Overall, there is strong evidence to suggest that online learning is generally at least as effective as the traditional format. Research conducted by Karl Alexander at Johns Hopkins University and many others has shown that students, especially those with fewer resources at home, learn less when they are not in school. However, virtual courses allow students to access lessons and exercises and interact with teachers in ways that would have been impossible if an epidemic had shut down schools even a decade or two earlier. The use of reliable, easy-to-use technology is critical to a successful online program.
However, even the most sophisticated technology is not 100% reliable. Faults can occur at any point in the system, such as when the server hosting the program crashes and interrupts all class participants, or when individual PCs have numerous problems that could limit student access. In addition, the Internet connection could fail, or the institution hosting the connection could get stuck with users and slow down or fail completely. Online study has been found to reduce tutor workload due to the availability of online teaching materials.
Teachers often prepare lessons and this reduces the task of training students over and over again. Online classes began to become popular just a few decades ago and are advertised as a way for adults to finish their education and students to learn the material at their own pace. Unfortunately, online courses are generally not as effective as in-person classes, but they are certainly better than any class. In addition, online learning classes do not allow instructors to quickly identify individual differences between students.
What's different in the online environment is that students may have more distractions and less supervision, which can reduce their motivation. A survey of undergraduate students showed that online learning was a source of flexible and useful learning during the crisis and some limitations. Faculty showed that they used Zoom and Microsoft Teams in their online teaching with 60% for Microsoft Teams and 40% for Zoom. Of these, 151 used mobile phones to access online classes and 106 used laptops, while 25 of the students used a tablet. Adult education literature supports the use of interactive learning environments as a contribution to self-direction and critical thinking.
E-learning is defined as the use of online platform and Internet technologies to improve learning and provide users with access to online services and services (Ehlers and Pawlowski, 200). We need online classes to restructure so that students can have a learning experience that truly provides quality education. E-learning allows students to choose the best environment to study and this promotes their ability to understand. It also provides them with more flexibility in terms of time management, allowing them to work around their own schedules. Furthermore, it allows for more collaboration between students since they can communicate with each other through discussion boards or chat rooms. In conclusion, there is strong evidence to suggest that online learning is generally at least as effective as traditional formats.
It provides students with more flexibility in terms of time management, allows for more collaboration between students, reduces tutor workloads, and provides access to lessons and exercises that would have been impossible if an epidemic had shut down schools even a decade or two earlier.
