Not going to school, Mom. I have the Internet.

It’d be great if we could learn everything that we ever wanted just from surfing through the Internet. Well, now we have that option.

E-learning has been becoming more and more popular in educational institutes in this past decade than it ever has before. And the reasons are simple; they’re more approachable, have easier accessibility, can be taken from anywhere in the world, and in some cases they don’t require a timely schedule.

Taking classes online isn’t new to us. But what’s interesting to know is why we take them. And how does it all affect the educational landscape that precedes all that of today’s standards?

Some of us may not have the luxury to go out every day to meet inside a traditional classroom environment, but we still want to further our academic career. Having a computer at home means you can practically take a course, even one required for a degree, without the need to leave your home.

There are a few learning management systems made available to institutes that provide an online environment for education. Yuba College uses Blackboard, which some of you may be acquainted with. Blackboard makes use of a message board system similar to a forum. Students and teachers can create and respond to messages through postings. And while this is a well-designed way of learning, it may not be the most ideal. Our department of e-learning and distributive education are currently looking into upgrading Blackboard or changing to a new service. We may see changes coming as soon as the next academic year.

Blackboard is a system that utilizes the utmost interaction between teachers and students. There are message boards, mailboxes, and even a calendar to help you keep current events available and view deadline dates. Taking exams is like taking a multiple answer test, with essay questions giving you an input box to write in. It’s that simple.

Online learning has become so streamlined that even corporations are taking advantage of it. Employees can be trained through online courses and what’s also good about this is that whatever barrier that came between them and their employers are diminishing. Meaning, learning to do a job is becoming easier, and communication along with it.

This is no time to be skeptical, though. Yes, some views on online learning may have adopted the misconception that it is just another means of slacking off, which can be true to an extent. But let us understand why e-learning was developed in the first place. Not everyone has the physical capability to attend a classroom. And not everyone these days will have the time.

Of course, there are some disadvantages to online learning. What if you don’t have fast-speed Internet? What if the servers go down? What if written words aren’t clear to understand? Many professors are even concern that traditional classrooms will go away. These are common questions that people often ask before taking a class online. And they are legitimate questions because they raise awareness for companies to improve their software. After all, we deserve the best when it comes to our education.

So whether or not you believe the future of a classroom is to be in front of a computer, there is very little doubt that this revolution is making success. With over 5 million college students taking at least one course online, it can only keep going up from here on out.