Aspen University in Denver, Colorado, was the first university to offer a full-time online MBA in 1987. Since that time, we have come a long way. Now every major university offers an online MBA program, from NMIMS to IMT, D.Y. Patil to Amity University, and the list goes on. One of the major reasons for the rising popularity of online MBAs is the pandemic. When schools and colleges are closed, it forces us to adopt new technology to attend classes from home.

According to a study, the pandemic boosted online MBA programs, reportedly showing 84% growth in 2020. However, after the pandemic, people are still in favor of online learning as it provides flexibility and is more affordable compared to traditional education. Since then, the popularity of online education has skyrocketed. One of the main reasons is that working professionals and housewives, who don’t have time to attend a full-time MBA, compromising their jobs and commitment, are now more inclined towards continuing their education with the help of online education.

Dated back to 1987, when the world’s first MBA was offered by Aspen University in Denver, Colorado. Since then, we have come a long way. Now every major university offers online MBA courses in order to be relevant in this modern digital landscape. As the years pass, technology becomes more advanced, and people become more proficient at using the internet. With all these changes, students are now more inclined towards digital learning options.

According to a study, the pandemic boosted online MBA programs, reportedly showing 84% growth in 2020. Since then, the rise of online MBAs has never declined. This rise in demand shows the interest of students in online education formats. One of the major reasons is that many managers want to pursue their MBA degree but are short on time, so they opt for online MBA programmes without breaking their career momentum.

In this blog, we will be discussing the impact of online education, specifically the online MBA, on higher education.

Impact of Online Education On Higher Education.

Online education has significantly impacted higher education in numerous ways, One of the major impacts is that it has changed the way higher education is delivered. The following are some of the major ways in which online education has impacted higher education:

1. Competitive Landscape

In every landscape, competition is important to reach new heights of growth, and in the case of the education sector, online education has made the environment more competitive, not only for students but also for institutes trying to compete in this ever-changing environment. In this competitive landscape, online MBAs are in direct competition with traditional MBAs, forcing them to push their limits and innovate to attract students. This competitive landscape is more beneficial for students, as both online and traditional MBA programmes focus on improving their quality of education for their survival.

2. Hybrid Models

Institutes are putting their efforts into being relevant in this ever-changing environment. In this digital landscape, many students are looking for online MBAs, but the number of students looking for traditional MBAs is not small either. To cater to both audiences, MBA institutes are introducing hybrid learning models. To safeguard their existence, many institutes are adopting hybrid models, trying to cater to a wide range of students. In this hybrid model, they provide some physical as well as some online components in their online MBA programmes to maintain their physical and online presence. This hybrid model is the best choice for students looking for flexibility as well as some campus life.

3. Global Reach

A decade ago, if someone wanted global exposure, the only way to get it was to go abroad for their education or find a job in the international market. But now time has changed, as the integration of technology in learning opens up a new world of opportunity, with online education erasing all physical boundaries and making it easy to collaborate with international students and institutes. Furthermore, online education attracts a wide range of students across the globe, giving them a diverse learning environment where they can interact with their peers and instructors. This interaction and networking can be valuable in your professional career and also help you advance in your workplace.

4. Adaptive Pedagogy

Every day we read news, articles, and blogs about how our Indian education system is broken, lacks practical knowledge, the curriculum is outdated, and many more things, but after the insurgency of online education, things are changing slowly and steadily.

Online education has a major impact on the pedagogy offered by institutes. It forces educators to rethink their pedagogical approaches. After the rise of online education, there is now more room for innovation and adaptiveness. Now, institutes are more focused on offering practical, hands-on learning and adopting the trends of industry to make students more employable.

5. Efficiency in learning

Online learning has definitely impacted the efficiency of learning, now there is no need to travel to college to attend lectures, making it a more accessible and affordable way of getting an education. In traditional learning, every student is forced to learn at the same pace, making it difficult for some students to get the most out of it, but with online education, students can learn at their own pace, boosting the learning outcomes significantly.

6. Encourage continuous and lifelong learning

Before the rise of online education, there was no way for working professionals to continue their learning journey, as traditional education required them to dedicate full time and commitment. But with online education, you can continue your lifelong learning without compromising your job. With the flexibility offered by online education, you can resume your learning journey, no matter who you are, a working professional, or a housewife who wants to continue her learning journey, online education has got you covered.

Conclusion

The rise of online education changing the way we get higher education, and not only that, but it also helps students get more out of their degree and empowers them with industry-ready skills through its up-to-date curriculum and practical learning. with its flexibility and affordability, it provides an opportunity to learn while working, which helps working professionals advance in their careers. Compared to traditional education, online education is far new to the world, and its impact will be likely to grow as time passes.