The COVID-19 pandemic has caused schools to shut across the world. Globally, more than 1.2 billion children are out of the classroom. This is significantly given rise to e-learning – whereby classes are held remotely on digital platforms.
The rise of e-learning
Many teachers and faculty members were not familiar with online teaching practices and felt their jobs would be threatened by this new teaching method. However, the spread of COVID made them combat this fear to adapt more readily to this shift. Of course, tech-savvy students and teachers easily accepted this trend. However, the allure of a traditional classroom is still missed by many. When we think of an educational setting, we imagine sitting amongst our peers with a teacher lecturing in front. Now, sitting in front of our laptop/mobile screens is the new standard.
Here are some of the top benefits associated with e-learning when compared to traditional education:
- Efficiency
E-learning is an efficient way to deliver lectures during this pandemic. It has made using videos, sharing resource links, serving assessment tests a simple task that can be done at a click of a button. Moreover, these lectures can be recorded and shared for reference with the students. It will help the students in preparing better for their exams and other assessments.
- Affordability
Online education has made it possible for parents to cut down on the extra cost of transportation. Schools are also saving money in terms of infrastructure costs. All the study sessions and study materials are available online so that students can access it as and when they need it.
- Less absenteeism
Absenteeism was a common thing in the traditional education system. Students used to miss the classes for several reasons – like they missed their school bus or could not get up in the morning, or they just didn’t feel like getting ready. However, in the case of online classes, absenteeism has come down to a great extent. Students can access their lectures sitting in the comfort of their homes. It will also help them in staying safe from getting infected by the coronavirus.
- Encourages shy kids
Various shy and introvert kids used to refrain from participating in the classrooms. They have opened up to a great extent in online classrooms and are coming up with questions and are actively participating in the lecture. Online education has made learning more fun and healthier for such kids.
- Saved time
Online classes have saved the time of both teachers and students to a great extent, including the time needed to get ready, travel to and from the school, and other such activities. Now students can attend the lectures without having to waste much time. They can use the saved time for extracurricular activities and recreational purposes.
Shortcomings of online education
- Affects the health
Sitting in front of the screen for long hours can have adverse effects on the health of students. It impacts their eyesight and makes them physically inactive. Therefore, students must take proper care of their health while attending online lectures.
- Lack of social interaction
With online education, students will not learn how to interact in a social environment. Even though online education has helped the shy kids to open up, a lack of social interaction is not good for the overall personality development of the students.
- Technology concerns
Various technology concerns occur during online classes, such as network issues, hardware failure, power cut, etc. Students from rural areas find it challenging to handle online lectures due to a lack of resources.
Wrapping Up
Online education has both positive as well as negative impacts. Even though students have adapted to this new education model, we cannot say that it has replaced the traditional educational system due to the drawbacks associated with it.
Hope you found it helpful!
