Will Online Learning Be Permanent? — Banyan Global Learning

The short answer is yes, online learning will be permanent. The real question is how advances in technology will shift our ideas about education. Remote or online learning, also known as distance learning, isn't a new concept.

How has Distance Learning Grown into Online Learning?

Distance learning has existed in some form since correspondence courses by mail sprang up in 1728. With the advent of the internet, the industry saw a huge influx of asynchronous and live, synchronous learning, the kind that Banyan Global Learning specializes in. Of course, with the pandemic, the great majority of education started happening at a distance.

Much of that learning left much to be desired. Teachers were thrust into using unfamiliar tools to teach via a medium with which most had zero hours of experience. Because of the immediacy of the need to transition, the great majority of schools offered little teacher training. Rather schools depended on a workforce of teachers to “just figure it out.” Some—especially digital natives—flourished. Most did not.

The fall of 2020 was the first real test of whether or not schools can adjust to providing quality distance learning experiences. However, trial by fire is now a thing of the past. Every quarter, there are new innovations in the world of online learning. Schools have had more time to figure out a good plan, train teachers, and adjust the curriculum.

Schools' marked improvement in the past few years has helped online learning companies brand themselves and offer more intuitive solutions for virtual learning. As demand for these services increased post-pandemic, online learning tools rose in quality.

Though many educators became experts in online learning during the pandemic, the return to the classroom was a welcome one. In the future, in-person and online learning will blend in new and exciting ways.

The Future of Online Learning

The online learning industry existed before the pandemic and will exist after, only increasing in prominence due to the widespread use of technology.

Another trend that supported the industry pre-pandemic and will only increase post-pandemic is that of homeschooling. Parents have become increasingly disenchanted with a public education system that has been systematically defunded for decades.

Additionally, some learners thrived during the pandemic – including but not limited to introverts, digital natives, and students lucky enough to engage with seasoned distance learning professionals – and it is safe to assume that distance learning will remain an important piece of the educational landscape even after in-person learning resumes.

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