Its been over a decade that internet or the web world has taken over our lives. Be it connecting socially, shopping, gaining information or enhancing the business reach, internet has become an indispensable part of our lives. It has brought commendable advancement almost in every field and has made those things easily accessible which were once beyond reach. It has basically helped in compacting the vast world around us.
Since the time internet made it easy to execute jobs from the solace of our homes almost every task transformed into e-banking, e-ticketing, e-learning, e-commerce etc. Although we humans had long back realized the benefits of online education, work from home or buying online but the lockdown of the century made us realize the importance of internet or online world in a better way. When almost the whole world faced a lengthened shutdown it is this online connection that helped us carry out our imperative tasks from wherever we were stationed. In fact our lives would have come to a standstill if the internet didn’t exist.
In the last two months we realized that working from home or online learning for students worked really effectively and efficiently. Parents have infact suggested that till the time we get rid of the pandemic completely, this practice of online classes for students should be continued. This can be helpful in two ways –children’s studies won’t get affected and they can stay safe at home. Online education is of immense importance for children during lockdown. As a matter of fact online sessions can be carried out in the long run even after we get through the lethal coronavirus.
Benefits of e-learning
Stress free learning- Parents experienced that online classes carried out quite smoothly and students studied without stress. They don’t have to worry about getting ready for school or getting late to catch the school transport. They also don’t have to bear the heat of the summers outside or other bad weather conditions and the lessons can easily be carried out from the comfort of homes.
Pollution free world- During the last two months along with the news of the disaster caused by the pandemic we also received news about the clarity in the environment and the reduction in the rate of road accidents. The elimination of daily commuting has reduced the stress of traveling, the risk of accidents and most importantly cleared the air in the atmosphere. Also the trip time can be dedicated to e-learning.
Digital learning is helpful- We all are well aware about the benefits of digital learning. Studying with the help of internet makes learning more practical and well understood. Also children enjoy learning digitally instead of theoretically. This is the reason most of the schools have established digital classrooms for students.
Online classes are more interactive- In physical classrooms the teacher has to teach many students at a time and so face to face contact is impossible. But with the help of online learning it becomes easy for teachers and students to come in contact directly. This helps in enhancing the teacher student relationship as they get more closer. The students can clarify their doubts without hesitation. The teachers get to discern the positive points as well as the drawbacks of each student properly and personally. Students also give there feedback whether they understood the lessons well or if they require any transition in the method of teaching. Online learning also supports real-time student monitoring and corresponding reports.
Assured parent satisfaction- When the children are in school the parents don’t get a chance to know about the teachers and their pedagogy. They have no option than to trust them. All they get to know the staff is through their children’s feedback or when they make a visit to school during parent teacher meet. But the online modus operandi has helped the parents to know the faculty well and feel ensured that their children’s future is in safe hands. Parents get more time to spend with their children and get involved in their studies.
Ensured continuity- When everybody, be it teachers or students are working from home the studies are executed uninterruptedly. The classes can be scheduled flexibly which encourages 100% attendance.
Offer highly effective learning environments- Online classes ensure better productivity both from the side of the educators as well as the students. It offers complementary interactive reinforcements that allow students to study 24/7 and work at their own pace.
Online education for teachers
Advantages:
- Allows innovative methods of teaching with the help of technology and online tools.
- Allows reaching out to a large number of students across geographies.
- Especially useful for distance learning.
Disadvantages:
- Online teaching takes time and practice.
- There is little consensus on how students can be evaluated in a fair manner.
- Inability to have a face-to-face connect with students and facilitate free conversations, discussions, and mentoring
- Inability to reach all students because of technological limitations.
Online education for students
Advantages:
- The ability to learn using different online tools and methods.
- No disruption in learning because of the pandemic.
- Listening to recorded and live conversations and working at their own speed.
Disadvantages:
- Lack of free flowing conversations, debates, and discussions.
