course or programme. However, this depends from person to person as not every student is meant for online classes. 

In online education, students get to study online using a computer/laptop and only need a proper internet connection. 

For more information on such interesting topics, visit our essay-writing page and follow Leverage Edu ! 

Malvika Chawla

Malvika is a content writer cum news freak who comes with a strong background in Journalism and has worked with renowned news websites such as News 9 and The Financial Express to name a few. When not writing, she can be found bringing life to the canvasses by painting on them.

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Persuasive Essay Writing

Persuasive Essay About Online Education

Make Your Point: Tips and Examples for Writing a Persuasive Essay About Online Education

Published on: Jan 13, 2023

Last updated on: Jan 29, 2024

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Are you looking for tips to help you write a persuasive essay about online education? 

You may feel overwhelmed as there are countless angles and arguments out there. What do you focus on, and how best can you make your point? 

Don’t worry – we got you covered. This blog post presents some useful tips that should help get your creative juices flowing! 

Plus, we provide examples of successful essays written by students who convinced their teachers they were worth the extra mark. 

So sit back, relax and learn how to write an effective essay confidently!

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Examples of Persuasive Essays About Online Education 

Students worldwide increasingly turn to online education to learn, earn degrees and certificates, and further their careers. 

But how do you craft an effective persuasive essay that speaks to this issue? 

Persuasive essays on topics like online education can be tricky since they require strongly framing your argument concisely yet compellingly. 

To help make things easier, we’ve gathered examples of well-crafted persuasive essays about online education. 

These examples are complete with all components — so you can get inspired and start writing your own!

Persuasive essay about online education during the pandemic

Short Persuasive essay about online education

Persuasive essay about an online class is better than face to face

Impact of online classes on students' essay

Persuasive essay about online education is the new normal

Persuasive essay about online courses

Examples of Persuasive Essay on Pros and Cons of Online Education

To get inspired, read through our examples of good persuasive essays on the advantages and disadvantages of online education! 

You never know; one idea might jumpstart your entire paper.  

Benefits of online education essay

Persuasive essay about online education advantages

Persuasive essay about online education disadvantages

Essay on pros and cons of online classes

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

For more inspiration, check out some more persuasive essay examples here!

Five Steps to Crafting an A+ Persuasive Essay 

As a student, you know the feeling. You’ve been given a persuasive essay assignment and don't know where to start. 

What do you do? Don’t worry; we’ve got your back! 

Here are five tips for writing an impressive persuasive essay that will earn you the grade you deserve. Let’s get started!

1. Choose Your Topic Wisely

Choosing a topic that interests you and your audience can make all the difference in writing an effective persuasive essay. 

If you are passionate about your topic and it matters to you, it will likely matter to your audience. 

2. Do Your Research

Once you have chosen a topic, it’s time to dig deeply into the research available on the subject matter. 

From scholarly journals to newspaper articles, dive into the available information and uncover facts supporting your point of view. 

Be sure to cite your sources properly so that other readers can find them too! 

Check out this amazing video!

3. Create an Outline

Before diving headfirst into writing your essay, take some time to map out a clear outline of what points you plan to cover.

Making an outline is especially important when crafting persuasive essays as it will help guide readers smoothly.

4. Write With Passion

Remember that this isn’t just another paper. You are trying to persuade someone with words! 

Choose your language carefully; be strong yet respectful of opposing opinions. Make sure each sentence flows logically into the next.  Use descriptive language that paints vivid pictures in readers’ minds. 

Finally, don’t forget that passion should be evident throughout every word of your paper! 

5. Edit & Proofread

Once your first draft is complete, take some time away from it before coming back with fresh eyes for editing.

Check for typos and mistakes while ensuring each sentence reads clearly and logically follows from the last one. 

Learn to craft a perfect persuasive essay by reading our extensive guide on persuasive essays.

15 Persuasive Speech Topics About Online Classes

Here is a list of 15 engaging persuasive essay topics to inspire you. Let's have a look!

• Why online classes are the most effective form of learning during a pandemic 
• The advantages and disadvantages of having online classes 
• How technology has made online education accessible to everyone 
• The cost-effectiveness of taking online classes compared to traditional college courses 
• Are online classes changing the way people think about education? 
• Is online learning as effective as in-person classes?  
• The importance of taking online classes to improve job opportunities 
• How online classes can benefit those who are unable to attend a physical classroom 
• What steps can be taken to make the transition from traditional to online classes easier? 
• What are the best practices for creating an effective online learning environment? 
• How to make sure students remain engaged in the online course material 
• The benefits of taking online classes for working professionals 
• Is online learning a better fit for certain types of learners? 
• Leveraging online classes to gain innovative skills and knowledge 
• Why are online classes the future of education?

Check our extensive list of top persuasive essay topics for more inspiration!

In the end, a persuasive essay is all about making your point convincingly. With the right evidence, logical reasoning, and engaging tone, you can make an argument for any topic you choose. 

If you’re still struggling to put your thoughts together or need help getting started, don’t worry. Trust our professional essay writer with your next essay.

CollegeEssay.org offers the best online essay writing service that will take care of everything for you. We guarantee a high-quality persuasive essay writing service that will get you the grades you deserve. So what are you waiting for? 

Contact us today, and let our AI essay writing tools help you write the perfect essay about online education!

Frequently Asked Questions

What techniques can i use to write a persuasive essay about online education.

To write a persuasive essay, you should gather evidence and facts that support your points of view. Additionally, you can employ rhetorical techniques, presenting an ironclad argument and appealing to emotion or logic.

What elements should I include in my persuasive essay about online education?

Your persuasive essay should include a clear thesis statement that states your opinion and supporting evidence that backs up your argument. 

You should also provide a counterargument to address potential objections from readers and discuss how you would refute them.

What is the thesis statement about online learning?

The thesis statement for an argumentative essay about online learning should state your position on the issue, explain why you believe it is valid, and provide evidence to back up your stance.

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The Benefits of Online Learning for Students

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We have helped 10,000s of undergraduate, Masters and PhD students to maximise their grades in essays, dissertations, model-exam answers, applications and other materials. If you would like a free chat about your project with one of our UK staff, then please just reach out on one of the methods below.

In recent years, online learning has become increasingly popular, and for good reason. It offers a convenient and flexible way for students to pursue their education without having to attend a traditional brick-and-mortar institution. In this blog post, we will explore some of the key benefits of online learning and how it can help you achieve your academic goals.

Flexibility and Convenience

One of the main advantages of online learning is the flexibility and convenience it provides. With online courses, you can study at your own pace and at a time that suits you. This is particularly beneficial for those who have work or family commitments, as it allows you to fit your studies around your busy schedule. Additionally, online learning eliminates the need to commute to and from campus, saving you time and money.

A Wide Range of Courses and Programmes

Another benefit of online learning is the wide range of courses and programmes available. Whether you're looking to pursue an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification, there are plenty of options to choose from. Many universities and colleges now offer online courses in a variety of subjects, from business and management to healthcare and education. This means that you can find a programme that suits your interests and career goals without having to relocate or compromise on your studies.

If you're struggling with your essays or assignments, our essay writing services can support you, regardless of your level and chosen programme.

Cost-Effective

Online learning can also be more cost-effective than traditional classroom-based courses. While tuition fees may be similar, you can save money on accommodation, transportation, and other living expenses. Additionally, online courses often have lower overhead costs, which can result in lower fees for students. This makes online learning a more affordable option for many people.

Access to a Global Community

One of the key benefits of online learning is the opportunity to connect with a global community of students and educators. With online courses, you can interact with people from all over the world, sharing ideas and experiences. This can provide a rich and diverse learning experience and can also help you build a global network of contacts that can be valuable in your future career.

Improved Time Management and Self-Discipline

Online learning requires a high level of self-discipline and time management skills. With the flexibility to study at your own pace, it's important to stay motivated and organised in order to keep up with your coursework. This can be challenging, but it also provides an opportunity to develop valuable skills that can be applied to other areas of your life and career

The Right Choice For You

If you're looking to further your education and achieve your academic goals, online learning could be the right option for you. Online learning offers a convenient and flexible way for students to pursue their education, with a wide range of courses and programmes available. It can be more cost-effective than traditional classroom-based courses and provides access to a global community of students and educators.

If you are currently pursuing an online degree and find yourself struggling with your coursework, we can help. We understand the challenges of online learning and can provide you with model essays based on your requirements. Place an order now and let us support you in your academic journey.

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Home — Essay Samples — Education — Online Vs. Traditional Classes — Online Education vs. Traditional Education: A Comparative Study

Online Education Vs. Traditional Education: a Comparative Study

• Categories: Education System Online Vs. Traditional Classes

About this sample

Words: 965 |

Published: Jan 25, 2024

Words: 965 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

• Abdelhai, Rehab et al. "An E-Learning Reproductive Health Module To Support Improved Student Learning And Interaction: A Prospective Interventional Study At A Medical School In Egypt." BMC Medical Education 12.1 (2012): 1-9. Web.
• Garratt-Reed, David, Lynne D. Roberts, and Brody Heritage. "Grades, Student Satisfaction And Retention In Online And Face-To-Face Introductory Psychology Units: A Test Of Equivalency Theory." Frontiers in Psychology 7 (2016): n. pag. Web. 11 Sept. 2017.
• Gossenheimer, Agnes Nogueira et al. "Impact Of Distance Education On Academic Performance In A Pharmaceutical Care Course." PLOS ONE 12.4 (2017): e0175117. Web. 11 Sept. 2017.
• Means, Barbara et al. Evaluation Of Evidence-Based Practices In Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis And Review Of Online Learning Studies. US Department of Education, 2010. Web. 11 Sept. 2017.

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Short Essay on Online Education [200, 500 Words] With PDF

In this lesson, you will learn to write short essays on Online Education . This session will be focused to write two sets of sample essays on the same topic covering different word limits. So, without further delay, let’s get started. 

Table of Contents

• Short Essay on Online Education in 200 Words 
• Short Essay on Online Education in 500 Words 

Short Essay on Online Education in 200 Words

With technological advancement, our world is becoming increasingly digitized. Traditional methods like going to the office or market are being replaced by working online from home and buying groceries through online applications.

Even when it comes to education, especially since the time the coronavirus pandemic began, schools, colleges as well as private coaching institutes have moved their classes from physical classrooms to digital ones. Although this was mostly done because it was the need of the hour, people have now realised that online education comes with its own set of benefits. 

As the classes are held online, students don’t need to be physically present in the school. This gives them the freedom to move cities, visit their families or travel for necessary activities without missing their classes. In these classes, the study material is also shared in a digital manner which reduces the need for physical books and copies which in turn saves trees.

Working digitally can also help students improve their technical skills which would definitely help them in future. For older students who want to pursue higher education, online education is a boon. It helps them easily manage their jobs and/or families while studying. 

Online education has a few disadvantages as it doesn’t allow students to experience the joy of sitting in a physical classroom with their friends, but its advantages are far greater in number. 

Short Essay on Online Education in 500 Words

We are currently living in a digital world which is becoming more and more technologically advanced as days go by. Today, we can order groceries, food and clothing items online instead of visiting traditional markets or shops. We can book cabs, buses, trains and flights from the comfort of our homes.

Our homes have also become smarter with the use of smart appliances. Even when it comes to education, especially since the time the coronavirus pandemic began, schools, colleges as well as private coaching institutes have moved their classes from physical classrooms to digital ones. And although this step was mostly taken because it was the need of the hour, people have now realised that online education does indeed come with its own set of benefits. 

As the classes are held online, students don’t need to be physically present in the school. This gives students as well as their parents the opportunity to move places, visit families and travel for necessary activities without the fear of missing their important classes. Since many of these classes are also recorded, a student has the flexibility to watch them when he has the time and space to do so.

This also gives students who are weaker, a chance to go through the lessons slowly or multiple times until they understand them completely. Online education also cuts down the additional expenses as the schools don’t need to manage huge buildings and the teachers, as well as students, don’t need to spend money on bus or rickshaw fares. 

In online classrooms, the study materials, books, copies as well as test papers and assignments are all digital. This reduces the use of physical books and copies and thus, saves our valuable trees which are cut down to produce paper. Online classes also give teachers the opportunity to present videos and other supporting materials which help the students learn better. This wouldn’t have been possible for most teachers in physical classrooms as most schools are not equipped with the necessary equipment needed for the purpose. 

