For better or worse, digital technologies are changing almost every aspect of life. Whether it comes to the way people communicate or how businesses provide their services, the world is undeniably moving online.
GWI found that the typical internet user spends around 7 hours a day using the internet, a number which has steadily risen over the last years. Digitalization has become so commonplace that we often fail to notice the digital transformations that are occurring all around us.
The same goes for the world of education. While in the past education had been one of the fields most resistant to change, thanks to the recent growth of digital teaching platforms and technologies, it has also begun to experience radical shifts.
Particularly within business schools, a myriad of IT tools and approaches have been introduced, creating more engaging and personalized learning experiences, while also bringing new challenges that are worth considering. Read on to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of digital education in business schools.
Ease of access and affordability
Business school is not always possible for everyone. Whether it’s due to physical restrictions or time limitations, many people are not able to realistically pursue this type of education. However, with online learning, students can follow their business dreams with a much higher degree of flexibility than ever before.
MBA programs are also known for their substantial financial costs, which is a further limitation for many potential students. When having these courses online, many additional costs such as transportation, textbooks, and food, are avoided.
Many of the best business schools have introduced online MBA programs, a trend that is expected to continue growing rapidly over the next few years.
Combining work with studying
Distance learning makes it much easier for students to continue their employment alongside their MBA program. With the flexibility of taking classes over weekends or late at night, full-time workers can enroll in a business school without putting their careers on hold.
Websites such as Coursera, a digital education platform that enables students to enroll in degrees from the best business schools, allows you to take classes at your own pace and availability.
More dynamic and personalized learning
There are a high variety of new online tools that can be combined to provide a more rich and immersive learning experience. Many provide instant feedback where both teacher and student can track learning more effectively and determine what kind of teaching methods work best with different students.
With digital education being more individualized, it’s much easier to personalize the content of the courses according to the preferences of different students.
No campus experience
Not all the knowledge you obtain at business school comes from your teachers or happens in the classroom. In fact, business students get some of their most valuable learnings and experiences come from their classmates and the general campus experience.
With the spread of digital education, it’s much harder to get involved in key aspects of campus life, such as student clubs or social activities.
Less networking
Another crucial value that comes from studying at a business school, is the chance to network with like-minded individuals. Oftentimes, the professional network students make at this type of institution is the most important vehicle to finding a job after their studies.
Although taking courses on a digital education platform can be greatly rewarding, it simply doesn’t allow the same opportunities for networking and connecting with other students.
Fewer course selection
Although the internet affords a wide array of possibilities for its users, there are still some things that can’t be learned online. Courses in which hands-on learning is required, such as engineering or chemistry, are not as suitable to be brought online.
Nevertheless, with advances in virtual reality and other similar technologies, these types of courses will become increasingly available in the digital world.
