Implications of Online Learning on the American Education System

The American education system has not always been the best and has, for a long time,
been under immense criticisms due to various issues impacting the system. According to recent
statistics, Finland, Denmark, and South Korea have the best education systems in the world in
terms of educational outcomes. The United States ranks 14th on the list, testifying the worrying
state of the system and requires immediate intervention. One of the most prominent reasons
provided for the failing educational state is the use of outdated teaching strategies that have
failed to have a significant impact on modern students. Among the challenges also affecting the
system is the prevalence of online learning in the recent past. This assignment explores the
implications of online learning on the American educational system, highlighting the advantages
and demerits of the same.
Many concepts for the idea of online learning have been suggested due to its scope. E-
learning, to put it simply, is the process of creating and designing learning environments utilizing
information and computing technology and programs. E-learning, according to Elmarie
Engelbrecht, is a term that utilizes interactive platforms such as the Internet, CDs, cell phones,
and even television to offer remote teaching and learning. In a nutshell, E-learning is the process
of transmitting information and instruction through the usage of different electronic technologies,
and the term is best grasped as it is placed within a framework where technology is utilized to
satisfy people's need to learn and develop.

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The first instances of distance learning were first noticed in 1840 when Isaac Pitman
employed a shorthand method and mail to educate and communicate with students, and the word
E-learning is said to have first appeared in the educational sector in the mid-1990s. From the
factors discussed above, it can be concluded that the current form of online learning is a
progression of the initial concept of distance learning. E-learning, according to a more nuanced
and inclusive concept, is a method of education and learning that incorporates electronic tools
and mediums with the goal of fostering growth and improving education and training quality.
Online Learning in the US
Distance education has progressively developed in the United States over the last three
decades into what is now referred to as "online learning." The activity has passed through several
primary distribution mechanisms that represented the resources that were present at the time: the
mail system; television and radio; and digital technology (Kentnor, page 1.) In 1989, the
University of Phoenix went completely online with CompuServe (an early internet service), and
they have been using the Internet ever since. Programs such as NYU Online began to emerge in
1998, but none of the ones that came later endured (Gensler page 1). One primary source of
disappointment of online programs in the early days was the lack of “blended” (combined)
methods, which sought to provide the best of both online and face-to-to-face teaching. Both
synchronous and real-time and asynchronous resources are offered through blended and web and
media education systems, such as video conferencing and chat rooms.
E-learning has the potential to enrich the instructional experience due to its dynamic
characteristics and varied features. Teachers and students have an obligation to understand how
to implement e-learning teaching and learning to ensure that a significant impact is achieved on
teamwork. According to Tham and Werner, three main factors can be used to determine the

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effectiveness of E-learning: the institution—describes to instructors who understand how to
employ tools to improve learning, how to engage with learners and develop a conducive
environment for learning, and how to effectively get students together and keep their attention;
and students—who might feel alone due to the absence of a teacher (Seaman et al. pg 2).
In terms of online learning, empirical analyses of face-to-face and online learning have
shown that the latter is more successful in the educational setting (Lederman). Students were
able to incorporate knowledge as well as, or sometimes better than, students studying in a
conventional manner when E-learning was used, and online learning proved to be particularly
useful for quiet, easily frightened, and slow learners who typically lack the confidence to speak
up and articulate themselves in the classroom.
E-learning has grown in prominence in comparison to face-to-face schooling due to its
flexibility in terms of information and services consumption and providing education. Hence,
online learning is critical to the training phase since it has the capacity to improve its efficiency
while allowing for the personalization and adaptation of courses to the learners' needs (Seaman et
al.). Due to its versatility, E-learning reduces spatial and temporal barriers; it enables
collaboration; it enables students to study at their own pace; and it encourages learners to
connect with their classmates, explore, and share viewpoints and ideas (Seaman et al.). Other
reports highlight the advantages of online learning, including the fact that it is quicker, saves
time and resources due to the absence of travel, and the posted material is reliable and easily
modified. Additionally, Al-Dosari discovered that when students and teachers were asked about
their perceptions of E-learning, they identified convenience as the most important advantage,
followed by student concentration, versatility, and teamwork.

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To begin, college enrollment has been steadily declining in the United States, reaching 19
million in 2016 from 20.6 million in 2011 (Hildreth page 17), projected to reach a tipping point
in the late 2020s (Hoover). The causes for decreasing college admissions include the increased
prices of higher education, doubts about the additional advantage of postsecondary learning, a
drop in the rate of early college graduation, a reluctance to travel great distances, the rising cost
of transportation, a reluctance to accrue long-term loans, and social issues, like perceived
institutional inadequacy. Elite colleges are less prone to experience this phenomenon with falling
attendance (Lederman). Institutions in the Northeast are the most likely to face falling enrollment
numbers due to strong rivalry.
Apart from falling enrollments, there is the issue of changing student demographics.
According to research, the number of students over the age of 25 would rise. Hoover indicates
that the response requires innovative thinking, like uncovering educational services that draw
foreign students, introducing online or hybrid classes that minimize transport costs and student
commute time, and enhancing academic performance, particularly for students who work full
time.
Institutional considerations including a lack of knowledge of learning styles and online
pedagogy, a lack of institutional support for online education and promoting the curriculum, the
number of students participating, faculty credentials, tuition costs, and duration of the program
can all contribute to the program's failure (Kentnor, p 21). Additionally, Kentnor (21) examined
a range of institutional features associated with online programs and courses offered by AACSB-
accredited business schools. He identified challenges like possible reductions in educational
quality, elevated staff training costs, workforce reluctance, financial assistance constraints,
employer bias towards online degrees, inadequacy across all subjects/course content, higher cost