Working digitally on their assignments and projects gives students the opportunity to improve their technical skills. And in this digital world, technical skills as always needed. These skills would definitely help the students in the long run. Online education is also a boon for people who want to restart their education after a pause or want to pursue higher studies while managing their jobs and/or families.

In earlier times, many married women as well as women with young kids had to drop out of their college to take care of their households and children. Now, with online education, such people can restart and complete their education without having to compromise their family life. 

Although online education is highly beneficial, it also has a few disadvantages. Schools used to be a place where young children met, made friends and played together. Kids often looked forward to going to school to meet their friends and have fun. Online education doesn’t allow students to experience the fun of school life in the same way.

The students also need to practice self-discipline and focus on their studies as they don’t have a teacher to scold them if they slack off. But despite these few disadvantages, online education has indeed helped students a lot and is highly beneficial. 

In this session, I have tried to cover all relevant aspects of Online Education in very simple words. Hopefully, now you have a holistic idea regarding the topic after going through the session. If you still have any doubts regarding this topic, kindly let me know through the comment section below. 

Thank you for being with us. Have a nice day. 

161 Online Education Topics and Essay Examples

🏆 best research title examples about online class, 💡 most interesting online learning topics to write about, 📚 good online education topics for presentation, 🌐 catchy titled for online learning essay, 💻 online class research titles, ❓ research topics about online classes.

• Online Classes Vs. Traditional Classes Essay The essay shall endeavor to examine the differences between online classes and the traditional classes, with a preference for the later.
• Benefits of Online Learning This knowledge and skill one gains from online help the person to intermingle with others in a better way, progress their profession, or develop their business successfully.
• Personal Reflections for the MBA Distance Learning I was able to concentrate on various subjects, complete assignments, and liaise with different instructors throughout the learning process. The approach made the learning process desirable and capable of supporting my aims.
• Distance Learning: Advantages and Limitations All three articles cover the topic of distance learning in the context of the coronavirus and everyday practice. Speaking of the advantages of distance learning, the author suggests that remote learning may not be ideal […]
• Traditional vs. Distance Learning Systems On the other hand, in online learning, the students partake learning individually, and in some cases, students doing the same course in the same college do not even get to know each other.
• The Importance of Online Learning For this purpose, it is possible to conduct classes in real-time, when they can ask and receive the opinion of others.
• How to Succeed in Online Classes The time you attend the class has to coincide with the time of day when your brain is also most receptive to the information it receives.
• Zoom for Online Learning Updates During the pandemic, the zoom was and is still the most downloaded App in the USA and globally compared to others.
• Distance Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic The radical transition from the traditional system of obtaining knowledge to virtual education actualizes research related to the analysis of the specifics and dysfunctions of distance learning.
• Online Learning in Vocational Education and Training There are different variations in the process of learning on the basis of the types of combination and integration with the other technologies used for the teaching and learning process.
• The Impact of Distance Learning on the Mental State The argument of the supporters of the first perspective is based on the fact that online education reduces the ability of students to concentrate and deteriorates overall motivation.
• Comparison of Stress Level Among Traditional Learning and Online Learning College Students The distance learners have been perceived to be enjoying a suitable environment of learning as opposed to the traditional classroom learners who experience high levels of stress.
• Online Learning and Classroom Learning Combining the two concepts then, we can define e-learning “as a learning environment that exists solely in the form of digital content that is stored, accessed and exchanged through networked computer and information systems” The […]
• The Roles of Families in Virtual Learning By analyzing the various roles that families play in virtual learning, the authors demonstrate that family involvement and support are critical to the success of their children The authors begin by discussing the impact of […]
• The Need for Online Learning at St. Francis Elementary School This has led to the need to design an online learning platform suitable for interactive and critical learning experiences by the tutors and their learners.
• Online Learning Perception and Effectiveness While the solution allowed students to access information and continue their studies, there was apprehension in regard to the efficacy of online learning and the outcomes such shifts have on students’ academic performances.
• Distance Learning of Forest Management Considering that the goal of the research was to analyze the results and implications of a practical approach to the forest management course engagement and e-learning development, most information was derived from the expert team […]
• A Distance Learning Program: Strategies for Successful Starting or Expanding An institution has to identify the most appropriate communication tools and media to be used by students and teachers in a distance learning program.
• Starting and Expanding Distance Learning Program Therefore, decision-makers must grapple with the problem of distant learning planning, as institutions are caught between the desire to serve students online and the requirement to maintain traditional student services.
• Factors for Teachers’ Motivation in Distance Learning Efficient communication with the administration of an institution is a crucial factor that affects the motivation of teachers in distance learning.
• Strengths and Weaknesses of Online Learning Amidst that confusion, it would be important to take a deep look into the subject and see the disadvantages and the advantages of online learning.
• Pros and Cons of Distance Education On the one hand, modernization of education allows it to expand the usual boundaries of transmitting and receiving information in the educational process while retaining all the integral components.
• Rhetorical Analysis of the Distance Education The essay can be addressed both to the children and parents for whom the issues of health and psychology are important.
• Distance Learning Experiences of In-Service Music Teachers From Puerto Rico The study explores the experiences of in-service music teachers in distance learning. This paper examines the motivations of in-service teachers in distance learning.
• Design Thinking for Online Learning Project In this paper, attention will be paid to the problem of a lack of engagement with online learning and a reflection on design thinking as its solution.
• Maximizing the Effectiveness of Online Learning Flipped learning allows the teacher to provide the greatest amount of time for direct interaction with students, which is especially important in the framework of online learning.
• New Online Learning Platform: Market Analysis The goal of online education is to enhance the knowledge of people who want to pursue a particular career for a fee that is lesser when compared to offline studies in Universities.
• Software Engineering Online Learning Center However, it is not easy to tell what the website is promoting just by the look of the homepage and thus, visitors with less time might not be interested to click to the sub-sections and […]
• Distance Education Problem Overview Generally, distance education can be evaluated as a binary prospect: on one hand, it presents a row of advantages for the people who are busy with their work and family duties, and on the other […]
• Online Learning in Jordan Universities: Effectiveness and Obstruction For the quality learning process, e-learning has been developed to use different approaches to ease the process of learning. E-learning is a novel idea in most of the Arab world and it has come with […]
• Virtual Learning: Yes and No Argumentation The argument stems from the quality of the education that can be received via the internet and what the drawbacks are once there is no physical contact between students and the professors.
• Distance Learning Fulfilling Education Purpose Distance learning mode of education, which is a kind of education that takes place when the teachers and the students are separated by space and time, does not entirely serve the purpose of education. The […]
• Social Constructivism in Cooperative and Distance Learning As opposed to the behaviorist view of learning which gives more importance to the imitation aspects of the learner in the learning process, this constructivist theory gives greater room for the active interaction of the […]
• Nurses and Virtual Learning Environments: Understanding Limits in Nursing Education Despite the expected benefits and improvements in nursing education due to the use of virtual learning environments, this practice may create a number of challenges for students and teachers.
• Online Learning Design Specifications The rapid rise of technologies and the evolution of communication means resulted in the appearance of new approaches to the learning process.
• Innovative Social Networking in Online High School The preparedness of the school is also critical towards the success of this innovative technology. The school should also examine the benefits and bottlenecks of the new technology.
• Online Classes for High School Students I wish to submit to you that the need for extra input in terms of study has caused many parents to enroll their children in online study classes to supplement the knowledge they get from […]
• Online Learning Principles and Objectives In this way, the students will not only argue the purposes and significance of the course to their life, but also create an interactive session among the students and their instructor. As the instructor, I […]
• Online Learning Space Creating Process On the other hand, a community of practice has been known to mean a crowd of people who are in the same career or share the same interest.
• Distance Learning and Virtual High School This implies that district schools in lines with virtual High school are of much importance to both the educators and students.
• Distance Education: Best Practices and Approaches The study with the use of a case-based learning system undertaken by Cifuentes, Mercer, Alverez, and Bettati in 2010 demonstrated that students could remotely participate in the learning process without the need to be physically […]
• Learning Objectives Implementation With the advent of the internet, online courses have sprouted resulting in the debate on the two options, traditional class setting, and the online class.
• The Importance of Virtual Learning Communities The learning communities enable the instructors and the students to volunteer their questions. The virtual learning communities enable online degree programs to give students autonomy over the learning process.
• Distance Learning and Its Evolution Definitions of distance education are varied and diverse, but the main concept of distance learning can be summarized from the situation wherein the student and the educator are separated by distance and time and the […]
• Online Learning and Innovations in Pedagogy On the other hand, computer-based learning can be understood as a learning environment in which computers are used to mediate between learners and content without necessarily being online.
• Efficient Interaction in Distance Learning Classroom The problem is that the number of enrolments in the online form of education is augmenting, even as the knowledge regarding the factors that influence the effectiveness of distance education continues to be scarce.
• Virtual Learning Environments: Effective Use Tutors often face the challenge of effective delivery of lessons in the classroom given the diverse categories of students. Learning objects basically refer to blocks of content that can be interlinked to produce a course.
• Using Wikis to Encourage Online Classes Collaborative Work The problem is that the entire process seems to ignore the relevance of enabling students to interact and share their ideas in the learning environment.
• Technology Acceptance Model of Online Learning The findings of the study demonstrate the effectiveness of external variables related to online learning environments in predicting the ability of users to adopt online learning community.
• Formulating an Online Learning Course Reviewing is done from the student side where a person analyzes the content and readability of the information contained in the online learning program.
• Tone Impact in Distance Education Thus, in this paper, the tone will refer to the tone the instructor implies in the text material and the tone of conversations between the instructors and the students.
• Ethical Issues in Online Learning The online assessment methods should consider the ethical issues arising from the learning process. The assessment methods should be able to prevent all forms of dishonesty during the learning process.
• Virtual Learning Environment: Concord Consortium The problem is that this capitalization can be perceived as sign of rudeness, and it can make reluctant to take part in the discussion. Provided that a teacher can promote the involvement of students, they […]
• High School of Virtual Learning Environment The aim will be to see incorporation of the system, the opportunities, and the challenges faced while using Virtual Learning Environment.
• Transition From Traditional Education to Online Learning The speed of information transfer at any time and anywhere through the internet makes online learning relatively cheap compared to the traditional education system.
• Distance Learning OL and Interactive Video in Higher Education The two-way communication systems as well as the need to interact ‘physically’ between and among the participants are what propelled the adoption of this mode of learning.
• Distance Learning Foundational Concepts Another problem that arises as a result of distance learning is the lack of face to face or one on one contact between teachers or instructors and their students.
• Convenience and Flexibility of the Online Classes The advantage of online courses for full or part-time employed individuals is that you can plan how you take your courses. Online classes also introduce students to a variety of web-based tools and techniques that […]
• Concept of Distance Learning in Modern Education System The accessibility of the distance learning courses mainly depend on the awareness of the instructor to the accessibility issues and how the instructor can best handle the course with consideration of accessibility.
• Changes in Learning and Motivation With the Advent of Online Learning Institutions of learning have introduced online learning through improvement of infrastructure, incorporation of new technologies in learning, recruitment of professionals who are conversant with new technologies, and revision of curriculums in order to accommodate new […]
• Creating Student Engagement in Online Learning Environment To contribute to creating and stimulating student engagement in online learning environments, it is important to focus on such factors as the increase of students’ motivation, focus on independent and inquiry-based learning, the active role […]
• Online Learning Is a Superior Form of Education This paper will argue that online learning is a superior form of education since it helps students and learning institutes to overcome limitations imposed by the traditional learning environment.
• Administrative Progressivism in Relation to Online Learning The main idea of the discussion is to consider online learning from the perspective of administrative progressivism with identifying the advantages and disadvantages of using the mentioned approach along with the chosen method of study.
• Contrasting an Online Class to a Traditional Class In most cases, the traditional class syllabus is usually a bit wider hence offering the trainee much more as opposed to online classes where there is lack of provisions for diversification of the subject.
• Comparison of Online Learning and Traditional Learning
• Historical and Socio Cultural Analysis of Online Learning
• Analysis of Using Online Video Lecture on Learning Outcome: The Mediating Role of Student Interaction and Student Engagement
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning in an Online Class
• Analysis of the Cyber School as an Institution With Online Methods of Learning
• Benefits & Issues of Online Learning
• Swot Analyis for Online Learning
• Comparing the Effectiveness of Classroom and Online Learning
• How Does Prior Knowledge Impact Students Online Learning Behaviors?
• How Learning Online Works?
• How Technology Can Improve Online Learning?
• Is Face For Face Learning Better Then Online Learning?
• Online Classes: A Successful Learning Environment
• Online Learning For Students With Disabilities
• Pros And Disadvantages of Online Education
• Should Online Learning Be Encouraged?
• Knowledge Gradient Algorithm for a General Class of Online Learning Problems
• Three Online Learning Strategies
• Virtual Learning Environment and Online Education
• What Factors Promote Sustained Online Discussions and Collaborative Learning in a Web-Based Course?
• Adult Learning in an Online Environment
• Analysis on Early Design for Online Learning
• Assessment of Conflict Resolution Strategies Within an Online Learning Team
• Compare and Contrast Online Learning vs Traditional Classroom Learning
• Examining the Factors that Influence how Instructors Provide Feedback in Online Learning Environments
• False Concepts Surrounding The Online Learning Environment
• Generalized Feature Embedding for Supervised, Unsupervised, and Online Learning Tasks
• Implementing Comprehensive Interventions to Support Student Success in Online Learning
• Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Online Education
• Managing Online Learning In Collabrative Group
• Managing the Online Learning Revolution in an MBA course: Quality Assurance through Strategic Development
• Online Education Is a Type of Distance Learning
• Online Learning: High School Students For College
• Online Learning: Stochastic Approximation
• Planning Strategies And Time Management Essential in Online Learning
• Development of Online Technology and the Advantages of E-Learning
• Effectiveness of Online Learning
• Reasons Why Older Students Have a Difficult Time Adjusting to Online Classes
• How Does Online Classes Work
• Why Online Learning Is Not Common Among Primary School Students
• Reasons for Taking Online Classes
• Online Classes Are More Flexible Than Conventional Education
• Online Classes Are Less Effective Than Regular Classroom Classes
• The Four Coursera Online Classes
• The Pros and Cons of Online Classes
• The Advocacy for Online Classes According to Todd Gilman
• Online Classes and Face With Face Classes
• Are Online Classes Beneficial To Students
• The Benefits and Drawbacks of Traditional and Online Classes
• Online Classes Are Becoming A Trend for College Campuses
• Online Classes Should Not Reduce Students’ Options and Opportunities
• Why Are More Students Taking Online Classes
• Online Classes vs. Traditional Classroom Learning
• The Demand for Online Classes
• Online Courses and the Impact of Weaker Interpersonal Connections in Online Classes
• The Similarities Between Online Classes and Traditional Classes
• Comparision Between Traditional Classes and Online Classes
• Online Classes Are Becoming More and More Relevant Now
• Online Classes and Oral Presentation Challenges
• The Primary Difference Between Classroom and Online Classes
• What Is the Newest Innovation in Online Learning?
• What Are Some Good Websites for Online Learning?
• Will Online Learning Will Replace Face to Face Teaching?
• Do Students Appreciate Online Learning?
• What Are the Benefits and Drawbacks of Online Learning?
• Which Is the Best Online Learning Platform?
• Which Machine Learning Algorithms for Classification Support Online Learning?
• How Much Does It Cost to Set up an Online Learning Management System?
• How Is Online Learning More Convenient Over the Traditional Classroom?
• Is Online Learning Becoming More Interactive With the Passage of Time?
• What Is the Relation Between Reinforcement Learning and Online Learning?
• What Are the Issues Related to Online Learning and Teaching?
• Why Do Students Struggle With Online Learning?
• What Problems and Issues Are Seen in Online Learning Communities?
• What Are the Disadvantages of Online Learning?
• What Opportunities Does Online Learning Give?
• What Are the Benefits and Challenges of Online Learning?
• What Is the Difference Between Distance Learning and Online Learning?
• Where Do Online Learning Sites Keep Videos?
• Why Do Many People Find Online Learning Really Hard?
• Is It Possible to Do Online Learning With LSTM?
• Why Do Online Learning Sites Use So Much Handwriting?
• How Effective Is Online Learning in Higher Education?
• Is SMC University a Credible Online Learning Institution?
• What Is Online Learning and Its Types?
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Essay on Importance of Education for Students

