The Role of Online learning during the covid-19 pandemic
The covid-19 pandemic shook the entire world-impacting many businesses and organizations. The education sector is also one of the industries that are hit by this pandemic. With the nationwide lockdown, all the schools, colleges, and universities were instructed to shift to online learning overnight. While many of the teachers did not have the skill to teach online, similarly students were also having difficulties facing this situation. The sudden shift to online learning brought the use of online learning platforms which was gaining importance in the education sector. Before the covid-19 pandemic, learning platforms were mostly used by students who were pursuing distance education. However, with no other option left during the pandemic, all the educational institutions were forced to conduct online learning and teaching. This further led to the use of learning platforms in the education industry. From the teacher’s point of view, the entire situation was very overwhelming for them as they did not have the experience of handling technology. They lacked the digital skills to conduct a successful online class. However, as the covid-19 situation is getting worse, educational institutions are still shut down to prevent the spread of diseases. This means online education will remain with us for a quite long time now. It can be said that teachers are slowly getting used to creating study materials, courses, and other educational materials through online learning platforms for their students. They are learning to keep their students focused and engaged in their class by creating innovative educational content. Technology if utilized properly can work wonders for you. The same thing happened with online learning. Educational institutions did not realize its potential until the outbreak of this pandemic. With the help of online teaching platform, teachers can find a way to teach their students who are willing to learn online. They can create many courses, educational materials with the help of online tools provided by the teaching platforms. This is a feasible alternative for them to earn money from their home while making the most of their teaching. Talking about students, the most challenging part for them was to stay active and engaged in their learning. Many students get distracted and have a small attention span when it comes to learning online. However, with the proper use of these online learning platforms, they can stay engaged and participate in their learning. What are the benefits of online learning for Students? There are many benefits of online learning which we are going to discuss below. Learn anytime and anywhere- Students can learn anytime and anywhere with the help of online learning platforms and the internet. There is no fixed time and location when it comes to learning online so it removes the barrier of commuting to the physical classroom. Access to various study materials- There is unlimited access to study materials that you will find when learning online. The most important part is that there are a lot of varieties in the study materials like presentations, videos, audios, etc which makes learning more interesting for students as they need not simply mug up the concepts from the same old books. Learn from Expert Educators- When students learn online, they find many subject matter experts and mentors who are ready to teach them. The best part is that they can easily find guidance for their exams in an online approach without having to search them constantly. Game-Based Learning- Game-based learning makes online learning more fun and interactive. Much social learning network have already started implemented game-based learning and in turn, are getting good responses. Personalized Learning- Personalized learning is where teachers teach their students one-on-one as per their learning pace and need. Students can indulge in personalized learning which will help them to understand their concepts more precisely. Online Learning platforms are Economical- Students can make the most of their learning by joining online learning platforms which are highly economical. Hence, they can opt for online learning without having to invest a heavy amount of money. The Education market witnessed a jump in E-learning. According to many online reports, it is estimated that the online learner base in India will reach 9.6 million by the end of 2021. Not only this but India now ranks second in the world after the U.S for its Edtech Market. These figures show the positive response to online learning. On the other hand, online learning cannot be fully implemented in the education sector. Factors such as no access to the internet, network connectivity issues, poverty, etc hinder the growth of online learning. For time being as educational institutions have no option, they need to carry online learning. However, in the future, a blended approach will be much feasible in the education sector. It is where the mixture of both online as well as offline learning will be brought to use. This approach would be very effective as students can learn offline as well as online with some control over their learning like the place, time, etc. To conclude, we can say that online learning is very helpful and effective for students. With the use of Edtech, many educational institutions will be able to engage students in their learning. The pandemic has completely changed the educational landscape however online learning is the need of the hour and students must embrace it in order to continue their learning.