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of technological updates, curriculum finance charges and difficulties, potential reductions in
student/professor engagement, and insignificance of prior research (Kentnor 21).
Additionally, institutions must treat student interests seriously. Valid student issues
include feelings of alienation from classmates and instructors, concerns regarding learning
modern technologies and applications, the possibility of employers having a negative view of
online degrees, and the possibility of lower instructional content than courses offered in
conventional face-to-face classrooms (Kentnor, p 21). Graduates of online programs express
remorse about not doing further analysis into the curriculum to ensure it was a suitable choice for
them, as well as a lack of complete clarity regarding cost and financial assistance offered by the
university.
While there seems to be a market for additional educational services with global reach,
proper coordination and execution of best practices and creative solutions are needed for a
university to effectively integrate and/or extend online education considering the aforementioned
challenges. To successfully introduce an online program or initiate an online course, the
program/course must use advanced technologies in a manner that improves student learning
outside face-to-face classrooms, rather than watering down the content, promoting decreased
learning, delivering a substandard offering, and increasing student and faculty dissatisfaction
(Kentnor 21). Any online program or course can offer additional advantages (over and beyond
those provided by a conventional program or course) to its multiple stakeholders, including
teachers, staff, managers, and employees.
Online learning remains to be a vital instrument in the American educational system,
especially with the recent emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The restrictions placed against
socialization and the increased gathering of people have forced learning institutions to deviate to

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other alternative means of learning. Online learning has served as the most significant innovation
since that time and has resulted in numerous advantages. However, there is a greater need to
address the issues highlighted in the above sections to enhance the results that can be attained
through this technique.
One of the prominent challenges being faced by online learning is the lack of a governing
curriculum that can be utilized in teaching and learning. Hence, the various institutions offering
the service have embarked on various creative, independent ways of addressing the process. As a
result, an increased disparity has risen in the procedural activities applied in respective
institutions. A possible solution to this challenge would be to create a universal curriculum
meant for online learning in the country and assist in reducing the disparity. The governing body
of the educational system in the country can implement such a strategy and embark on a project
to progressively implement the program across the various learning institutions in the country.
Another challenge that has been exacerbated by online learning is the increased disparity
in students’ academic performance. This situation has been raised by the lack of effective
infrastructure in most institutions. Hence, the disadvantaged institutions are unable to provide the
same quality as more established institutions. Unlike online learning, the traditional methods of
learning ensured relative fairness in academic performance as the employed techniques were
readily available in all institutions. A possible solution to this is the increased investment in
technology in all learning institutions to ensure that all of them attain the required capacity to
support online learning. The government can have a huge influence on this by increasing the
education expense to cater to such objectives.
The research process has been quite difficult for me, especially because this is my first
time doing a research assignment. I am progressing slowly, but I am learning a lot about this new

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assignment. Doing the research is not the hard part for me, it is finding reliable sources. It is
difficult determining if the source is accurate or not. A source in the web does not make it
trustworthy. I still must make sure its scholarly approved, peer reviewed and check to see if the
source provides supporting ideas. We must see if the source is recent and finding the method and
methodology that suits my topic. Another issue for me is basically not understanding the
techniques for research correctly. Researching is where I am successful, it is the fun part of the
assignment for me. I am very curious to know more about the topic I am researching about. I use
the library database when looking for sources. The library database has been helpful for
researching. I used the Academic Search Complete database. I found a couple of articles and
journals about the topic I am researching but did not find enough information that I needed. It
was also confusing because most of them were not based in the US. So, I needed to find more
reliable sources. I have found other helpful sources like Gale, eBook Central, and Ebsco.

In conclusion, the educational system in the United States remains in a worrying state
despite all the interventions implemented. Online learning has particularly resulted in numerous
challenges for the educational system in the country. The most prominent problem has been the
lack of a universal curriculum to govern online classes. The application of the suggested
challenges may help in the alleviation of these challenges.

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Works Cited

Gensler, L. "From correspondence courses to MOOCs: The highlights of distance learning over
the ages." Forbes Magazine (2014).
Hildreth, Bob. "US colleges are facing a demographic and existential crisis." Huffington
Post 6.26 (2017): 17.
Hoover, Eric. "Demographic changes as destiny in college admissions? It’s complicated." The
Chronicle of Higher Education 14 (2017): 2017.
Kentnor, Hope E. "Distance education and the evolution of online learning in the United States."
Curriculum and teaching dialogue 17.1 (2015): 21-34.
Lederman, Doug. "Who is studying online (and where)." Inside Higher Ed 5 (2018).
Seaman, Julia E., I. Elaine Allen, and Jeff Seaman. "Grade Increase: Tracking Distance
Education in the United States." Babson Survey Research Group (2018).

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