500 words essay on importance of education.

To say Education is important is an understatement. Education is a weapon to improve one’s life. It is probably the most important tool to change one’s life. Education for a child begins at home. It is a lifelong process that ends with death. Education certainly determines the quality of an individual’s life. Education improves one’s knowledge, skills and develops the personality and attitude. Most noteworthy, Education affects the chances of employment for people. A highly educated individual is probably very likely to get a good job. In this essay on importance of education, we will tell you about the value of education in life and society.

Importance of Education in Life

First of all, Education teaches the ability to read and write. Reading and writing is the first step in Education. Most information is done by writing. Hence, the lack of writing skill means missing out on a lot of information. Consequently, Education makes people literate.

Above all, Education is extremely important for employment. It certainly is a great opportunity to make a decent living. This is due to the skills of a high paying job that Education provides. Uneducated people are probably at a huge disadvantage when it comes to jobs. It seems like many poor people improve their lives with the help of Education.

Better Communication is yet another role in Education. Education improves and refines the speech of a person. Furthermore, individuals also improve other means of communication with Education.

Education makes an individual a better user of technology. Education certainly provides the technical skills necessary for using technology . Hence, without Education, it would probably be difficult to handle modern machines.

People become more mature with the help of Education. Sophistication enters the life of educated people. Above all, Education teaches the value of discipline to individuals. Educated people also realize the value of time much more. To educated people, time is equal to money.

Finally, Educations enables individuals to express their views efficiently. Educated individuals can explain their opinions in a clear manner. Hence, educated people are quite likely to convince people to their point of view.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Importance of Education in Society

First of all, Education helps in spreading knowledge in society. This is perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of Education. There is a quick propagation of knowledge in an educated society. Furthermore, there is a transfer of knowledge from generation to another by Education.

Education helps in the development and innovation of technology. Most noteworthy, the more the education, the more technology will spread. Important developments in war equipment, medicine , computers, take place due to Education.

Education is a ray of light in the darkness. It certainly is a hope for a good life. Education is a basic right of every Human on this Planet. To deny this right is evil. Uneducated youth is the worst thing for Humanity. Above all, the governments of all countries must ensure to spread Education.

FAQs on Essay on Importance of Education

Q.1 How Education helps in Employment?

A.1 Education helps in Employment by providing necessary skills. These skills are important for doing a high paying job.

Q.2 Mention one way in Education helps a society?

A.2 Education helps society by spreading knowledge. This certainly is one excellent contribution to Education.

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Getting College Essay Help: Important Do's and Don’ts

College Essays

If you grow up to be a professional writer, everything you write will first go through an editor before being published. This is because the process of writing is really a process of re-writing —of rethinking and reexamining your work, usually with the help of someone else. So what does this mean for your student writing? And in particular, what does it mean for very important, but nonprofessional writing like your college essay? Should you ask your parents to look at your essay? Pay for an essay service?

If you are wondering what kind of help you can, and should, get with your personal statement, you've come to the right place! In this article, I'll talk about what kind of writing help is useful, ethical, and even expected for your college admission essay . I'll also point out who would make a good editor, what the differences between editing and proofreading are, what to expect from a good editor, and how to spot and stay away from a bad one.

Table of Contents

What Kind of Help for Your Essay Can You Get?

What's Good Editing?

What should an editor do for you, what kind of editing should you avoid, proofreading, what's good proofreading, what kind of proofreading should you avoid.

What Do Colleges Think Of You Getting Help With Your Essay?

Who Can/Should Help You?

Advice for editors.

Should You Pay Money For Essay Editing?

The Bottom Line

What's next, what kind of help with your essay can you get.

Rather than talking in general terms about "help," let's first clarify the two different ways that someone else can improve your writing . There is editing, which is the more intensive kind of assistance that you can use throughout the whole process. And then there's proofreading, which is the last step of really polishing your final product.

Let me go into some more detail about editing and proofreading, and then explain how good editors and proofreaders can help you."

Editing is helping the author (in this case, you) go from a rough draft to a finished work . Editing is the process of asking questions about what you're saying, how you're saying it, and how you're organizing your ideas. But not all editing is good editing . In fact, it's very easy for an editor to cross the line from supportive to overbearing and over-involved.

Ability to clarify assignments. A good editor is usually a good writer, and certainly has to be a good reader. For example, in this case, a good editor should make sure you understand the actual essay prompt you're supposed to be answering.

Open-endedness. Good editing is all about asking questions about your ideas and work, but without providing answers. It's about letting you stick to your story and message, and doesn't alter your point of view.

Think of an editor as a great travel guide. It can show you the many different places your trip could take you. It should explain any parts of the trip that could derail your trip or confuse the traveler. But it never dictates your path, never forces you to go somewhere you don't want to go, and never ignores your interests so that the trip no longer seems like it's your own. So what should good editors do?

Help Brainstorm Topics

Sometimes it's easier to bounce thoughts off of someone else. This doesn't mean that your editor gets to come up with ideas, but they can certainly respond to the various topic options you've come up with. This way, you're less likely to write about the most boring of your ideas, or to write about something that isn't actually important to you.

If you're wondering how to come up with options for your editor to consider, check out our guide to brainstorming topics for your college essay .

Help Revise Your Drafts

Here, your editor can't upset the delicate balance of not intervening too much or too little. It's tricky, but a great way to think about it is to remember: editing is about asking questions, not giving answers .

Revision questions should point out:

• Places where more detail or more description would help the reader connect with your essay
• Places where structure and logic don't flow, losing the reader's attention
• Places where there aren't transitions between paragraphs, confusing the reader
• Moments where your narrative or the arguments you're making are unclear

But pointing to potential problems is not the same as actually rewriting—editors let authors fix the problems themselves.

Bad editing is usually very heavy-handed editing. Instead of helping you find your best voice and ideas, a bad editor changes your writing into their own vision.

You may be dealing with a bad editor if they:

• Add material (examples, descriptions) that doesn't come from you
• Use a thesaurus to make your college essay sound "more mature"
• Add meaning or insight to the essay that doesn't come from you
• Tell you what to say and how to say it
• Write sentences, phrases, and paragraphs for you
• Change your voice in the essay so it no longer sounds like it was written by a teenager

Colleges can tell the difference between a 17-year-old's writing and a 50-year-old's writing. Not only that, they have access to your SAT or ACT Writing section, so they can compare your essay to something else you wrote. Writing that's a little more polished is great and expected. But a totally different voice and style will raise questions.

Where's the Line Between Helpful Editing and Unethical Over-Editing?

Sometimes it's hard to tell whether your college essay editor is doing the right thing. Here are some guidelines for staying on the ethical side of the line.

• An editor should say that the opening paragraph is kind of boring, and explain what exactly is making it drag. But it's overstepping for an editor to tell you exactly how to change it.
• An editor should point out where your prose is unclear or vague. But it's completely inappropriate for the editor to rewrite that section of your essay.
• An editor should let you know that a section is light on detail or description. But giving you similes and metaphors to beef up that description is a no-go.

Proofreading (also called copy-editing) is checking for errors in the last draft of a written work. It happens at the end of the process and is meant as the final polishing touch. Proofreading is meticulous and detail-oriented, focusing on small corrections. It sands off all the surface rough spots that could alienate the reader.

Because proofreading is usually concerned with making fixes on the word or sentence level, this is the only process where someone else can actually add to or take away things from your essay . This is because what they are adding or taking away tends to be one or two misplaced letters.

Laser focus. Proofreading is all about the tiny details, so the ability to really concentrate on finding small slip-ups is a must.

Excellent grammar and spelling skills. Proofreaders need to dot every "i" and cross every "t." Good proofreaders should correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. They should put foreign words in italics and surround quotations with quotation marks. They should check that you used the correct college's name, and that you adhered to any formatting requirements (name and date at the top of the page, uniform font and size, uniform spacing).

Limited interference. A proofreader needs to make sure that you followed any word limits. But if cuts need to be made to shorten the essay, that's your job and not the proofreader's.

A bad proofreader either tries to turn into an editor, or just lacks the skills and knowledge necessary to do the job.

