ONLINE STUDIES – INTERACTIVE, DYNAMIC, MODERN

26.01.2022

Someone has asked me recently – What are these webinars? Indeed, the concept is not very common yet, but it is dynamically gaining in popularity. Webinars are the basis of online studies that play an increasingly important role in modern education.

– Webinars are live web sessions, during which the lecturer conducts classes with students using a webcam, supporting them with a presentation displayed to them – explains Konrad Chmielewski, the director of Online Studies at the Vistula Group Universities. Students can ask questions and also communicate with each other via chat. And if they wish, they can also participate in classes at theUuniversity premises together with full-time students.

Webinars are the basic tool used in online studies. All educational materials are located on a modern internet platform. They are archived and can be accessed multiple times. Students decide for themselves when to listen to lectures and read the materials.

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This form of studies was quite unthinkable even not so long ago, but the world is changing and, thanks to the latest ICT technologies, education is changing as well. In the age of the Internet, knowledge does not have to be delivered in person, it can be done online. All you need is access to the network. The content can be downloaded from a mobile phone and tasks can be done on an iPad. That’s the development direction of higher education worldwide.

Vistula University, the most internationalized university in Poland, meets these trends. It offers online Bachelor’s degree studies in Economics, as well as both Bachelor’s and Master’s degree studies in Management, Finance and Accounting, and International Relations. According to the Polish law, up to 50% of classes at universities may be held remotely.

Recruitment for mobile studies at the Vistula Group of Universities is growing by about 15% every year, says director Chmielewski.

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Recruitment for mobile studies at the Vistula Group of Universities is growing by about 15% every year, says director Chmielewski.

ONLINE STUDIES – WORLDWIDE TREND

Online studies are a natural trend in education. This form of studies is a response to the current challenges faced by higher education, such as supporting innovation and following social expectations.

Online studies mean:

• Availability;

• Mobility;

• Flexibility.

Higher education has never before been so accessible as today thanks to the Internet and this is good for everyone. As the OECD report shows, higher education graduates benefit enormously from their studies – their employment rate is 10 percent higher and, on average, earnings are 56 percent higher than for those who left high school. The state also benefits, as higher earnings of graduates translates into higher state budget’s income from taxes.

Online Studies fit any lifestyle. They allow students to learn whenever and wherever they like. They create development opportunities for those who, for various reasons, cannot take any other form of education, e.g., parents raising small children or people with disabilities, as well as those who travel a lot, live abroad or far from a big city.

It is also the best choice for people who busy professionals gaining experience as they live in constant rush and are always short of time. In the past, such barriers were difficult to overcome but today, thanks to online studies, it is much easier.

Online studies also bring benefits to universities which can broaden their study offer thus reaching even a wider group of people.

STUDIES VIA THE INTERNET – IT ALL STARTED IN THE USA

The offer of mobile studies is growing. Internet study programs are offered by a rising number of universities and groups of universities. Technology is becoming more and more available and common. Therefore, there is an increasing interest in this mode of study on the part of both learners and institutions.

Americans are pioneers in Online Education. Initially, universities in the USA launched online courses to meet the demand of working professionals who wanted to continue their education while working. Once the initial experiments succeeded, universities began to develop this type of courses. The two renowned universities, Harvard University and MIT, created edX platform, which now offers 1,900 high-quality courses, programs and studies in the humanities, mathematics and information science. Both Bachelor’s and Master’s online study programs are offered, among others by: Boston University, University of California Berkeley, Georgia Tech, University of Colorado, Walden University, and Washington State University.

Europe followed the USA. Nowadays, you can study online, among others at the universities of Utrecht and Uppsala, Nottingham Trent University, Wismar University Wings, Wageningen University, The Open University UK, University of Liverpool and University of Roehampton.

ONLINE STUDIES – STUDY PROGRAM, REQUIREMENTS, DIPLOMA

Online Studies are a trend that also has its opponents. They question the quality of education or point out that this teaching mode lacks traditional, personal master-student relationships. Supporters reply that these are interactive studies, and the curriculum and requirements are the same as for part-time studies. Students can organize their time freely, but the dates of conventions, full-time classes, credits and exams are obligatory for everyone. The documentation from the studies, as well as the diploma, contains only information that the person completed part-time studies.

Mobile studies teach independence but require focus and motivation. There are people who start learning too late and finally fail to learn the material. Even minimum of systematic work is a key here – as Konrad Chmielewski, the head of online studies at Vistula University points out. – The study curriculum has been organized in such a way that knowledge is transferred in smaller, easier to learn portions – he adds. – Every two weeks, a single presentation of given subjects is uploaded to the platform. It is in line with the latest trends in e-learning, it is interactive, has a unique graphics, a recorded lector. It comprehensively addresses a given topic – explains Konrad Chmielewski. In effect, systematic learning is easier for students, although, naturally, we cannot make people log on to the platform if they do not want to do so.

Opponents of online studies criticize them saying that they the lack the elements related to everyday campus life such as cultural events, games or activities. Proponents, on the other hand, say it is a small price to pay for the high-quality of education that would otherwise be out of reach.

Online studies are the path to a truly globalized world of education. In a survey conducted in 2017, 100% of Vistula University students declared that they would recommend online studies to their friends.

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