The world is always progressing around us. We see it in the way that our media changes, in the daily tools that we use, and especially in the world of education. This is no different for higher education, in our colleges and universities. Although there are plenty of things that tradition still dictates in these hallowed halls, and it seems that certain time-honored customs will never change, the truth is that every single university in the country is learning to evolve to suit our contemporary landscape.

Here are three major characteristics that higher education institutions are adapting to, and how online learning can help your child prepare now:

Self-motivated learning

One of the key differences in education today versus decades ago is that today, worlds of information are available at our fingertips at any given hour. The information-sharing superhighway of the internet means that anyone with Wifi can learn anything they want. This is an amazing thing for self-motivated learners, but it doesn’t eliminate the need for educational professionals and institutions. It takes a keen eye and an experienced navigator to cut through the noise and misinformation out there and instead learn accurate information in the proper order to achieve true understanding and a respectable knowledge base.

Access for everyone

Along the same vein, we must consider the way that learning at the feet of respected pillars in their field is no longer the exclusive privilege of the students who got into the most prestigious university. Now, lectures from the most renowned teachers and professionals are available through subscription, or simply free on YouTube.

However, even with this information available for everyone much of the time, the one-on-one customization that helps students to learn and thrive is harder to find than ever. That’s why it’s important for students to learn how to effectively interact with mentors and teachers remotely, and pinpoint those places that they most need help themselves. This is a major element of online learning, and one that we train our students to be fluent in.

Experiential learning

While book-learning, lectures, and instructional materials are more available than ever, experience and practical capabilities are becoming more and more of a rarity. This is a challenge that employers are puzzling out as they receive more and more entry-level employees with a lot of information, but little practice applying it. This is why universities are working on emphasizing their ability to give students hands-on, experiential learning opportunities.

While universities and colleges around the nation work to distinguish themselves by emphasizing these important skills, our students are already excelling in them. Online learning makes the most of modern technology to bring the best resources and tools to students’ fingertips, and enable them to navigate confidently in an increasingly digital world.