Some signs that you're working with a bad proofreader are:

• If they suggest making major changes to the final draft of your essay. Proofreading happens when editing is already finished.
• If they aren't particularly good at spelling, or don't know grammar, or aren't detail-oriented enough to find someone else's small mistakes.
• If they start swapping out your words for fancier-sounding synonyms, or changing the voice and sound of your essay in other ways. A proofreader is there to check for errors, not to take the 17-year-old out of your writing.

What Do Colleges Think of Your Getting Help With Your Essay?

Admissions officers agree: light editing and proofreading are good—even required ! But they also want to make sure you're the one doing the work on your essay. They want essays with stories, voice, and themes that come from you. They want to see work that reflects your actual writing ability, and that focuses on what you find important.

On the Importance of Editing

Get feedback. Have a fresh pair of eyes give you some feedback. Don't allow someone else to rewrite your essay, but do take advantage of others' edits and opinions when they seem helpful. ( Bates College )

Read your essay aloud to someone. Reading the essay out loud offers a chance to hear how your essay sounds outside your head. This exercise reveals flaws in the essay's flow, highlights grammatical errors and helps you ensure that you are communicating the exact message you intended. ( Dickinson College )

On the Value of Proofreading

Share your essays with at least one or two people who know you well—such as a parent, teacher, counselor, or friend—and ask for feedback. Remember that you ultimately have control over your essays, and your essays should retain your own voice, but others may be able to catch mistakes that you missed and help suggest areas to cut if you are over the word limit. ( Yale University )

Proofread and then ask someone else to proofread for you. Although we want substance, we also want to be able to see that you can write a paper for our professors and avoid careless mistakes that would drive them crazy. ( Oberlin College )

On Watching Out for Too Much Outside Influence

Limit the number of people who review your essay. Too much input usually means your voice is lost in the writing style. ( Carleton College )

Ask for input (but not too much). Your parents, friends, guidance counselors, coaches, and teachers are great people to bounce ideas off of for your essay. They know how unique and spectacular you are, and they can help you decide how to articulate it. Keep in mind, however, that a 45-year-old lawyer writes quite differently from an 18-year-old student, so if your dad ends up writing the bulk of your essay, we're probably going to notice. ( Vanderbilt University )

Now let's talk about some potential people to approach for your college essay editing and proofreading needs. It's best to start close to home and slowly expand outward. Not only are your family and friends more invested in your success than strangers, but they also have a better handle on your interests and personality. This knowledge is key for judging whether your essay is expressing your true self.

Parents or Close Relatives

Your family may be full of potentially excellent editors! Parents are deeply committed to your well-being, and family members know you and your life well enough to offer details or incidents that can be included in your essay. On the other hand, the rewriting process necessarily involves criticism, which is sometimes hard to hear from someone very close to you.

A parent or close family member is a great choice for an editor if you can answer "yes" to the following questions. Is your parent or close relative a good writer or reader? Do you have a relationship where editing your essay won't create conflict? Are you able to constructively listen to criticism and suggestion from the parent?

One suggestion for defusing face-to-face discussions is to try working on the essay over email. Send your parent a draft, have them write you back some comments, and then you can pick which of their suggestions you want to use and which to discard.

Teachers or Tutors

A humanities teacher that you have a good relationship with is a great choice. I am purposefully saying humanities, and not just English, because teachers of Philosophy, History, Anthropology, and any other classes where you do a lot of writing, are all used to reviewing student work.

Moreover, any teacher or tutor that has been working with you for some time, knows you very well and can vet the essay to make sure it "sounds like you."

If your teacher or tutor has some experience with what college essays are supposed to be like, ask them to be your editor. If not, then ask whether they have time to proofread your final draft.

Guidance or College Counselor at Your School

The best thing about asking your counselor to edit your work is that this is their job. This means that they have a very good sense of what colleges are looking for in an application essay.

At the same time, school counselors tend to have relationships with admissions officers in many colleges, which again gives them insight into what works and which college is focused on what aspect of the application.

Unfortunately, in many schools the guidance counselor tends to be way overextended. If your ratio is 300 students to 1 college counselor, you're unlikely to get that person's undivided attention and focus. It is still useful to ask them for general advice about your potential topics, but don't expect them to be able to stay with your essay from first draft to final version.

Friends, Siblings, or Classmates

Although they most likely don't have much experience with what colleges are hoping to see, your peers are excellent sources for checking that your essay is you .

Friends and siblings are perfect for the read-aloud edit. Read your essay to them so they can listen for words and phrases that are stilted, pompous, or phrases that just don't sound like you.

You can even trade essays and give helpful advice on each other's work.

If your editor hasn't worked with college admissions essays very much, no worries! Any astute and attentive reader can still greatly help with your process. But, as in all things, beginners do better with some preparation.

First, your editor should read our advice about how to write a college essay introduction , how to spot and fix a bad college essay , and get a sense of what other students have written by going through some admissions essays that worked .

Then, as they read your essay, they can work through the following series of questions that will help them to guide you.

Introduction Questions

• Is the first sentence a killer opening line? Why or why not?
• Does the introduction hook the reader? Does it have a colorful, detailed, and interesting narrative? Or does it propose a compelling or surprising idea?
• Can you feel the author's voice in the introduction, or is the tone dry, dull, or overly formal? Show the places where the voice comes through.

Essay Body Questions

• Does the essay have a through-line? Is it built around a central argument, thought, idea, or focus? Can you put this idea into your own words?
• How is the essay organized? By logical progression? Chronologically? Do you feel order when you read it, or are there moments where you are confused or lose the thread of the essay?
• Does the essay have both narratives about the author's life and explanations and insight into what these stories reveal about the author's character, personality, goals, or dreams? If not, which is missing?
• Does the essay flow? Are there smooth transitions/clever links between paragraphs? Between the narrative and moments of insight?

Reader Response Questions

• Does the writer's personality come through? Do we know what the speaker cares about? Do we get a sense of "who he or she is"?
• Where did you feel most connected to the essay? Which parts of the essay gave you a "you are there" sensation by invoking your senses? What moments could you picture in your head well?
• Where are the details and examples vague and not specific enough?
• Did you get an "a-ha!" feeling anywhere in the essay? Is there a moment of insight that connected all the dots for you? Is there a good reveal or "twist" anywhere in the essay?
• What are the strengths of this essay? What needs the most improvement?

Should You Pay Money for Essay Editing?

One alternative to asking someone you know to help you with your college essay is the paid editor route. There are two different ways to pay for essay help: a private essay coach or a less personal editing service , like the many proliferating on the internet.

My advice is to think of these options as a last resort rather than your go-to first choice. I'll first go through the reasons why. Then, if you do decide to go with a paid editor, I'll help you decide between a coach and a service.

When to Consider a Paid Editor

In general, I think hiring someone to work on your essay makes a lot of sense if none of the people I discussed above are a possibility for you.

If you can't ask your parents. For example, if your parents aren't good writers, or if English isn't their first language. Or if you think getting your parents to help is going create unnecessary extra conflict in your relationship with them (applying to college is stressful as it is!)

If you can't ask your teacher or tutor. Maybe you don't have a trusted teacher or tutor that has time to look over your essay with focus. Or, for instance, your favorite humanities teacher has very limited experience with college essays and so won't know what admissions officers want to see.

If you can't ask your guidance counselor. This could be because your guidance counselor is way overwhelmed with other students.

If you can't share your essay with those who know you. It might be that your essay is on a very personal topic that you're unwilling to share with parents, teachers, or peers. Just make sure it doesn't fall into one of the bad-idea topics in our article on bad college essays .

If the cost isn't a consideration. Many of these services are quite expensive, and private coaches even more so. If you have finite resources, I'd say that hiring an SAT or ACT tutor (whether it's PrepScholar or someone else) is better way to spend your money . This is because there's no guarantee that a slightly better essay will sufficiently elevate the rest of your application, but a significantly higher SAT score will definitely raise your applicant profile much more.

Should You Hire an Essay Coach?

On the plus side, essay coaches have read dozens or even hundreds of college essays, so they have experience with the format. Also, because you'll be working closely with a specific person, it's more personal than sending your essay to a service, which will know even less about you.

But, on the minus side, you'll still be bouncing ideas off of someone who doesn't know that much about you . In general, if you can adequately get the help from someone you know, there is no advantage to paying someone to help you.

If you do decide to hire a coach, ask your school counselor, or older students that have used the service for recommendations. If you can't afford the coach's fees, ask whether they can work on a sliding scale —many do. And finally, beware those who guarantee admission to your school of choice—essay coaches don't have any special magic that can back up those promises.

Should You Send Your Essay to a Service?

On the plus side, essay editing services provide a similar product to essay coaches, and they cost significantly less . If you have some assurance that you'll be working with a good editor, the lack of face-to-face interaction won't prevent great results.

On the minus side, however, it can be difficult to gauge the quality of the service before working with them . If they are churning through many application essays without getting to know the students they are helping, you could end up with an over-edited essay that sounds just like everyone else's. In the worst case scenario, an unscrupulous service could send you back a plagiarized essay.

Getting recommendations from friends or a school counselor for reputable services is key to avoiding heavy-handed editing that writes essays for you or does too much to change your essay. Including a badly-edited essay like this in your application could cause problems if there are inconsistencies. For example, in interviews it might be clear you didn't write the essay, or the skill of the essay might not be reflected in your schoolwork and test scores.

Should You Buy an Essay Written by Someone Else?

Let me elaborate. There are super sketchy places on the internet where you can simply buy a pre-written essay. Don't do this!

For one thing, you'll be lying on an official, signed document. All college applications make you sign a statement saying something like this:

I certify that all information submitted in the admission process—including the application, the personal essay, any supplements, and any other supporting materials—is my own work, factually true, and honestly presented... I understand that I may be subject to a range of possible disciplinary actions, including admission revocation, expulsion, or revocation of course credit, grades, and degree, should the information I have certified be false. (From the Common Application )

For another thing, if your academic record doesn't match the essay's quality, the admissions officer will start thinking your whole application is riddled with lies.

Admission officers have full access to your writing portion of the SAT or ACT so that they can compare work that was done in proctored conditions with that done at home. They can tell if these were written by different people. Not only that, but there are now a number of search engines that faculty and admission officers can use to see if an essay contains strings of words that have appeared in other essays—you have no guarantee that the essay you bought wasn't also bought by 50 other students.

• You should get college essay help with both editing and proofreading
• A good editor will ask questions about your idea, logic, and structure, and will point out places where clarity is needed
• A good editor will absolutely not answer these questions, give you their own ideas, or write the essay or parts of the essay for you
• A good proofreader will find typos and check your formatting
• All of them agree that getting light editing and proofreading is necessary
• Parents, teachers, guidance or college counselor, and peers or siblings
• If you can't ask any of those, you can pay for college essay help, but watch out for services or coaches who over-edit you work
• Don't buy a pre-written essay! Colleges can tell, and it'll make your whole application sound false.

Ready to start working on your essay? Check out our explanation of the point of the personal essay and the role it plays on your applications and then explore our step-by-step guide to writing a great college essay .

Using the Common Application for your college applications? We have an excellent guide to the Common App essay prompts and useful advice on how to pick the Common App prompt that's right for you . Wondering how other people tackled these prompts? Then work through our roundup of over 130 real college essay examples published by colleges .

Stressed about whether to take the SAT again before submitting your application? Let us help you decide how many times to take this test . If you choose to go for it, we have the ultimate guide to studying for the SAT to give you the ins and outs of the best ways to study.

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Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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Want to write a college essay that sets you apart? Three tips to give you a head start

1. Keep it real. It’s normal to want to make a good impression on the school of your choice, but it’s also important to show who you really are. So just be yourself! Compelling stories might not be perfectly linear or have a happy ending, and that’s OK. It’s best to be authentic instead of telling schools what you think they want to hear.

2. Be reflective . Think about how you’ve changed during high school. How have you grown and improved? What makes you feel ready for college, and how do you hope to contribute to the campus community and society at large?

3. Look to the future. Consider your reasons for attending college. What do you hope to gain from your education? What about college excites you the most, and what would you like to do after you graduate? Answering these questions will not only give colleges insight into the kind of student you’ll be, but it will also give you the personal insight you’ll need to choose the school that’s right for you.

Have questions about college prep? We're here to help.

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As a student or prospective student at CU Boulder, you have a right to certain information pertaining to financial aid programs, the Clery Act, crime and safety, graduation rates, athletics and other general information such as the costs associated with attending CU Boulder. To view this information visit  colorado.edu/your-right-know .

