Importance of Online Teaching in 21st century

    While many educators are struggling with how to deliver a 21st-century education to students, a small but growing cadre of schools is using the Internet to bring high-quality, teacher-led online courses to students across the World. 

Introduction

 These online courses and schools bring educational opportunities and outcomes by providing options that are not available to all students, particularly students in rural and inner-city areas. Courses range from fully online, with the student and teacher geographically separate, to blended courses that combine distance and face-to-face learning. 

History  

    Distance education has been around since the 1950s. In 1993, the Internet made its debut as a secondary medium for educational purposes. When online learning was first developed, it focused on distance education and did not provide access to the computer networks of universities or other institutions. Today's online learners use a wide variety of technologies from handheld devices such as cellphones and digital cameras to laptops and desktop computers that are in constant communication with each other. Because of these trends, distance learning has evolved into blended learning models that combine best practices from both alternatives.

    Many students in today's workforce received a high-quality education with the help of a computer. But many others did not, largely because they live in areas that do not have the resources to develop high-quality online courses. This is particularly true of low-income and rural communities, where resources are scarce even for face-to-face classes, never mind virtual ones. Still, others cannot afford the cost of attending a four-year college but want to increase their career prospects by earning an associate degree or professional certificate.

Online Education    

    This is where online learning comes in. Online courses provide access to the rich resources of universities and other institutions that cannot be accessed by learners who live in areas where there are few if any, colleges and universities. In addition, distance education has been shown through experimental studies to have a major impact on student learning when compared to traditional face-to-face education. The emergence of affordable desktop computers has increased access, allowing students from all socioeconomic levels to participate in distance learning programs, regardless of geographic location.

 Conclusion   

    Furthermore, the Internet allows educators to use various tools that improve learning and increase instructional time, something that is often limited by face-to-face courses. Online courses offer a greater potential for interaction between teacher and student than face-to-face models. Online teachers have a longer time window in which to respond to students' writing, which can lead to higher conceptual understanding among students. Additionally, online courses offer a wide variety of course materials including multimedia content like online videos and podcasts.