As a college student who is currently enrolled in various online courses, I have noticed a considerable change in myself. Ever since I opposed the idea of confining myself in a classroom, my priorities have also taken a shift from just ‘graduating,’ to ‘graduating with an exceptional experience.’
I link this change of perspective to the e-learning arena-which I got exposed to. It really quenches the thirst of my millennial mind that continually seeks expansion of thoughts and knowledge.
Recently, my teacher introduced a tricky accounting topic, which was confusing to me. Even the facial expressions of some of my classmates were telling the same story as mine. At the end of the class, my teacher herself suggested an online platform that could make the topic easier for us to comprehend. Guess what? She was absolutely right! Each one of us who took help from that well-curated video had an instant grip on the topic that earlier seemed tedious and complicated.
This and many such instances have made me realize why e-learning is fast becoming a trend. According to the infographic published by the website of the University of Potomac, 70% of all students claim online education to be better than a traditional classroom setting.
E-learning is an umbrella term for multiple ways of learning using the internet, which is highly trending nowadays. Unlike a classroom, interacting with an instructor in online learning is not as intimidating. The relaxed feeling of not being burdened helps a student learn with ease and confidence. This, along with several other benefits of distance learning, has made it a revolution in academics.
Significance of e-learning in the current scenario of COVID-19
As educational institutions (also known as brick and mortar institutions) are closed due to the current pandemic, the education system has been heavily impacted. With several cases surfacing every day, the coronavirus has affected almost every country in the world.
Thankfully distance learning got an instant upsurge, or else learning could have come to an abrupt halt. In a challenging situation like this, both synchronous and asynchronous e-learning platforms are proving to be a blessing for teachers, students, and parents.
Teachers are using online platforms to deliver lessons while students take advantage of the resources to continue learning. The undisrupted education of their children also relaxes parents.
Let’s elaborate some top significances that e-learning holds in the modern world:
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Allows a higher degree of coverage than conventional classrooms
In the online setup, teachers impart knowledge in the form of easy to understand instructions via virtual classes, webinars, or even podcasts. They deliver written, audio, and visual content to the students using various tools.
When it comes to eLearning, content means everything. If eLearning content is not perfectly designed, all the rest will go down the drain.”
– Christopher Pappas
Both synchronous and asynchronous methods of e-learning are adept at covering the topics well as compared to traditional classes. In the synchronous process, live Zoom or Skype sessions take place, which aides better interaction with the teacher, and allows instant communication if the student has any question.
Whereas, the asynchronous method, which provides pre-recorded audio-visual content to the learner, is far more flexible and gives the benefit of multiple revisions to the student.
Psychologists believe that audio-visual teaching methods develop a disciplined learning environment and encourage active student engagement in the class.
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Provides an opportunity to accomplish without requiring physical attendance
This is a golden advantage for people who wish to learn and work side by side. Specific individuals can’t attend Universities as they do a regular job. Also, there are many other factors, like a professional seeking advance training to go up the success ladder, who cannot attend classes, or times like these, when the pandemic has confined everyone in houses.
Without needing to go and physically attend a class, e-learning has made it possible for us to accomplish a certificate course, degree, or skill training much conveniently.
According to a study by Herman and Banister,2007, students successfully achieved learning outcomes via an online learning platform as compared to students taking the face-to-face course.
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Learning at one’s own pace and schedule
Every individual learns at his own pace. Some of us learn better via written explanations, while some prefer visual learning. Also, some people go to the extent of practical approaches to master a topic thoroughly. Online learning assists this diversity very smoothly. Its adaptability makes it a choice of millions of students worldwide.
Course material is available round the clock, so there is no such thing as loss of learning due to missing a class. The accessibility in e-learning remains the top factor which allows the students to personalize their learning schedules and easily do revisions. The student gets more time to reflect on a topic which he finds difficult, which is not possible in specified and limited class time in universities.
Assignments are to be submitted online, and many students can take assignment help from seniors and experts to submit plagiarism-free assignments.
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Learning is beyond books
Instructors in online education are from everywhere in the world, having unique perspectives and experiences. This provides students to get a diverse and expanded view on a topic. Whereas the classes they take in Universities have local teachers, which limits their scope of knowledge.
E-learning courses are designed by the industry experts, whose expertise reflects in the content. This can be a trigger to inspire students to take up a career, which is excellent as it exceeds the actual purpose of imparting knowledge only.
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Unhindered by natural factors
Rains, hurricanes, snowstorms, or even the recent pandemic have not yet mitigated eLearning; in fact, it gains momentum during such times.
Karen, a nursing student in NYC, recalls the time when she required to submit her physiology assignment. Simultaneously, she was needed to be on longer shifts when the COVID-19 outbreak initially surfaced in the US. She said that though she had gained theoretical knowledge well via e-learning, she still required nursing assignment help. Thankfully, it also became possible with the help of nursing tutors available online.
Her learning process did not get interrupted even in such testing times, all thanks to e-learning.
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Cost-effective education
As quoted by the College Board, the average annual fee in a US university is around $37000 to $48000. It can go up to $80000 per year for specific State Universities. As compared to this, the cost of online courses and degrees is lower.
A statistic mentioned by the University of Potomac states that Online degrees cost as little as 80 times less than traditional degrees.
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Most e-learning platforms are widely accepted and recognized
No matter if you have completed your degree in four years from a costly university, or you trained yourself in three months via an online course. You can still be a choice for employers if you are well-versed with industry knowledge and best practices regarding the field.
Nevertheless, if you can’t make up your mind, let me tell you something. Several online education platforms are legit, and they are recognized, in fact, recommended by colleges and universities all over the world.
Platforms like Coursera, Treehouse, Perdisco, and Study Guide Zone are few of the forums which impart many courses and even take assignments and assessments. Assignments for Perdisco, for instance, are considered tough as they are mostly related to accounting, statistics, or finance. But you can always consider taking perdisco assignment help from experts to score better.
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A wide range of courses to choose from
The popularity, preference, and huge demand for online learning pertain to its diverse range of courses. There is something for everyone as all the online education resources provide multiple options for courses from every field.
Be it language, IT, Finance, mechanics, engineering, nursing, dietician, or any other field, you can easily get access to high-quality content.
If you are at home these days doing nothing, make use of your time by taking courses which will enhance your skills and give an edge to your CV.
Takeaway
“Online learning is not the next big thing; it is, in fact, the now big thing.”
– Donna J. Abernathy
Forbes predicts that the eLearning sector is expected to go up to $325 billion in five years. Keeping in mind the demand and benefits it offers, Forbes’ indicator seems justified.
The online learning is booming and will continue to change the face of world academics for good. If certain limitations about it, like the accessibility of the internet to the low-income group, are overcome, e-learning may potentially replace conventional learning in the time to come.