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Two-thirds of colleges are prioritizing online versions of on-campus programs, poll finds

The ninth Changing Landscape of Online Education survey offers a glimpse into the distance education marketplace.

Dive Brief: 

• Roughly two-thirds of colleges are making it a priority to create virtual versions of on-campus classes and programs, according to an annual survey of chief online learning officers . 
• College officials likely see creating online versions of existing programs as easier than launching entirely new academic programs, according to the report. 
• However, 48% of chief online learning officers still said their priorities included launching new online programs with no campus equivalent. 

Dive Insight: 

The ninth Changing Landscape of Online Education report — from Eduventures Research, Quality Matters and Educause — offers a look at how colleges are approaching online education. 

“ While institutions exhibit varying approaches and priorities in their online strategies, there appears to be a common acknowledgment of the driving forces behind the expansion of online offerings and associated marketing efforts : recruiting new students and fulfilling current students’ needs ,” the report’s authors wrote. 

The survey found 69% of respondents said it’s a priority to create online versions of face-to-face classes. 

A slightly lower share, 65%, said the same about launching virtual versions of entire in-person degree programs.

This result suggests launching online programs may be a growing priority. In last year’s CHLOE survey, 42% of chief online learning officers said they were focusing on creating virtual versions of popular in-person programs. 

The vast majority of respondents, 92%, said online offerings allow them to recruit students within their institutions’ regions, while 87% said it enables them to reach students outside of their traditional borders. 

Almost half of respondents, 46%, said online enrollment at their colleges is outpacing growth in on-campus programs. 

The survey asked respondents to forecast their top three online student markets for the future. More than three-quarters of respondents, 78%, listed adult undergraduates pursuing college degrees. 

Adult students are typically considered those ages 25 and older. Colleges have been ramping up their efforts to recruit this population to prepare for the demographic cliff — a sharp decline in the number of high school graduates expected to start around 2025 due to lower birth rates during the Great Recession. 

Graduate students pursuing degree programs are another area of focus. Over half of respondents, 53% — including colleges that don’t currently have graduate programs — deemed this group an important future market. Only 23% of respondents said the same of traditional-age students interested in fully online degrees. 

The survey was conducted in January and February and drew responses from 324 institutions. 

The report also offers insights into online program management companies, or OPMs. 

These companies help colleges launch and run online programs, often in exchange for a share of their tuition revenue. However, critics of the sector contend that these deals push OPMs to aggressively recruit students and drive up the price of online education. 

Scrutiny over OPMs has mounted after 2U — one of the sector’s most high-profile companies — declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July. 

2U has said it doesn’t expect the Chapter 11 process to disrupt its services to colleges and their programs, but student advocates are pushing for policies to protect students in the event an OPM collapses altogether. 

In the new survey, 68 chief online learning officers answered questions about their relationships with OPMs. 

Some 15% of respondents said they currently work with an OPM, while 9% said they work with at least two OPMs. More than half of respondents, 52%, said they had never worked with one of these companies and don’t plan to. Another 15% said they previously worked with one or more OPMs and are not considering working with one again.

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Nearly half of companies say they plan to eliminate bachelor’s degree requirements in 2024

Many employers are dropping degree requirements to create a more diverse workforce and increase job candidate numbers, survey results show.

Colleges that require DEI statements would lose federal funding under House bill

The proposal from Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Texas Republican, highlights the momentum behind efforts targeting diversity, equity and inclusion.

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How the Diploma Divide Is Remaking American Politics

Education is at the heart of this country’s many divisions..

Blue America is an increasingly wealthy and well-educated place.

Throughout the second half of the 20th century, Americans without college degrees were more likely than university graduates to vote Democratic. But that gap began narrowing in the late 1960s before finally flipping in 2004 .

John F. Kennedy lost college-educated voters by a two-to-one margin yet won the presidency thanks to overwhelming support among white voters without a degree. Sixty years later, our second Catholic president charted a much different path to the White House, losing non-college-educated whites by a two-to-one margin while securing 60 percent of the college-educated vote. The latest New York Times /Siena poll of the 2022 midterms showed this pattern holding firm, with Democrats winning 55 percent of voters with bachelor’s degrees but only 39 percent of those without.

A more educated Democratic coalition is, naturally, a more affluent one. In every presidential election from 1948 to 2012, white voters in the top 5 percent of America’s income distribution were more Republican than those in the bottom 95 percent. Now, the opposite is true: Among America’s white majority, the rich voted to the left of the middle class and the poor in 2016 and 2020, while the poor voted to the right of the middle class and the rich.

In political-science parlance, the collapse of the New Deal–era alignment — in which voters’ income levels strongly predicted their partisan preference — is often referred to as “class dealignment.” The increasing tendency for politics to divide voters along educational lines, meanwhile, is known as “education polarization.”

There are worse things for a political coalition to be than affluent or educated. Professionals vote and donate at higher rates than blue-collar workers. But college graduates also comprise a minority of the electorate — and an underrepresented minority at that. America’s electoral institutions all give disproportionate influence to parts of the country with low levels of educational attainment. And this is especially true of the Senate . Therefore, if the coalitional trends of the past half-century continue unabated — and Democrats keep gaining college-educated votes at the expense of working-class ones — the party will find itself locked out of federal power. Put differently, such a development would put an increasingly authoritarian GOP on the glide path to political dominance.

And unless education polarization is substantially reversed , progressives are likely to continue seeing their reform ambitions pared back sharply by Congress’s upper chamber, even when Democrats manage to control it.

These realities have generated a lively intra-Democratic debate over the causes and implications of class dealignment. To some pundits , consultants, and data journalists , the phenomenon’s fundamental cause is the cultural divide between educated professionals and the working class. In their telling, college graduates in general — and Democratic college graduates in particular — tend to have different social values, cultural sensibilities, and issue priorities than the median non-college-educated voter. As the New York Times ’s Nate Cohn puts the point, college graduates tend to be more cosmopolitan and culturally liberal, report higher levels of social trust, and are more likely to “attribute racial inequality, crime, and poverty to complex structural and systemic problems” rather than “individualist and parochial explanations.”

What’s more, since blue America’s journalists, politicians, and activists are overwhelmingly college graduates, highly educated liberals exert disproportionate influence over their party’s actions and identity. Therefore, as the Democrats’ well-credentialed wing has swelled, the party’s image and ideological positioning have grown more reflective of the professional class’s distinct tastes — and thus less appealing to the electorate’s working-class majority.

This theory does not sit well with all Democratic journalists, politicians, and activists. Some deny the existence of a diploma divide on cultural values, while others insist on its limited political salience. Many progressives attribute class dealignment to America’s pathological racial politics and/or the Democrats’ failures of economic governance . In this account, the New Deal coalition was unmade by a combination of a backlash to Black Americans’ growing prominence in Democratic politics and the Democratic Party’s failures to prevent its former working-class base from suffering decades of stagnant living standards and declining life expectancy .

An appreciation of these developments is surely indispensable for understanding class dealignment in the United States. But they don’t tell the whole story. Education polarization is not merely an American phenomenon; it is a defining feature of contemporary politics in nearly every western democracy . It is therefore unlikely that our nation’s white-supremacist history can fully explain the development. And though center-left parties throughout the West have shared some common failings, these inadequacies cannot tell us why many working-class voters have not merely dropped out of politics but rather begun voting for parties even more indifferent to their material interests.

In my view, education polarization cannot be understood without a recognition of the values divide between educated professionals and working people in the aggregate. That divide is rooted in each class’s disparate ways of life, economic imperatives, socialization experiences, and levels of material security. By itself, the emergence of this gap might not have been sufficient to trigger class dealignment, but its adverse political implications have been greatly exacerbated by the past half-century of inequitable growth, civic decline, and media fragmentation.

The college-educated population has distinct ideological tendencies and psychological sensibilities.

Educated professionals tend to be more socially liberal than the general public. In fact, the correlation between high levels of educational attainment and social liberalism is among the most robust in political science. As early as the 1950s, researchers documented the tendency of college graduates to espouse more progressive views than the general public on civil liberties and gender roles. In the decades since, as the political scientist Elizabeth Simon writes , this correlation has held up with “remarkable geographical and temporal consistency.” Across national boundaries and generations, voters with college degrees have been more likely than those without to support legal abortion, LGBTQ+ causes, the rights of racial minorities, and expansive immigration. They are also more likely to hold “post-material” policy priorities — which is to say, to prioritize issues concerning individual autonomy, cultural values, and big-picture social goals above those concerning one’s immediate material and physical security. This penchant is perhaps best illustrated by the highly educated’s distinctively strong support for environmental causes, even in cases when ecological preservation comes at a cost to economic growth.

Underlying these disparate policy preferences are distinct psychological profiles. The college educated are more likely to espouse moral values and attitudes associated with the personality trait “ openness to experience .” High “openness” individuals are attracted to novelty, skeptical of traditional authority, and prize personal freedom and cultural diversity. “Closed” individuals, by contrast, have an aversion to the unfamiliar and are therefore attracted to moral principles that promote certainty, order, and security. Virtually all human beings fall somewhere between these two ideal types. But the college educated as a whole are closer to the “open” end of the continuum than the general public is.

All of these distinctions between more- and less-educated voters are probabilistic, not absolute. There are Catholic theocrats with Harvard Ph.D.’s and anarchists who dropped out of high school. A nation the size of the U.S. is surely home to many millions of working-class social liberals and well-educated reactionaries. Political attitudes do not proceed automatically from any demographic characteristic, class position, or psychological trait. At the individual level, ideology is shaped by myriad historical inheritances and social experiences.

And yet, if people can come by socially liberal, “high openness” politics from any walk of life, they are much more likely to do so if that walk cuts across a college campus. (And, of course, they are even more likely to harbor this distinct psychological and ideological profile if they graduate from college and then choose to become professionally involved in Democratic politics.)

The path to the professional class veers left.

There are a few theoretical explanations for this. One holds that spending your late adolescence on a college campus tends to socialize you into cultural liberalism: Through some combination of increased exposure to people from a variety of geographic backgrounds, or the iconoclastic ethos of a liberal-arts education, or the predominantly left-of-center university faculty , or the substantive content of curricula, people tend to leave college with a more cosmopolitan and “open” worldview than they had upon entering.

Proving this theory is difficult since doing so requires controlling for selection effects. Who goes to college is not determined by random chance. The subset of young people who have the interests, aptitudes, and opportunities necessary for pursuing higher education have distinct characteristics long before they show up on campus. Some social scientists contend that such “selection effects” entirely explain the distinct political tendencies of college graduates. After all, the “high openness” personality trait is associated with higher IQs and more interest in academics. So perhaps attending college doesn’t lead people to develop culturally liberal sensibilities so much as developing culturally liberal sensibilities leads people to go to college.

Some research has tried to account for this possibility. Political scientists in the United Kingdom have managed to control for the preadult views and backgrounds of college graduates by exploiting surveys that tracked the same respondents through adolescence and into adulthood. Two recent analyses of such data have found that the college experience does seem to directly increase a person’s likelihood of becoming more socially liberal in their 20s than they were in their teens.

A separate study from the U.S. sought to control for the effects of familial background and childhood experiences by examining the disparate “sociopolitical” attitudes of sibling pairs in which one went to college while the other did not. It found that attending college was associated with greater “support for civil liberties and egalitarian gender-role beliefs.”

Other recent research , however, suggests that even these study designs may fail to control for all of the background factors that bias college attendees toward liberal views before they arrive on campus. So we have some good evidence that attending college directly makes people more culturally liberal, but that evidence is not entirely conclusive.

Yet if one posits that higher education does not produce social liberals but merely attracts them, a big theoretical problem remains: Why has the population of social liberals increased in tandem with that of college graduates?

The proportion of millennials who endorse left-wing views on issues of race, gender, immigration , and the environment is higher than the proportion of boomers who do so. And such views are more prevalent within the baby-boom generation than they were among the Silent Generation. This cannot be explained merely as a consequence of America’s burgeoning racial diversity, since similar generational patterns have been observed in European nations with lower rates of ethnic change. But the trend is consistent with another component of demographic drift: Each successive generation has had a higher proportion of college graduates than its predecessor. Between 1950 and 2019, the percentage of U.S. adults with bachelor’s degrees increased from 4 percent to 33 percent.  

Perhaps rising college attendance did not directly cause the “high-openness,” post-material, culturally progressive proportion of the population to swell. But then, what did?

