Medieval education refers to practices that were in place around the 15th century to educate children in a formal manner. Our records of earlier educational systems suggest they were not conducted in an organize manner, education was mostly transmitted through the individual efforts of scholars. But medieval education is often credited as the first instance of formal classroom studies.
What form did medieval education take?
Medieval education across Europe was very tightly integrated with religious institutions. It was nuns and monks who took the lead in rounding up children in their area for educational purposes. The classrooms were often housed within churches and nunneries. The purpose of this education was not just religious in nature. Students were also taught basic language skills as well as quantitative abilities. These skills were considered critical to there development as productive and responsible citizens who could understand their role in the world.
But we must accept the lasting impact of medieval education. Skeptics may suggest that we would have developed such formal means of educating students in classes anyway. But progress in this regard was likely accelerated by the widespread use of this system in medieval education.
What handicaps were experienced during medieval education?
Medieval education obviously suffered from lack of access to printing and organized texts. The system of teaching relied heavily on the ability of the instructor to communicate concepts effectively. It also depended on the students to be able to retain information in the absence of convenient means of preserving it.
Online study of medieval education
Online educational institutions often offer specific courses in medieval education. The purpose of these courses is to develop a historical and sociological grasp of how education was transmitted in the medieval period. Specific courses go over the educational content of this period. They also trace the origin of teaching methods and discuss how effective such methods might be in today's environment.
Online study is perhaps the ideal medium for you to pursue medieval education. Perhaps you are already involved in some form of teaching and want to develop specialization in this particular area. Perhaps you are just generally interested in history and education and would like to know more for the sake of learning. In any case online means are the most convenient and flexible. They will allow you to keep your current job and steady income while you enhance your skills. They will also allow you to learn at your own leisure.
Online schools will make use of innovative technology to make your learning of medieval education memorable and rewarding. Many school will use interactive media to recreate scenarios from the past. They will make extensive use of maps and rich multimedia to facilitate your learning. You will be able to take advantage of forums and chat programs that allow you to interact with both the instructor of the course and your peers who will have much to share.
This online study of medieval education might just be able to get you additional opportunities in teaching or signal your preparation for another job that requires an aptitude for history.