DUBAI 26 October 2022: The promise of online education was one of the key ideas that drove the early development of the internet.
Being able to find access to all of humanity’s collective knowledge from the comfort of your own home, held too much potential to ignore, and yet this revelation would only mark the first step.
Moving from mere info dumps to more involved courses, the history of online learning is already a long one. And, with new standards of mobile integration, the next few years will hold even more potential.
Higher Learning
Access to the first official college-level forms of education was made possible long before the launch of the World Wide Web. The earliest example came from the University of Phoenix, which opened its first online courses for bachelor’s and master’s degrees in 1989.
This was followed in 1996 by the first full web-based college, Jones International University.
“Online education concept” (CC BY 2.0) by wuestenigel
The effect of these higher-learning institutions going online was profound, yet still overlooked for just how much it made possible for those unable to travel.
Within just a few decades, it was viable to earn valued degrees from anywhere with an internet connection, and this was just the beginning.
Enter the Mobile World
Though mobiles of the late ’90s and early 2000s could often go online, limitations of the hardware meant potential was limited.
These limits would be shattered when the iPhone popularized the smartphone with its launch in 2007. Combined with evolving wireless infrastructure, smartphones would raise the possibilities of home internet to new heights, both in terms of learning new things and putting them into practice.
A more casual example of this concept in action could be found with game guides for classic titles like blackjack. These guides go over historical information, rules, etiquette, strategy, variations, and anything else the player needs to know.
Since they’re available online and modified for smartphone layout, users can quickly absorb all the information they need, whenever they need it. Since this is the type of game a person might be expected to pick up suddenly, systems like this are indispensable.
Tying into this learning experience are dedicated apps. Language learning apps are a particularly powerful illustration of how far these systems have come in the last decade. Since language is so inherently interactive, these interactive apps help users memorize complex phrases and ideas in a way that’s much more difficult if performed by text memorization alone.
Finally, mobiles can help merge all types of learning by allowing users to put practice into action. Whether looking over professional data, practicing games, or communicating with users in other languages, access on the go opens doors that would otherwise be inaccessible.
“Duolingo App” (CC BY 2.0) by ajay_suresh
With new generations of connections and devices, the modern age has shattered the limitations of early mobile technology.
Today, the landscape of education, training, and skill acquisition has been completely reformed, and we’re still in the early days.
If you haven’t already, consider checking the possibilities you might be able to engage in, even if you have just a small amount of downtime to spare.
This part of the learning landscape will only grow, and it could be best to prepare for what’s soon to come.