One possibility is that, even if mass college attendance does not directly promote the development of “high openness” values, the mass white-collar economy does. If socially liberal values are well suited to the demands and lifeways inherent to professional employment in a globally integrated economy, then, as such employment expands, we would expect a larger share of the population to adopt socially liberal values. And there is indeed reason to think the professional vocation lends itself to social liberalism.

Entering the professional class often requires not only a four-year degree, but also, a stint in graduate school or a protracted period of overwork and undercompensation at the lowest ranks of one’s field. This gives the class’s aspirants a greater incentive to postpone procreation until later in life than the median worker. That in turn may give them a heightened incentive to favor abortion rights and liberal sexual mores.

The demands of the professional career may influence value formation in other ways. As a team of political scientists from Harvard and the University of Bonn argued in a 2020 paper , underlying the ideological divide between social liberals and conservatives may be a divergence in degrees of “moral universalism,” i.e., “the extent to which people’s altruism and trust remain constant as social distance increases.” Conservatives tend to feel stronger obligations than liberals to their own kin and neighbors and their religious, ethnic, and racial groups. Liberals, by contrast, tend to spread their altruism and trust thinner across a wider sphere of humanity; they are less compelled by the particularist obligations of inherited group loyalties and more apt to espouse a universalist ethos in which all individuals are of equal moral concern, irrespective of their group attachments.

Given that pursuing a professional career often requires leaving one’s native community and entering meritocratic institutions that are ideologically and legally committed to the principle that group identities matter less than individual aptitudes, the professional vocation may favor the development of a morally universalistic outlook — and thus more progressive views on questions of anti-discrimination and weaker identification with inherited group identities.

Further, in a globalized era, white-collar workers will often need to work with colleagues on other continents and contemplate social and economic developments in far-flung places. This may encourage both existing and aspiring professionals to develop more cosmopolitan outlooks.

Critically, parents who are themselves professionals — or who aspire for their children to secure a place in the educated, white-collar labor force — may seek to inculcate these values in their kids from a young age. For example, my own parents sent me to a magnet elementary school where students were taught Japanese starting in kindergarten. This curriculum was designed to appeal to parents concerned with their children’s capacity to thrive in the increasingly interconnected (and, in the early 1990s American imagination, increasingly Japanese-dominated) economy of tomorrow.

In this way, the expansion of the white-collar sector may increase the prevalence of “high-openness” cosmopolitan traits and values among rising generations long before they arrive on campus.

More material security, more social liberalism.

Ronald Inglehart’s theory of “ cultural evolution ” provides a third, complementary explanation for both the growing prevalence of social liberalism over the past half-century and for that ideology’s disproportionate popularity among the college educated.

In Inglehart’s account, people who experience material security in youth tend to develop distinctive values and preferences from those who do not: If childhood teaches you to take your basic material needs for granted, you’re more likely to develop culturally progressive values and post-material policy priorities.

Inglehart first formulated this theory in 1971 to explain the emerging cultural gap between the baby boomers and their parents. He noted that among western generations born before World War II, very large percentages had known hunger at some point in their formative years. The Silent Generation, for its part, had come of age in an era of economic depression and world wars. Inglehart argued that such pervasive material and physical insecurity was unfavorable soil for social liberalism: Under conditions of scarcity, human beings have a strong inclination to defer to established authority and tradition, to distrust out-groups, and to prize order and material security above self-expression and individual autonomy.

But westerners born into the postwar boom encountered a very different world from the Depression-wracked, war-torn one of their parents, let alone the cruel and unforgiving one encountered by common agriculturalists since time immemorial. Their world was one of rapid and widespread income growth. And these unprecedentedly prosperous conditions engendered a shift in the postwar generation’s values: When the boomers reached maturity, an exceptionally large share of the cohort evinced post-material priorities and espoused tolerance for out-groups, support for gender equality, concern for the environment, and antipathy for social hierarchies.

Since this transformation in values wasn’t rooted merely in the passage of time — but rather in the experience of abundance — it did not impact all social classes equally. Educated professionals are disproportionately likely to have had stable, middle-class childhoods. Thus, across the West, the post-material minority was disproportionately composed of college graduates in general and elite ones in particular. As Inglehart reported in 1981 , “among those less than 35 years old with jobs that lead to top management and top civil-service posts, Post-Materialists outnumber Materialists decisively: their numerical preponderance here is even greater than it is among students.”  

As with most big-picture models of political development, Inglehart’s theory is reductive and vulnerable to myriad objections. But his core premise — that, all else being equal, material abundance favors social liberalism while scarcity favors the opposite — has much to recommend it. As the World Values Survey has demonstrated, a nation’s degree of social liberalism (a.k.a. “self-expression values”) tightly correlates with its per-capita income. Meanwhile, as nations become wealthier, each successive generation tends to become more socially liberal than the previous one.

Critically, the World Values Survey data does not show an ineluctable movement toward ever-greater levels of social liberalism. Rather, when nations backslide economically, their populations’ progressivism declines. In the West, recessions have tended to reduce the prevalence of post-material values and increase support for xenophobic parties. But the relationship between material security and cultural liberalism is demonstrated most starkly by the experience of ex-communist states, many of which suffered a devastating collapse in living standards following the Soviet Union’s fall. In Russia and much of Eastern Europe, popular support for culturally progressive values plummeted around 1990 and has remained depressed ever since.

Inglehart’s theory offers real insights. As an account of education polarization, however, it presents a bit of a puzzle: If material security is the key driver of social liberalism, why have culture wars bifurcated electorates along lines of education instead of income? Put differently: Despite the material security provided by a high salary, when one controls for educational attainment, having a high income remains strongly associated with voting for conservatives.

One way to resolve this tension is to stipulate that the first two theories of education polarization we examined are also right: While material security is conducive to social liberalism, the college experience and demands of professional-class vocations are perhaps even more so. Thus, high-income voters who did not go to college will tend to be less socially liberal than those who did.

Separately, earning a high income is strongly associated with holding conservative views on fiscal policy. Therefore, even if the experience of material security biases high-income voters toward left-of-center views on cultural issues, their interest in low taxes may nevertheless compel them to vote for right-wing parties.

Voters with high levels of education but low incomes, meanwhile, are very often children of the middle class who made dumb career choices like, say, going into journalism. Such voters’ class backgrounds would theoretically bias them toward a socially liberal orientation, while their meager earnings would give them little reason to value conservative fiscal policy. Perhaps for this reason, “ high-education low-income voters ” are among the most reliably left-wing throughout the western world.

In any case, whatever qualifications and revisions we would wish to make to Inglehart’s theory, one can’t deny its prescience. In 1971, Inglehart forecast that intergenerational value change would redraw the lines of political conflict throughout the West. In his telling, the emergence of a novel value orientation that was disproportionately popular with influential elites would naturally shift the terrain of political conflict. And it would do so in a manner that undermined materialist, class-based voting: If conventional debates over income distribution pulled at the affluent right and the working-class left, the emerging cultural disputes pulled each in the opposite direction.

This proved to be, in the words of Gabriel Almond, “one of the few examples of successful prediction in political science.”

When the culture wars moved to the center of politics, the college educated moved left.

Whether we attribute the social liberalism of college graduates to their experiences on campus, their class’s incentive structures, their relative material security, or a combination of all three, a common set of predictions about western political development follows.

First, we would expect to see the political salience of cultural conflicts start to increase in the 1960s and ’70s as educated professionals became a mass force in western politics. Second, relatedly, we would expect that the historic correlation between having a college degree and voting for the right would start gradually eroding around the same time, owing to the heightened prominence of social issues.

Finally, we would expect education polarization to be most pronounced in countries where (1) economic development is most advanced (and thus the professional sector is most expansive) and (2) left-wing and right-wing parties are most sharply divided on cultural questions.

In their paper “Changing Political Cleavages in 21 Western Democracies, 1948–2020,” Amory Gethin, Clara Martínez-Toledano, and Thomas Piketty confirm all of these expectations.

The paper analyzes nearly every manifesto (a.k.a. “platform”) put forward by left-wing and right-wing parties in the past 300 elections. As anticipated by Inglehart, the researchers found that right-wing and left-wing parties began to develop distinct positions on “sociocultural” issues in the 1970s and that these distinctions grew steadily more profound over the ensuing 50 years. Thus, the salience of cultural issues did indeed increase just as college graduates became an electorally significant demographic.

As cultural conflict became more prominent, educated professionals became more left-wing. Controlling for other variables, in the mid-20th century, having a college diploma made one more likely to vote for parties of the right. By 2020, in virtually all of the western democracies, this relationship had inverted.

Some popular narratives attribute this realignment to discrete historical events, such as the Cold War’s end, China’s entry into the WTO, or the 2008 crash. But the data show no sudden reversal in education’s political significance. Instead, the authors write, the West saw “a very progressive, continuous reversal of educational divides, which unfolded decades before any of these events took place and has carried on uninterruptedly until today.” This finding is consistent with the notion that class dealignment is driven by gradual changes in western societies’ demographic and economic characteristics, such as the steady expansion of the professional class.

The paper provides further support for the notion that education polarization is a by-product of economic development: The three democracies where college-educated voters have not moved sharply to the left in recent decades — Ireland, Portugal, and Spain — are all relative latecomers to industrialization.

Finally, and perhaps most important, the authors established a strong correlation between “sociocultural polarization” — the degree to which right-wing and left-wing parties emphasize sharply divergent cultural positions — and education polarization. In other words: Countries where parties are highly polarized on social issues tend to have electorates that are highly polarized along educational lines.

It seems reasonable then to conclude (1) that there really is a cultural divide between educated professionals and the working class in the aggregate and (2) that this gap has been a key driver of class dealignment. Indeed, if we accept the reality of the diploma divide, then an increase of education-based voting over the past 50 years would seem almost inevitable: If you have two social groups with distinct cultural values and one group goes from being 4 percent of the electorate to 35 percent of it, debates about those values will probably become more politically prominent.

And of course, mass higher education wasn’t the only force increasing the salience of social conflict in the West over the past half-century. If economic development increased the popularity of “post-material” values, it also made it easier for marginalized groups to contest traditional hierarchies. As job opportunities for women expanded, they became less dependent on the patriarchal family for material security and thus were more liable to challenge it. As racial minorities secured a foothold in the middle class, they had more resources with which to fight discrimination.

And yet, if an increase in sociocultural polarization — and thus in education polarization — is a foregone conclusion, the magnitude of these shifts can’t be attributed to the existence of cultural divides alone.

Rather, transformations in the economic, civic, and media landscapes of western society since the 1970s have increased the salience and severity of the diploma divide.

When the postwar bargain collapsed, the center-left failed to secure workers a new deal.

To polarize an electorate around cultural conflicts rooted in education, you don’t just need to increase the salience of social issues. You also need to reduce the salience of material disputes rooted in class. Alas, the economic developments of the past 50 years managed to do both.

The class-based alignment that defined western politics in the mid-20th century emerged from a particular set of economic conditions. In the early stages of industrialization, various factors had heightened the class consciousness of wage laborers. Such workers frequently lived in densely settled, class-segregated neighborhoods in the immediate vicinity of large labor-intensive plants. This close proximity cultivated solidarity, as divisions between the laborer’s working and social worlds were few. And the vast scale of industrial enterprises abetted organizing drives, as trade unions could rapidly gain scale by winning over a single shop.

By encouraging their members to view politics through the lens of class and forcing political elites to reckon with workers’ demands, strong trade unions helped to keep questions of income distribution and workers’ rights at the center of political debate and the forefront of voters’ minds. In so doing, they also helped to win western workers in general — and white male ones in particular — unprecedented shares of national income.

But this bargain between business and labor had always been contingent on robust growth. In the postwar era of rising productivity, it was possible for profits and wages to increase in tandem. But in the 1970s, western economies came under stress. Rising energy costs and global competition thinned profit margins, rendering business owners more hostile to labor’s demands both within the shop and in politics. Stagflation — the simultaneous appearance of high unemployment and high inflation — gave an opening to right-wing critics of the postwar order, who argued that the welfare state and pro-labor macroeconomic policies had sapped productivity.

