GetSmarter transforms online education

Changing the world
Distance learning has been around for as long as technology has permitted it, and has evolved alongside it. From the early days of horse-drawn mail wagons, to telephonic correspondence and email of today, people have tried to educate themselves at a distance from their teachers. Many have failed, or struggled. Even in the networked, web-based world of today, typical distance learning is an unsatisfactory process that involves loneliness, procrastination and reduced satisfaction.

GetSmarter is on a mission to change that. It is seeking to reinvent the tired concept of correspondence learning by creating a new breed of online education that is fun, easy to access, full of interaction and support, and immensely varied and fulfilling. Quite simply, GetSmarter is transforming the way online education is done.

Origins
GetSmarter was started in 2008 to address the needs of working professionals who wanted to further their education but didn’t have the time, money or inclination to take on an attendance-based or traditional correspondence course. GetSmarter works with top universities and well-known industry experts to ensure that the courses have university-level quality, scope and recognition. Along with its sister organisation, Paddocks – which provides industry-leading sectional title training – GetSmarter developed an online learning model that brings together the best of both face-to-face education and distance learning.

The physical classroom
Imagine a physical classroom. A teacher presents the material for the course in front of the class, using visual aids like a chalkboard to express abstract concepts. Students work from a textbook and formulate their own notes. The can raise their hands to ask questions, which the teacher answers, sometimes with help from the student’s peers; conversely, the teacher can open a topic up for debate.

Sometimes, the students are given exercises to perform alone or in groups, or there is a spot quiz in class. Most days, there is homework. The lessons are structured and the assignments have deadlines. If it turns out that a student is struggling, she is given extra attention and support; if she is excelling, she can be challenged with more complex tasks. At the end of the semester, the student’s assignment and participation marks are added together, and the final grade is released.

The correspondence experience
There is very little in the traditional correspondence learning model that emulates this holistic process. Most correspondence courses work very differently. The student registers for the course and receives the mailed package containing the necessary forms and notes. She uses her own initiative to drive her learning, and must assess her own performance as best she can. Though she may be assigned a supervisor, he is difficult to contact and unhelpful. Her only point of reference is the final exam, which, in many cases, she must travel to. Otherwise, she is on her own. Gone are the personal contact and interaction, the structure, the waypoints, the measurable learning. Gone also is the process of discovery and growth; it is extremely difficult to appreciate one’s progress in a vacuum. It is no wonder that correspondence learning has become stigmatised. By all accounts, only 25% of students complete the correspondence courses they sign up (and pay) for.

GetSmarter is different
The experience through GetSmarter is different – it is nothing like the traditional “correspondence learning” structure. Think again about the physical classroom, and consider how GetSmarter works. GetSmarter students work through weekly modules over eight to ten weeks. Each week’s work consists of downloadable notes, supplemented with video lectures by the course conveners. The students can ask questions on the course forums, which are answered by the convener or by their peers; the convener can also pose problems and debates for the students to work through.

Each week, the students can work though a combination of practical exercises, quizzes and learning games – all designed to measure learning outcomes and highlight areas to work on. The modules have a progress structure that students are encouraged to follow. Those who are struggling can be coached by the convener or by fellow students; those who are leaping ahead can delve into additional materials and readings. By the end of the course, students have submitted an array of assignments, and their participation has been measures, resulting in the final mark.

It is clear right away that GetSmarter’s model closely parallels the interactive classroom learning model. And in many ways, the GetSmarter model is superior to the traditional classroom. For one, it involves no travel or strict scheduling – students can work when and where they like, and can ask questions at their convenience. In return, conveners can formulate their responses more carefully, and can take the time to source useful resources. It is also often cheaper – no travel, no printing or material costs, lower tuition fees because the convener can work in a place and time that suits him.

Using this online model, the convener can easily provide personalised support to several hundred students; a physical classroom setup is much more limited. The students can work at their own pace during the week-long module – early starters can finish their coursework right away, while slow-and-steadies can digest the material over a longer time. On the other hand, there is enough structure within the modules (a suggested progression path) and the course as a whole (weekly modules and assignments) to keep students focused and on track. In many ways, the experience is more direct and personal than a classroom, where many students compete at once for the teacher’s attention.

Universities are changing
Universities around the world are waking up to the possibilities of online education. Already, in Europe and the US, classes can be run entirely online: video and audio feeds of the lectures, online course portals that contain all the necessary reading and reference materials and self-marking assignments and quizzes are common. Some universities, like the University of California, Berkeley, make their course materials available for free to the general public as a way of promoting and spreading learning. University-level correspondence courses are already offered by institutions such as the Open University, but they could be made better.

Sam Paddock, the co-managing director of GetSmarter, says that universities are going to change fundamentally in the next ten years. “Universities will be completely transformed in the next decade. The internet is going to play a huge role in education,” Paddock says. “Universities need to cater for professionals who are going to change careers several times in their lifetimes. The online space makes lifelong learning possible – and easy.” GetSmarter’s partner institutions, the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University, have recognised this shift and are exploring the online space through several courses.

Perceptions are shifting
In South Africa, the perceptions of online education are shifting. The Services SETA had always refused outright to accredit institutions that offered purely web-based learning – the dropout rates were too high, the learning outcomes too uncertain, the quality too low. But, after many months of deliberation, it has allowed GetSmarter to submit an application to become accredited – the first time it has granted such permission in its history. Why did it reconsider? GetSmarter’s learning model is highly structured, the learning progress is monitored and assured, and the practical outcomes – skills learned, knowledge gained – are reflected in the students’ workplaces. Although its courses are run entirely online, GetSmarter doesn’t abandon any part of the learning experience – it makes the process richer, easier and more rewarding than any correspondence course that came before.

Welcome to the future of online education.

If you’d like to find out more about GetSmarter or any of its courses, please visit www.getsmarter.co.za.