Over the last few years, online education has dramatically grown in popularity. An increasing number of universities now offer online degrees and more programs have arisen for students of all ages and levels to learn from home. While these offerings are certainly nice-to-have, they go much further than this.

It is flexible and convenient

 One of the biggest reasons that online education is so important is its flexibility, something which also makes it highly convenient. Because of its online nature, you can learn online from anywhere you want at any time. This lets nearly anyone fit it into their schedule. The flexibility of online learning also extends to the ability to set your own pace, at least in many cases.

 It can be highly affordable

 Depending on the type of learning that you are in search of, online education can frequently be more affordable than traditional in-person options. This is particularly true with higher education, where universities charge more for in-person classes than online ones. There is also a similar pricing difference, but with proportionally smaller figures, for online classes for students still in primary or secondary school.

In addition to the up-front cost associated with the course itself, there are other factors that make online learning more affordable. To begin with, there is no need to commute. There are also no uniform fees, fees for field trips, or other in-person costs.

 It can help all ages

 One of the great things about online education is that it can be useful for students of all ages. There are various courses geared towards all age levels, so you are not limited in your options. Children can easily find programs that hone their skills in a range of subjects, such as math.

It makes education more accessible

Overall, online education tends to make learning more accessible. The lower cost associated with learning online means that it is easier to afford. As an example, this may make it possible to give your child extra tutoring in math despite not being able to afford in-person tutoring. The other way in which online education makes learning more accessible is by overcoming physical constraints like class sizes. Many programs are designed to include mostly independent work, so they can easily scale up to accommodate many more students than an in-person class could.

Of course, there is the caveat of internet connectivity. To learn online, students need a computer or tablet and an internet connection. This can worsen the class divide in some cases but offering both online and in-person options helps to overcome this.

It delivers quicker feedback

In a traditional classroom, students have to wait to receive feedback on their work. In many cases, this is not the case, at least to as large of a degree, with online education. Some of that comes from online education programs that can automatically check answers and provide feedback.

Another aspect of this is the fact that when teachers do not see students regularly, it is harder for them to keep an eye on their progress. To overcome this, most online learning programs include more frequent assessments than traditional classes.

This faster feedback is particularly important because it helps to ensure that students learn concepts as early as possible. It also helps prevent them from accidentally turning mistakes into habits.

It can be more engaging

Depending on the course, online education can actually be more engaging than learning in a classroom. A study at California State University’s San Bernadino location found that online learners were less intimidated to participate and had higher-quality interactions with their professors than students who learned in-person.

While this study focused on university students, it seems to apply to all ages. Younger children find it easy to engage with well-thought-out online education programs, especially if they incorporate gamification.

It can improve retention

 In addition to all the other advantages, the Research Institute of America found that e-learning improves retention rates by as much as 25 to 60 per cent. This is compared to the retention rates of just 8 to 10 per cent from traditional learning. Much of this is associated with the engagement and control over online education.