Meanwhile, various long-term economic trends began undermining industrial unionism. Automation inevitably reduced the labor intensity of factories in the West. The advent of the shipping container eased the logistical burdens of globalizing production, while the industrialization of low-wage developing countries increased the incentives for doing so. Separately, as western consumers grew more affluent, they began spending less of their income on durable goods and more on services like health care (one needs only so many toasters, but the human desire for greater longevity and physical well-being is nigh-insatiable). These developments reduced both the economic leverage and the political weight of industrial workers. And since western service sectors had lower rates of unionization, deindustrialization weakened organized labor.

All this presented center-left parties with a difficult challenge. In the face of deindustrialization, an increasingly anti-labor corporate sector, an increasingly conservative economic discourse, an embattled union movement, and a globalizing economy, such parties needed to formulate new models for achieving shared prosperity. And they had to do so while managing rising cultural tensions within their coalitions.

They largely failed.

Countering the postindustrial economy’s tendencies toward inequality would have required radical reforms. Absent policies promoting the unionization of the service sector, deindustrialization inevitably weakened labor. Absent drastic changes in the allocation of posttax income, automation and globalization redistributed economic gains away from “low skill” workers and toward the most productive — or well-situated — professionals, executives, and entrepreneurs.

The United States had more power than any western nation to standardize such reforms and establish a relatively egalitarian postindustrial model. Yet the Democratic Party could muster neither the political will nor the imagination to do so. Instead, under Jimmy Carter, it acquiesced to various policies that reinforced the postindustrial economy’s tendencies toward inequality, while outsourcing key questions of economic management to financial markets and the Federal Reserve. The Reagan administration took this inegalitarian and depoliticized model of economic governance to new extremes. And to highly varying degrees, its inequitable and market-fundamentalist creed influenced the policies of future U.S. administrations and other western governments.

As a result, the past five decades witnessed a great divergence in the economic fortunes of workers with and without college diplomas, while the western working class (a.k.a. the “lower middle class”) became the primary “losers” of globalization .

The center-left parties’ failures to avert a decline in the economic security and status of ordinary workers discredited them with much of their traditional base. And their failure to reinvigorate organized labor undermined the primary institutions that politicize workers into a progressive worldview. These shortcomings, combined with the market’s increasingly dominant role in economic management, reduced the political salience of left-right divides on economic policy. This in turn gave socially conservative working-class voters fewer reasons to vote for center-left parties and gave affluent social liberals fewer reasons to oppose them. In western nations where organized labor remains relatively strong (such as Norway, Sweden, and Finland), education polarization has been relatively mild, while in those countries where it is exceptionally weak (such as the United States), the phenomenon has been especially pronounced.

Finally, the divergent economic fortunes of workers and professionals might have abetted education polarization in one other way: Given that experiencing abundance encourages social liberalism — while experiencing scarcity discourages it — the past half-century of inequitable growth might have deepened cultural divisions between workers with degrees and those without.

The professionalization of civil society estranged the left from its working-class base.

While the evolution of western economies increased the class distance between college graduates and other workers, the evolution of western civil societies increased the social distance between each group.

Back in the mid-20th century, the college educated still constituted a tiny minority of western populations, while mass-membership institutions — from trade unions to fraternal organizations to political parties — still dominated civic life. In that context, an educated professional who wished to exercise political influence often needed to join a local chapter of a cross-class civic association or political party and win election to a leadership position within that organization by securing the confidence of its membership.

That changed once educated professionals became a mass constituency in their own right. As the college-educated population ballooned and concentrated itself within urban centers, it became easier for interest groups to swing elections and pressure lawmakers without securing working-class support. At the same time, the proliferation of “knowledge workers” set off an arms race between interest and advocacy groups looking to influence national legislation and election outcomes. Job opportunities for civic-minded professionals in think tanks, nonprofits, and foundations proliferated. And thanks to growing pools of philanthropic money and the advent of direct-mail fundraising, these organizations could sustain themselves without recruiting an active mass membership.

Thus, the professional’s path to political influence dramatically changed. Instead of working one’s way up through close-knit local groups — and bending them toward one’s political goals through persuasion — professionals could join (or donate to) nationally oriented advocacy groups already aligned with their preferences, which could then advance their policy aims by providing legislators with expert guidance and influencing public opinion through media debates.

As the political scientist Theda Skocpol demonstrates in her book Diminished Democracy , college graduates began defecting from mass-membership civic organizations in the 1970s, in an exodus that helped precipitate their broader decline.

Combined with the descent of organized labor, the collapse of mass participation in civic groups and political parties untethered the broad left from working-class constituencies. As foundation-funded NGOs displaced trade unions in the progressive firmament, left-wing parties became less directly accountable to their less-educated supporters. This made such parties more liable to embrace the preferences and priorities of educated professionals over those of the median working-class voter.

Meanwhile, in the absence of a thriving civic culture, voters became increasingly reliant on the mass media for their political information.

Today’s media landscape is fertile terrain for right-wing populism.

The dominant media technology of the mid-20th century — broadcast television — favored oligopoly. Given the exorbitant costs of mounting a national television network in that era, the medium was dominated by a small number of networks, each with an incentive to appeal to a broad audience. This discouraged news networks from cultivating cultural controversy while empowering them to establish a broadly shared information environment.

Cable and the internet have molded a radically different media landscape. Today, news outlets compete in a hypersaturated attentional market that encourages both audience specialization and sensationalism. In a world where consumers have abundant infotainment options, voters who read at a graduate-school level and those who read at an eighth-grade level are unlikely to favor the same content. And the same is true of voters with liberal and conservative sensibilities — especially since the collapse of a common media ecosystem leads ideologues to occupy disparate factual universes. The extraordinary nature of today’s media ecology is well illustrated by this chart from Martin Gurri’s book, The Revolt of the Public :

This information explosion abets education polarization for straightforward reasons: Since the college educated and non-college educated have distinct tastes in media, in a highly competitive attentional market, they will patronize different outlets and accept divergent facts.

Further, in the specific economic and social context we’ve been examining, the modern media environment is fertile terrain for reactionary entrepreneurs who wish to cultivate grievance against the professional elite. After all, as we’ve seen, that elite (1) subscribes to some values that most working-class people reject, (2) commandeers a wildly disproportionate share of national income and economic status, and (3) dominates the leadership of major political parties and civic groups to an unprecedented degree.

The political efficacy of such right-wing “populist” programming has been repeatedly demonstrated. Studies have found that exposure to Fox News increases Republican vote share and that the expansion of broadband internet into rural areas leads to higher levels of partisan hostility and lower levels of ticket splitting (i.e., more ideologically consistent voting) as culturally conservative voters gain access to more ideologically oriented national news reporting, commentary, and forums.

What is to be done?

The idea that education polarization arises from deep structural tendencies in western society may inspire a sense of powerlessness. And the notion that it emerges in part from a cultural divide between professionals and working people may invite ideological discomfort, at least among well-educated liberals.

But the fact that some center-left parties have managed to retain more working-class support than others suggests that the Democrats have the capacity to broaden (or narrow) their coalition. Separately, the fact that college-educated liberals have distinct social values does not require us to forfeit them.

The commentators most keen to acknowledge the class dimensions of the culture wars typically aim to discredit the left by doing so. Right-wing polemicists often suggest that progressives’ supposedly compassionate social preferences are mere alibis for advancing the professional class’s material interests. But such arguments are almost invariably weak. Progressive social views may be consonant with professional-class interests, but they typically represent attempts to universalize widely held ideals of freedom and equality. The college educated’s cosmopolitan inclinations are also adaptive for a world that is unprecedentedly interconnected and interdependent and in which population asymmetries between the rich and developing worlds create opportunities for mutual gain through migration , if only xenophobia can be overcome. And of course, in an era of climate change, the professional class’s strong concern for the environment is more than justified.

Nevertheless, professional-class progressives must recognize that our social values are not entirely unrelated to our class position. They are not an automatic by-product of affluence and erudition, nor the exclusive property of the privileged. But humans living in rich, industrialized nations are considerably more likely to harbor these values than those in poor, agrarian ones. And Americans who had the privilege of spending their late adolescence at institutions of higher learning are more likely to embrace social liberalism than those who did not.

The practical implications of this insight are debatable. It is plausible that Democrats may be able to gain working-class vote share by moderating on some social issues. But the precise electoral payoff of any single concession to popular opinion is deeply uncertain. Voters’ conceptions of each party’s ideological positioning are often informed less by policy details than by partisan stereotypes. And the substantive costs of moderation — both for the welfare of vulnerable constituencies and the long-term health of the progressive project — can be profound. At various points in the past half-century, it might have been tactically wise for Democrats to distance themselves from the demands of organized labor. But strategically, sacrificing the health of a key partisan institution to the exigencies of a single election cycle is deeply unwise. Meanwhile, in the U.S. context, the “mainstream” right has staked out some cultural positions that are profoundly unpopular with all social classes . In 2022, it is very much in the Democratic Party’s interest to increase the political salience of abortion rights.

In any case, exactly how Democrats should balance the necessity of keeping the GOP out of power with the imperative to advocate for progressive issue positions is something on which earnest liberals can disagree.

The case for progressives to be more cognizant of the diploma divide when formulating our messaging and policy priorities, however, seems clearer.

Education polarization can be self-reinforcing. As left-wing civic life has drifted away from mass-membership institutions and toward the ideologically self-selecting circles of academia, nonprofits, and the media, the left’s sensitivity to the imperatives of majoritarian politics has dulled. In some respects, the incentives for gaining status and esteem within left-wing subcultures are diametrically opposed to the requirements of coalition building. In the realm of social media, it can be advantageous to make one’s policy ideas sound more radical and/or threatening to popular values than they actually are. Thus, proposals for drastically reforming flawed yet popular institutions are marketed as plans for their “abolition,” while some advocates for reproductive rights insist that they are not merely “pro-choice” but “ pro-abortion ” (as though their objective were not to maximize bodily autonomy but rather the incidence of abortion itself, a cause that would seemingly require limiting access to contraception).

Meanwhile, the rhetoric necessary for cogently theorizing social problems within academia — and that fit for effectively selling policy reforms to a mass audience — is quite different. Political-science research indicates that theoretical abstractions tend to leave most voters cold. Even an abstraction as accessible as “inequality” resonates less with ordinary people than simply saying that the rich have too much money . Yet Democratic politicians have nevertheless taken to peppering their speeches with abstract academic terms such as structural racism .

Relatedly, in the world of nonprofits, policy wonks are often encouraged to foreground the racial implications of race-neutral redistributive policies that disproportionately benefit nonwhite constituencies. Although it is important for policy design to account for any latent racial biases in universal programs, there is reason to believe that, in a democracy with a 70 percent white electorate and widespread racial resentment, it is unwise for Democratic politicians to suggest that broadly beneficial programs primarily aid minority groups.

On the level of priority setting, it seems important for college-educated liberals to be conscious of the fact that “post-material” concerns resonate more with us than with the general public. This is especially relevant for climate strategy. Poll results and election outcomes both indicate that working-class voters are far more sensitive to the threat of rising energy prices than to that of climate change. Given that reality, the most politically viable approach to reducing emissions is likely to expedite the development and deployment of clean-energy technologies rather than deterring energy consumption through higher prices. In practice, this means prioritizing the build-out of green infrastructure over the obstruction of fossil-fuel extraction.

Of course, narrowing the social distance between college-educated liberals and working people would be even better than merely finessing it. The burgeoning unionization of white-collar professions and the growing prominence of downwardly mobile college graduates in working-class labor struggles are both encouraging developments on this front. Whatever Democrats can do to facilitate labor organizing and increase access to higher education will simultaneously advance social justice and improve the party’s long-term electoral prospects.

Finally, the correlation between material security and social liberalism underscores the urgency of progressive economic reform. Shared prosperity can be restored only by increasing the social wage of ordinary workers through some combination of unionization, sectoral bargaining, wage subsidies, and social-welfare expansion. To some extent, this represents a chicken-and-egg problem: Radical economic reforms may be a necessary precondition for the emergence of a broad progressive majority, yet a broad progressive majority is itself a precondition for radical reform.

Nevertheless, in wealthy, deep-blue states such as New York and California, Democrats have the majorities necessary for establishing a progressive economic model. At the moment, artificial constraints on the housing supply , clean-energy production, and other forms of development are sapping blue states’ economic potential . If such constraints could be overcome, the resulting economic gains would simultaneously increase working people’s living standards and render state-level social-welfare programs easier to finance. Perhaps the starting point for such a political revolution is for more-affluent social liberals to recognize that their affinity for exclusionary housing policies and aversion to taxation undermines their cultural values.

