Online Learning – What turns students on and what turns them away?
Online education has significantly expanded globally, thanks in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, which made training providers switch from in-person classes to online ones. Many students, especially those juggling work and studies, find online learning more convenient and accessible than traditional classroom learning.
In fact, recent studies conducted by McKinsey reveal that a majority of higher education students express a desire to integrate elements of online learning into their educational experience. McKinsey surveyed more than 7,000 students in 17 countries to find out which elements of online higher education they value most and what impeded them from opting for fully online programs.
Read the full report here - https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-sector/our-insights/what-do-higher-education-students-want-from-online-learning#/
We think much of the information collected and analysed by McKinsey applies to the VET sector so we reviewed our practices against the key data and here’s the results:
The 5 most important attributes Australian respondents seek in their virtual education and the way Blueprint addresses these attributes are:
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| ATTRIBUTES | HOW BLUEPRINT PROVIDES |
| 1 | Up-to-date content/faculty relevance | Trainers who stay connected to their industry networks and who are committed to professional development and currency. Contextualisation and customisation of quality learning resources that are updated regularly with the input of our industry networks. |
| 2 | Online program structure | Students are guided step-by-step through the entire learning process from start to finish, including: enrolment, booking into scheduled synchronous classes, homework club and support calls, using technology and accessing information. |
| 3 | Asynchronous classes | Availability of key content in recorded format or video animations. |
| 4 | Multiple multimedia resources | Axcelerate, curated website links, animations, immersive learning environments/virtual workplaces, YouTube, Facebook |
| 5 | Omnichannel (refers to a cross-channel approach to learning that optimizes support and engagement). | Our learning ecosystem incorporates the use of a sophisticated LMS, Zoom and Teams, YouTube, Facebook, Slack, Hubspot and Chat facility on our website, telephone and email.
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In Australia, the top 5 impediments for students opting for fully online programs are:
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| PERCEIVED IMPEDIMENT | HOW BLUEPRINT ADDRESSES |
| 1 | More easily bored with online programs | Expert trainers who are skilled at engaging students and helping them succeed. Range of multimedia learning resources, flexible support options and follow-ups from our student care team to encourage progress and completion. |
| 2 | Lack of opportunity to interact with other students | Small group synchronous classes (online and face-to-face), Homework Club, group projects and assessments. |
| 3 | Inadequate access to teachers | Quick trainer responses to student questions via telephone and email. Availability of unlimited 10 minute individual support calls, tutorials and Homework Club. |
| 4 | No community for learners | Dedicated social media pages for students to connect and share their victories. Professional development opportunities to enhance learning and create vocational training area communities. |
| 5 | Get distracted more easily | We optimize learning by ensuring our courses contain interesting and up-to-date content, delivered in engaging, multi-channel formats. Useful online study tips and guides are provided to help students set up their best learning environment and strategies to maintain focus. |
Essentially, as online learning becomes the “norm”, all quality education providers are finding innovative ways to meet student needs. 3 of the top 5 perceived impediments to online learning centre around personal contact and social engagement. Writing this blog inspired us to consider what else we can do to ensure that learners are able to communicate easily with other students as well as their trainers.
We’ve created a quick survey so you can tell us how we can best augment the online learning experience. Click here to participate and we thank you in advance for sharing your insights.