Is Learning Online as Effective?

 



Rise of online learning

The COVID-19 has resulted in schools shut all across the planet. Globally, over 1.2 billion children are out of the classroom.

As a result, education has changed dramatically, with the distinctive rise of e-learning, whereby teaching is undertaken remotely and on digital platforms.

Research suggests that online learning has been shown to extend retention of data, and take less time, meaning the changes coronavirus have caused could be here to remain.

Online learning is often termed as a tool which will make the teaching–learning process more student-centered, more innovative, and even more flexible.

Online learning is defined as “learning experiences in synchronous or asynchronous environments using different devices (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, etc.) with internet access.

What does this mean for the longer term of learning?

While some believe that the unplanned and rapid move to online learning – with no training, insufficient bandwidth, and tiny preparation – will end in a poor user experience that is conducive to sustained growth, others believe that a replacement hybrid model of education will emerge, with significant benefits.

“I believe that the mixing of data technology in education are going to be further accelerated which online education will eventually become an integral component of faculty education, “says Wang Tao, Vice President of Tencent Cloud and vice chairman of Tencent Education.

Is learning online as effective?

For those that do have access to the proper technology, there's evidence that learning online are often simpler during a number of the way. Some research shows that on the average, students retain 25-60% more material when learning online compared to only 8-10% during a classroom.

This is mostly thanks to the scholars having the ability to find out faster online; e-learning requires 40-60% less time to find out than during a traditional classroom setting because students can learn at their own pace, going back and re-reading, skipping, or accelerating through concepts as they choose.

Nevertheless, the effectiveness of online learning varies amongst age groups. The general consensus on children, especially younger ones, is that a structured environment is required, because kids are more easily distracted.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Learning

As with most teaching methods, online learning also has its own set of positives and negatives. Decoding and understanding these positives and negatives will help institutes in creating strategies for more efficient delivery of the teachings, ensuring an uninterrupted learning journey for the scholars.

Today, digital learning has emerged as a necessary resource for college kids and schools everywhere the planet. For many educational institutes, this is often a completely new way of education that they need had to adopt.

Online learning is now applicable not just to find out academics but it also extends to learning extracurricular activities for college kids also. In recent months, the demand for online learning has risen significantly, and it'll continue doing so within the future.

What Are The Advantages Of Online Learning?

1. Efficiency

Online learning offers teachers an efficient thanks to deliver lessons to students. Online learning features a number of tools like videos, PDFs, podcasts, and teachers can use of these tools as a part of their lesson plans.

By extending the lesson plan beyond traditional textbooks to incorporate online resources, teachers are ready to become more efficient educators.

2. Accessibility of Time and Place

Another advantage of online education is that it allows students to attend classes from any location of their choice. It also allows schools to succeed in bent a more extensive network of scholars, rather than being restricted by geographical boundaries.

Additionally, online lectures are often recorded, archived, and shared for future reference. This allows students to access the learning material at a time of their comfort.

Thus, online learning offers students the accessibility of your time and place in education.

3. Affordability

Another advantage of online learning is reduced financial costs. Online education is way cheaper as compared to physical learning. This is because online learning eliminates the value points of student transportation, student meals, and most significantly, land.

Additionally, all the course or study materials are available online, thus creating a paperless learning environment which is cheaper, while also being beneficial to the environment.

4. Improved Student Attendance

Since online classes are often taken from home or location of choice, there are fewer chances of scholars missing out on lessons.

5. Suits a Variety of Learning Styles

Every student features a different learning journey and a special learning style. Some students are visual learners, while some students like better to learn through audio. Similarly, some students thrive within the classroom, and other students are solo learners who get distracted by large groups.

The online learning system, with its range of options and resources, are often personalized in some ways. It is the simplest thanks to create an ideal learning environment suited to the requirements of every student.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Online Learning?

1. Inability to Focus on Screens

For many students, one among the most important challenges of online learning is that the struggle with that specializes in the screen for long periods of your time. With online learning, there's also a greater chance for college kids to be easily distracted by social media or other sites.

Therefore, it's imperative for the teachers to stay their online class’s crisp, engaging, and interactive to assist students stay focused on the lesson.

2. Technology Issues

Another key challenge of online classes is internet connectivity. While internet penetration has grown in leaps and bounds over the past few years, in smaller cities and towns, a uniform reference to decent speed may be a problem.

Without a uniform internet connection for college kids or teachers, there is often a scarcity of continuity in learning for the kid. This is detrimental to the education process.

3. Sense of Isolation

Students can learn tons from being within the company of their peers. However, in a web class, there are minimal physical interactions between students and teachers.

This often leads to a way of isolation for the scholars. In this situation, it's imperative that the varsity leave other sorts of communication between the scholars, peers, and teachers.

This can include online messages, emails and video conferencing which will leave face-to-face interaction and reduce the sense of isolation.

4. Teacher Training

Online learning requires teachers to possess a basic understanding of using digital sorts of learning. However, this is not the case always. Very often, teachers have a really basic understanding of technology. Sometimes, they don’t even have the required resources and tools to conducts online classes.

To combat this, it's important for schools to take a position in training teachers with the newest technology updates in order that they will conduct their online classes seamlessly.

5. Manage Screen Time

Many parents are concerned about the health hazards of getting their children spend numerous hours watching a screen. This increase in screen time is one among the most important concerns and drawbacks of online learning.

Sometimes students also develop bad posture and other physical problems thanks to staying hunched ahead of a screen. A good solution to the present would be to offer the scholars many breaks from the screen to refresh their mind and their body.


Written by - Umme Umara Shaikh 

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