The recent effect of the widespread of the COVID-19 worldwide has forced schools, colleges and all other learning institutions to be closed for long periods. As a result, it severely disrupting students’ learning process, and in many cases affecting the future careers of those who were about to graduate and move into professional life.
It was only after some time of adjustment to the realities of the lockdown that teachers and others concerned with education started looking at online learning, facilitated mainly by the wide use of the internet all over the world. Online learning and teaching have been around for quite some time, but this was specifically for people who wanted to get additional skills and knowledge while pursuing other careers. However, the pandemic has forced online learning to come to the fore and become the future of education. A fair number of students, 30 percent, opting for higher education have been taking such courses online.
Learning By Doing
Online education can be of use to students of all ages, as well as adults. Its most significant advantage is its flexibility, where both students and teachers can set the pace of learning to one that suits the student. This allows for a better balance of study and encourages time management skills. Students and teachers can set common agendas that require acceptance of responsibilities and more autonomy in the studying process.
Students and parents are forced to learn new app and software they may not hear of to support the online education program such as Google Classroom, Zoom, and Moodle to name a few. It is challenging initially to create new and fun activities while keeping you and your family safe.
The internet and the vast amount of material available on it have led to infinite subjects that can be taught and learned. Students can opt for those they are interested in and suit them, instead of following a fixed syllabus that most teaching programs have. Universities have also accepted both the teaching and testing of learned skills to grant certificates without the student even having to set foot on a campus.
Online education can be available from any part of the world, with a physical presence in schools and colleges becoming unnecessary. This saves commuting time and educational institutions need to set up enormous facilities for use as classes. It may still be necessary for setting up laboratories and other required things for practicals and where just book knowledge is not adequate to get the required skills. Universities have also started offering such online education for students from all over the world, and this has led to the negating any need for travel, visas, and other arrangements that were needed for studying abroad.
While online schools can become the future of education, it does require a lot of attention to technology and computing devices to reach the internet. This is still not as widely available as it would need to be to ensure universal education. This primarily affects third-world countries and people with lower income. There can be significant savings in financial outlays if online education becomes the norm. This can be used to subsidize people who are unable to take advantage of online education methods.