Learning around the globe was already becoming more digitalized before recent challenges. The pandemic sped up this evolution and has ensured that digital learning models will dominate education in the coming decades. In-person learning is not going completely away, but it is already merging with distance learning in many countries, creating a hybrid model that will ideally deliver the best of both worlds in the short term. Of course, students will also be able to complete degrees and/or learn new work skills solely through instruction coordinated through online program management (OPM). These learning models will enhance lifetime learning, something that adults will need during their long work careers.
Global Distance Learning
Distance learning makes advanced education accessible to anyone with a computer and a good internet connection. OPM providers work with educational institutions to deliver course packages that offer learners quality instruction in an easily accessible way.
Edtech can reach a huge percentage of the global population. Anyone with a smartphone or other digital device can find multiple ways to communicate with instructors and classmates. Groups can watch lectures together and discuss the material online while scattered around the globe. The possibilities are endless.
Currently, the US is a leader in distance learning, with a six billion dollar industry. Germany is the leader of e-learning in the European Union. Other countries with a significant online learning presence include China, India, South Korea and the United Kingdom.
With these digital enhancements, universal post-secondary education is possible, and educational differences between countries may fade. Imagine, if you will, universal instead of national degrees and certifications.
Global Lifelong Learning
The constant evolution of the workplace means that worker education must be ongoing. Some traditional jobs are becoming obsolete because of sophisticated technology. Robots assemble products, commerce has moved online and education has morphed as well. The average worker now changes jobs multiple times during their lives. In the US, older workers may do so up to 12 times, largely due to changing job duties.
Employers will need workers who can learn new skills and adapt to constant change. Some experts think that those with strong STEM backgrounds will be needed the most. Others believe a liberal arts education gives students the intellectual dexterity that they will need to learn new skills. All workers will need to be adaptable.
Increased longevity also makes lifelong learning essential. In many countries, the lifespan continues to expand, meaning that some workers will not be retiring in their 60s or even 70s. They will also be learning new skills to stay in the workplace for these additional years.
New Consumption Patterns in Education
The COVID-19 pandemic simply sped up new consumption patterns in education. Colleges and universities are suffering from huge budgetary issues due to the virus. Many students delayed beginning college or turned to online options. And unlike other national economic downturns, this one is not likely to increase college admissions. It is driving an increase in online learning, however.
Online learning has become a driving force for education including certification programs because it can unite students and instructors in a convenient and cost-effective manner. Experts believe that this form of learning and other alternatives to the traditional model will dominate in the coming years.
Final Thoughts
International learning models are in flux with a heavy emphasis on edtech and expanded post-secondary reach. The idea that students must be young and working toward a degree is already outdated. The “traditional college student” profile no longer works.
The education community’s reaction to the pandemic signaled future trends. It may move away from the digitalized enhancement of traditional education and toward a completely digitalized experience. The physical classroom may become completely optional, at least for post-secondary education.
The world’s citizens will need to embrace lifelong learning to stay productive in the workplace. They will not be limited to in-person classes or even classes in their country. A global digital model is already being built that will weaken national educational divisions and allow people to pursue different versions of post-secondary education. These changes make lifelong learning the norm and not the exception.