Our understanding of education polarization remains provisional. And all proposals for addressing it remain open to debate. The laws of political science are more conjectural than those of physics, and even perfect insight into political reality cannot settle disputes rooted in ideology.

But effective political engagement requires unblinkered vision. The Democratic Party’s declining support among working-class voters is a serious problem. If Democrats consider only ideologically convenient explanations for that problem, our intellectual comfort may come at the price of political power.

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Where To Attend An Online AI Bootcamp In 2024

Updated: Mar 8, 2024, 1:14pm

Technologies driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning have become part of our day-to-day lives. We use this tech in language translation apps, healthcare diagnostics and energy consumption optimization. It’s also how we receive personalized music, movie and content recommendations based on our preferences.

Want to get in on the action in the booming AI industry? Whether you’re a seasoned professional looking to advance your skill set or a tech newbie seeking a career change, online AI bootcamps offer an efficient way to acquire in-demand, job-ready AI skills.

Tech and coding bootcamps offer time- and cost-effective alternatives to traditional higher education. The best AI bootcamps provide comprehensive, practical training in machine learning, deep learning and other AI domains.

In this article, we overview all of the online AI bootcamps in the U.S. that meet our ranking criteria. We highlight key features and notable considerations of each bootcamp and discuss how to find an AI bootcamp that aligns with your career goals, scheduling needs and budget.

Why You Can Trust Forbes Advisor Education

The Forbes Advisor Education team is committed to bringing our readers unbiased rankings and trustworthy, informative articles covering higher learning institutions, individual degree programs, bootcamps, professional credentials and various career paths.

Our team sources data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. We also pull information from reputable professional organizations and education providers’ direct websites. Our rankings use a strict methodology to determine the best schools, programs or bootcamps for each category.

Moreover, an expert advisory board of experienced professionals and educators reviews and verifies Forbes Advisor Education content to ensure accuracy and completeness.

Our Methodology

We scored one online AI bootcamp in the U.S. using 14 data points in the categories of career support, credibility, affordability and student experience. We pulled data for these categories from individual bootcamp providers. Data is accurate as of November 2023.

We scored bootcamps based on the following metrics:

Career Support

• Access to career coaching or mentorship
• Availability of job guarantee
• Official hiring partners

Credibility

• Council on Integrity in Results Reporting (CIRR) membership status
• Student outcomes data transparency
• Pricing transparency
• Length of time provider has been operating

Affordability

• Upfront cost per week
• Availability of installment payment plan
• Availability of delayed payment plan
• Accepts GI Bill® or VET TEC program

Student Experience

• Average time to completion (in hours)
• Scheduling flexibility

We listed the only bootcamp in the U.S. that met our ranking criteria.

For the purpose of our rankings, we do not evaluate self-paced bootcamps or bootcamps offered through universities. Find our full list of methodologies here .

Clarusway Machine Learning Course

Total Upfront Cost: $6,000 Job Guarantee? No Official Hiring Partners: Allianz, Google, Amazon, eBay, Siemens, IBM, The Home Depot, Moody’s, Viznet, Northramp, Inspark, Proximus, Comcast, Humana, AT&T, Agilis Technologies, ING Bank, Provalus, U.S. Department of Education, Den Norske Kirke

Why We Picked It

Clarusway ’s machine learning course is designed for intermediate-level practitioners with a background in IT. The program equips learners with advanced skills for machine learning engineer and data scientist roles.

The curriculum focuses on machine learning algorithms, deployment techniques and using performance metrics to assess and deploy machine learning models into a production environment. Learners gain robust hands-on experience with 10 projects, three capstone projects and an internship.

Clarusway’s machine learning course runs for eight weeks, comprising 78 hours of lessons, seven hours of labs and projects, and career services.

What To Know

• Time Commitment: Eight weeks
• Bootcamp Enrollment Options: Part-time
• Notable Bootcamp Courses: Machine Learning
• Prerequisites: Data analysis with Python, Git
• Finance Options: Upfront, installment plans, income share agreement (ISA), loan, deferred payment plan
• Scholarships Available: N/A

Should You Enroll in an Online AI Bootcamp?

Enrolling in an online AI bootcamp makes sense for individuals seeking practical, in-depth AI learning in an accelerated format. These bootcamps follow a structured curriculum that systematically teaches fundamental AI concepts and techniques. Many programs emphasize hands-on learning projects that allow learners to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios and build portfolios of their work.

If you’re a self-motivated learner with strong time management skills who wants to learn job-ready competencies as quickly as possible, an online AI bootcamp might suit you. But if you work better in a cohort format or want a more well-rounded education, you might prefer an in-person program or a traditional degree.

Online AI Bootcamps’ Credibility

Online coding bootcamps , including AI bootcamps, typically operate independently of traditional college accreditation processes. As a result, there’s a general lack of regulation in the bootcamp space, so it can be tough to determine which programs offer high-quality curriculums and training.

When researching prospective bootcamps, indicators of program quality to look out for include reviews, testimonials from alums, graduation rates and job placement opportunities. You can also turn to the Council on Integrity in Results Reporting (CIRR).

CIRR is a nonprofit organization that confirms bootcamps’ reported student outcome data through tracking and auditing. CIRR membership attests to a bootcamp provider’s credibility and adds an extra layer of quality assurance for prospective students.

How To Find the Right Online AI Bootcamp for You

The best online AI bootcamp for you depends on several factors, including your career goals, budget, preferred learning format and scheduling needs. It’s also important to consider a program’s student outcome rates, career services and job placement opportunities. Evaluating these factors can help you understand the quality and effectiveness of an AI bootcamp.

What Are Your Career Goals?

Before enrolling in an online AI bootcamp, determine your career goals and the specific AI skills you want to acquire. If you want to work in a specific AI niche, such as machine learning engineering or natural language processing, make sure your prospective program’s course offerings, hands-on components and curriculum align with your goals.

Current tech professionals looking to deepen their expertise and stay current on AI advancements might seek programs designed for continuous learning and skill enhancement. Career changers may instead seek beginner-friendly bootcamps that equip learners with in-demand, job-ready skills for the AI field.

What’s Your Availability?

Many bootcamps are designed to be intensive, allowing learners to acquire skills in a relatively short period compared to traditional academic programs. AI bootcamps can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months. Consider your day-to-day commitments and scheduling needs when selecting a bootcamp, and determine whether you’ll be able to work full time while completing your program.

What’s Your Budget?

The cost of an AI bootcamp depends on the provider, the scope of the curriculum and the program’s duration. Forbes Advisor research found that the median cost of a coding bootcamp was $9,500 as of November 2023. A Forbes Advisor survey found that most coding bootcamp graduates spent at least $2,500 on their programs.

How To Pay for an Online AI Bootcamp

Determining your budget can help you narrow your options and plan your coding bootcamp payments . When coming up with a budget, evaluate your financing options to ensure you’re making a well-informed financial decision that maximizes the value of your educational investment.

How Much Does an AI Bootcamp Cost?

The cost of AI bootcamps varies depending on factors such as program length, the depth and scope of the curriculum and any additional services provided, such as one-to-one mentoring and career support. The AI bootcamp listed on this page costs $6,000 in upfront tuition, or more for learners who choose long-term installment plans, income share agreements and deferred tuition payments.

Upfront Payment

Many bootcamp providers offer the option to pay the full tuition fee upfront in one lump sum. You may pay reduced fees or get special discounts compared to other payment options if you pay upfront.

Pay in Installments

Bootcamp providers often offer installment payment plans, which allow students to provide monthly or quarterly payments over an extended period. In many cases, the overall cost of an installment plan ends up being more than an upfront payment. However, this option is more manageable for many learners with budget constraints.

Income Share Agreement (ISA)

Some bootcamp providers offer income share agreements, allowing students to defer their tuition until they’ve graduated from the program and secured a job in the field. After gaining employment and reaching a certain income threshold, graduates pay a fixed percentage of their income for a specific period as outlined in their agreement.

You should carefully review the terms and conditions of an ISA agreement before committing to it. Review the percentage of income you’re expected to pay, the duration and the total payment cap. You may end up paying significantly more with an ISA overall than you would with an upfront payment or installment plan.

Job Guarantee

Some bootcamps offer a job guarantee , providing a tuition refund if you’re unable to secure a qualifying job within a certain period of time after graduating.

Under a job guarantee, a bootcamp provider might guarantee you’ll find a role earning a specified minimum salary within a set amount of time. If you’re unable to do so, you’ll be entitled to a tuition refund.

Job guarantees often require students to live in proximity to a major city and set other limitations. Read through the terms and conditions of a bootcamp’s job guarantee to ensure you understand its requirements before committing.

Loans, Scholarships and Other Aid

Students can explore additional funding options including scholarships, grants, loans and other types of aid. Some bootcamps offer scholarships and grants based on merit or financial need.

Federal student aid is rarely available for bootcamp students. However, some bootcamp providers have partnerships with private lenders. In some cases, employers might sponsor employees to enroll in an AI bootcamp as a part of their professional development.

The GI Bill® and Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) programs help veterans cover the cost of education and training, including bootcamps from participating providers. Veterans and servicemembers can use these funds for VA-approved bootcamps.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Online AI Bootcamps

What is an ai bootcamp.

An AI bootcamp is an intensive, accelerated training program that explores AI fundamentals, concepts and techniques and equips learners with career-ready skills. AI bootcamps focus on practical learning via portfolio-ready projects. These bootcamps serve students looking to start careers in the field, professionals seeking to advance their skills and career changers.

Are bootcamps worth it?

Enrolling in a coding bootcamp can be worth it depending on your professional goals, skill level and budget. Bootcamps allow newcomers and professionals in the field to develop their tech skills, stay current with the latest trends and carve accelerated pathways to new careers. Nearly 90% of coding bootcamp grads would recommend bootcamps to other aspiring developers, according to a Forbes Advisor survey.

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Tobia put on leave from teaching job amid claims he used county staff to grade papers

Brevard County Commissioner John Tobia has been placed on paid administrative leave amid allegations that he used county staff to help grade papers and perform other course-related work for his teaching job at Valencia College , a school official said Wednesday.

The claims came to light during a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation into misconduct allegations against Tobia raised by a former staffer. No charges were filed and the case was closed.

Tobia told FLORIDA TODAY that staff members did help with some ancillary tasks related to his courses, including assisting him with entering grades into the college's online system, but never actually graded any coursework.

He is currently running for Brevard County Supervisor of Elections after term limits prevented him from running again for county commission. He faces current elections Supervisor Tim Bobanic in next Tuesday's Republican primary election.

Tobia is an instructor at the Orlando-based college, where he teaches history and political science, in addition to his commission work. His teaching salary last year was $100,667, according to his most recent financial disclosure form.

Staffers in Tobia's county commission office told FDLE investigators in sworn interviews that they helped him with various tasks for his work with the college, including grading coursework, checking his emails and other course-related tasks.

Carol Traynor, Valencia senior director of public relations, said in a statement Wednesday that Tobia had been placed on paid administrative while the college reviewed the allegations.

"As of yesterday, Mr. Tobia is on administrative leave with pay while we continue to review the situation," Traynor said. He would not be teaching classes while the leave is in effect, she said. Classes start Monday.

Tobia provided a portion of his notice of leave from the college to FLORIDA TODAY, which noted that the action was temporary and "not considered disciplinary in nature."

"I appreciate Valencia College's commitment to educational integrity and trust that once the College investigates the exact same information that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the office of two State Attorneys, the results will be identical," Tobia said in a statement.

According to an FDLE report, Tobia's chief of staff told investigators she would log into Tobia's Valencia email account, helping him grade papers, set-up classes and other "follow-up issues."

"I have on occasion, if he was on a trip and he didn't have good service, he'd ask me to log into his Valencia email. If there was something important that he knew he needed to follow up on, he would ask me to check what that was, and I have assisted him in grading his papers," she said.

A legislative aide in Tobia's office said he also had helped his boss with some course-related work, including once uploading a class syllabus and helping him to cross-reference grades.

Tobia said his staffers had on occasion helped him enter grades into Valencia's online grading system, but said he had assigned all grades for his courses and no protected student information had been exposed.

Eric Rogers is a watchdog reporter for FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Rogers at 321-242-3717 or [email protected].