In today’s world, education plays an essential role in shaping our future and ensuring that everyone gets an equal opportunity to learn. Sadly, not everyone gets access to quality education, as geography and financial constraints are often major barriers.

Fortunately, technology has paved the way for democratizing learning through online learning platforms. Online learning platforms offer high-quality education to learners worldwide, independent of time, location, and financial ability. In this blog post, we’ll be discussing how online learning platforms can democratize learning and provide equal opportunities for learners worldwide.

Contents

The benefits of online learning platforms

High quality, low cost

Online learning platforms today have become affordable and high-quality, making them a great alternative to traditional learning. Online learning courses can be created and maintained at a lower cost than other methods – especially compared to classroom learning with a teacher. This lower cost of operations allows online learning platforms to offer high-quality education at a fraction of the price. Students can benefit from obtaining a degree without the financial burden that often comes with in-person classes. This removes financial barriers, which plays a huge role in democratizing education.

Using tech engagement hooks to further learning

Furthermore, online learning platforms provide tutor-like experiences to learners through gamification and retention-focused features. Duolingo‘s gamification methodology is a great example of how these features can engage and motivate learners. As learners study more, whether it’s in a classroom setting or as they use learning software, they learn more – so keeping the experience engaging is paramount to student success. Online learning platform features also encourage learners to keep coming back for more, taking tech ‘retention’ methods and using them for good. These platforms keep learners engaged over longer periods than offline methods, and their ability to learn at their own pace gives them control over their learning that improves actualization.

How online learning platforms democratize education

Online learning platforms democratize education worldwide by providing access to high-quality education for learners of all backgrounds. Millions of students worldwide have already taken advantage of online learning, and billions have the opportunity to do so. Top-tier universities such as Harvard and MIT OpenCourseWare deliver courses online for free, further democratizing education through online learning platforms. Khan Academy provides free courses and videos on a wide range of topics for students of all ages.

Achievable, an online test preparation company, is another example of a company that is democratizing education through its platform. They offer guided and personalized test prep courses for high stakes exams like the ACT, GRE, and FINRA exams. These courses are often a barrier between students and a job, college, or promotion – and existing test prep doesn’t leverage technology to improve outcomes. Achievable does so by leveraging AI and machine learning to adapt the course material to the individual student, dramatically improving memory retention and learning outcomes. To further their mission of democratizing education, Achievable recently launched the Achievable for All program, which provides low-cost or even free preparation for these exams to nonprofit and student groups serving underprivileged communities. This program removes barriers for students who often can’t afford the high cost of test preparation, democratizing education for the neediest students.

Conclusion

Online learning platforms offer high-quality education that is accessible to all learners worldwide. The use of technology helps to democratize and remove barriers to education, making it possible for learners to achieve their goals independently of their circumstances. As we continue to move towards a digitalized world, accessibility in education is crucial, and online learning platforms are leading the way.