- Technological difficulties related to weak devices or access to the internet.
- Getting used to learning and being evaluated online.
- Studying while living at home, with family and other distractions.
Importance of e-learning during lockdown
As the influenced districts began securing themselves to counter the danger of coronavirus, students were sent home without an obvious arrangement to proceed with their learning. The supposition that this would pass soon enough and children could do with some personal time. However, as the infection has advanced starting with one locale then onto the next, it has become increasingly more clear that this lockdown isn't leaving at any point in the near future. With this acknowledgment schools, colleges and instructing focuses are scrambling to give online classes to their students so they can continue scholastics without much gap, once the crisis is over. Obviously, not every one of them are prepared to do this however they are attempting to catch on quickly with the assistance of effectively accessible e-learning stages and devices.
Is learning online as effective?
For those who do have access to the right technology, there is evidence that learning online can be more effective in a number of ways. Some research shows that on average, students retain 25-60% more material when learning online compared to only 8-10% in a classroom. This is mostly due to the students being able to learn faster online; e-learning requires 40-60% less time to learn than in 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.
Novel coronavirus and Future of Online education
With 89,907 positive cases in India and the death toll of 2,852, the future seems to be doubtful as to whether life will be able to get back to its initial pace and in the same way it was. As far as the children are concerned they require to be kept safe at homes only. Although this requires a lot of patience from both parents side. It might be possible that this practice of e-learning becomes a habit. But for this it is also required that the schools work upon enhancing the online learning software, learning management system, virtual tutoring and video conferencing tools to make online education successful and convenient. On the other hand the parents need to ensure flawless internet connection from their side for the smooth functioning of the system.
Post Covid-19 education system
This pandemic has made all the instructive schools over the world to embrace educating on the web. Courses are led on the web, assessments are directed on the web, assignments are submitted through email. For nations like India, this is a decent chance to reinforce the web availability across country India. Each town in India ought to be carefully associated for better communication between the students and educators. A portion of the students rush to adjust to this framework and some set aside minimal longer effort to familiarize with this framework. India ought to set up a decent foundation for online training like a portion of the propelled nations. The best bit of leeway of such a framework is education can get worldwide.
The quality lies in the personnel and organization sustain. Workforce need to change their commonplace showing strategies and adjust to advancing innovation focused instructing. The staff ought to set up themselves as "skillful" people who can convey what the students anticipate. To set up flawed should be dynamic in research and research distributions and increase experience/aptitudes in internet educating. As it were, the learning establishments become virtual organizations. Each student's home turns into his organization.Advanced education in India should be increasingly worldwide, more flexible(curriculum), ought to be inventive and ought to be open for more joint effort.
As per Dr Francisco Marmolejo, counsel to Qatar Foundation in India, during his online course, held by the Jio International Institute, India, advanced education ought to be re-planned. It ought to be adaptable, increasingly imaginative, progressively universal yet more privately associated and socially capable, increasingly community oriented and less hazard opposed. Imaginative models ought to be presented. Colleges/foundations could be web based giving web based adaptable contributions (open colleges); conventional learning with hand-on work; joint effort with different schools. Obviously, there are difficulties one needs to look at the underlying stages: for example utilizing innovation to convey better and progressively comprehensive training, adding to computerized economy and society and reacting to worldwide interest yet moving demographics. Instructors assume the most significant job in such a framework. As indicated by Dr Francisco, genuine worldwide commitment accompanies. educational plan reconciliation and dynamic cooperation by the staff. Personnel should be spurred and effectively associated with educational program incorporation.
Post Covid-19 is a chance to change the advanced education framework. Foundations/colleges ought to use this chance to change itself. Educational plan structure, coordinated efforts, ability advancement and personnel association — all should concentrate on internationalizing advanced education. Today it is Covid-19… we don't have the foggiest idea what lies ahead in future for the million adolescents.
-t1568800305_720x400.jpg)