The last few months …
So much has changed in the last few months. The world has truly turned upside down. However, the time has come to face reality. Indeed, despite all the problems and challenges, people are getting back to their lives and daily routines.
Like the economy overall and various sectors, the impact has been severe on the education sector as well. Students are still not going to the school or university. Thankfully, there is technology today, to somewhat alleviate the impact.
Some months ago all schools and universities, practically all educational institutions, were closed. International students flew back to their respective countries. Universities postponed tests and exams. Others stopped new student registrations or offered only online courses. With the social distancing policy, teachers and educators now had to cope with converting everything to online mode. All students were now dependent on online learning.
The pandemic has indeed brought about a tremendous change in the education system. It is true that online learning has changed the scenario for everyone. But is it for the better or the worse?
With a vaccine still not available and new challenges emerging, it seems that it will be some time before we can think of things getting back to normalcy
So that brings us to the question: is online learning here to stay?
So from all practical perspectives. it seems as if online learning is the way for at least the near future. Let’s look at a few advantages that can help us understand why online learning is here to stay.
1. Saving time
Students are finding it easy to do the classes online form their homes or wherever they are instead of going to an institution. They do not need to travel and do not accordingly need to plan or prepare for the commute.
2. Saving money
Since students do not need to travel, they are saving on bus/metro fares besides incidental expenses incurred while travelling. Without the need to commute, it is not only the fare cost that is being saved, but the consumption of fuel has also gone down, reducing pollution, which has in turn eased, to some extent, the pressure on the planet.
3. Ease of access
With classes being conducted online, and with students now asking questions to their professors using the chat boards or email, the ease of access has vastly increased. Additionally, for people who faced challenges attending classroom classes, be it transport costs, or distance challenges, are now finding it extremely convenient to attend class, thereby improving their access to knowledge and also the consistency in terms of how they benefit from classes by being regular in their attendance.
What makes it easier or more convenient?
Whiteboard feature
Just like in a regular classroom, the teacher has access to a white board to which the students can also be given access so activities can be done accordingly.
Sharing of files
There is no difficulty in sharing information, as files can be shared instantaneously.
Recorded lectures
There is also the facility to record online classes and lectures and they can be shared with students who can access them at their convenience. This has made ‘missing classes’ a thing of the past.
A diverse environment
Owing to classes being online, they can be accessed from any part of the world. Just imagine students from various countries or regions attending a class online. Pupils of different age, color, views and traditions in the same environment! What a great opportunity to make friends, learn about the new culture and increase one’s exposure to a range of opinions and thoughts. This kind of diversity is only possible online.
Free courses!
For students who are unable to pay the tuition fees, there are a lot online courses available for free or with minimal enrollment fees. The student can take advantage of these opportunities especially since all courses are pretty much online at this point in time.
Additionally, there are ancillary savings on food, clothing, stationery etc.
That said, apart from online classes, a lot of stuff is also available on podcasts which are also very helpful as one can listen to them while doing other tasks parallelly.
Challenges
True, there are many challenges when it comes to online classes, such as availability of internet, access to smartphones, affordability etc., which were not really needed with classroom classes.
Also, it is not easy to handle a class of several students online. Some students may not get involved in class activities or prefer to stay behind the computer screen which affects their engagement and interaction. Also, it is strenuous to stare at the computer screen for long periods of time.
The lack of interaction with the others is also something that an online class cannot compensate for.
In conclusion
To be honest, online learning is still at its initial stage. The onset of the pandemic compelled all of us to make the best of it with existing resources. Like any other field, we are sure to see progress in this field too.
In conclusion, we can say that online programs have become more convenient and suitable as well as accessible. The teachers’ ability to teach their pupils in such an environment and the ability of students to keep pace, has made us believe that anything is possible. Thus, online learning is here to stay, though in what form and to what extent, remains to be seen.
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