Today’s world pivots around information and vast amounts of data generated at an exponential pace. Data science is core to the operations of many industries. It uses advanced analytics and scientific principles to sift through this data and find correlations or patterns that add value to companies at all levels.
Data science uses complex machine learning algorithms to construct predictive models and extract meaningful information. These analyses come from variegated sources and usually appear in different formats.
The insights created by data science can effectively increase productivity, highlight unexplored opportunities, and streamline marketing approaches, to name but a few. Therefore, data science can give a business an advantage in an ever-increasing global competitive climate.
Studying online for a master’s in data science
The reasons for obtaining an advanced degree in data science are self-evident. It is a qualification that opens doors to all spheres of industry, with numerous careers to choose from. However, the question some struggle with is not whether they should obtain a data science degree but if their studies should be online or campus-based.
Many associate the rise of digital education with the Covid-19 pandemic. However, online learning had already made waves and gained significant traction before the onset of the disease.
More than 25 years ago – before the world incorporated or was familiar with terms such as online learning – the New York Times ran an article that predicted the possible impacts and educational shifts of digitized schooling and higher learning. At the time, many scoffed at the mere notion of learning being possible through technological devices such as computers.
Today, this farfetched notion is an established reality and the top driver of higher education enrollments in the United States. Statistics show that before the coronavirus, 57% of all US students had digital tools such as internet-linked laptops.
Covid-19 undoubtedly showcased the possibilities and benefits of online learning by catapulting both primary, secondary, and tertiary education into the digital arena. By 2020, 98% of universities started presenting online classes, and the trend continued after the spread of the virus was curbed.
Benefits of online learning
In September 2021, Forbes interviewed the president of the Southern New Hampshire University, Paul LeBlanc. He highlighted the fact that most daily activities are integrated or overlap with some form of digitization. Some humans “live their lives online,” and soon, the distinction between offline and online education will fall away. Online learning benefits outweigh those of attending a brick-and-mortar campus.
Flexibility
Working and further learning are realities in today’s world. Knowledge bases constantly change, and what was true a decade ago may not be accurate in the present. Continued education is a necessity for many professionals.
Virtual classrooms, lessons, and schedules greatly help those who study and work. It enables the student to set study times and shapes the learning experience around their availability. This flexibility allows more time for family or hobbies, even while studying.
More cost-effective
Online learning is more cost-effective than traditional learning on various levels. Enrollment fees are less because eLearning institutions do not have to own, maintain or pay utilities on buildings. Virtual administration requires less staff, resulting in reduced human resource expenses.
Students do not need to travel to and from campuses, pay live-in dorm fees, or rent student accommodation. They also save on digital learning and course materials as less money is spent on textbooks.
Similar qualifications
Virtual students earn precisely the same qualification when studying online as their campus-based counterparts. This includes advanced degrees such as masters and doctorate qualifications.
Career-specific development
Many online education establishments allow their students to tailor a course around their specific career goals and personal development needs. One of these is the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WIP).
Here, students can earn an online masters in data science while choosing from a variety of electives allowing them to customize the program in two specializations to achieve unique career goals. So, students benefit from the core course, which includes mastering database management and analysis techniques such as machine learning and data-mining algorithms.
Accessible collaboration
Online students easily collaborate with peers through various online means such as virtual work groups, message boards, and discussion forums. These avenues allow them to share feedback and thoughts on the course material, pose research questions, or debate theoretic constructs.
It also frees time for professors and tutors to attend to student queries. Group question and answer sessions or one-on-one interviews promote learning outcomes.
Improved time management
Keeping to deadlines helps students manage schedules and improve overall time management skills. It also promotes course engagement and planning as students do not simply show up to a class but have to stick to assignments and test dates.
Timeous feedback
When starting, virtual students often worry that they will not receive feedback on assignments, help with tech issues or human-resource-related queries such as fee-payment structures. However, the integration of these functions with technological advances is more timeous than traditional education processes.
Reputable online learning institutions incorporate digital systems where feedback on assignments and exams is either immediate or available within a day or so. Similarly, these establishments have dedicated tech and student support teams that can be reached via email, instant chat utilities, or phone.
Ready and repeated access to course materials
Recorded lectures allow students to revisit and clarify topics. They no longer have to rely on hasty notes taken during lessons where tutors chase time limits and ramble off information. These video lectures are also a helpful resource when completing assignments.
The clear advantages of online learning cannot be denied. Virtual education addresses and meets the escalating needs and demands at all levels of education. It not only offers flexibility that is impossible in traditional models but also realizes different perspectives on how information and skills are consumed and internalized.
