Online education utilizes the Internet or videoconferencing to create learning communities. Course materials are provided on a Web site and are occasionally found on CD-ROM; email, bulletin boards, forums, and chat rooms are used to interact with other students and teachers. Online learning can enhance traditional forms of education. It may take place in the classroom or work place it may be performed at home, at online access centers, or at a public library. Online learning provides hands-on experience using information technologies and makes it easier for students to access learning and customized lessons.
Online learning is a method of delivering educational information via the internet instead of in a physical classroom. Online learning has struggled to find acceptance in academic circles. It's difference from the norm of campus-based education has raised questions over the support offered to students and the merit of the award. For some people an online education isn't suitable. They might find it hard to motivate themselves or difficult to study at home. This is fine: we don't think studying online is for everyone and would encourage anyone thinking about an online degree or course to consider what it will require from them in terms of time and commitment. Online education is the most significant development in education technology. It's now possible for a classroom of students to comprise of people who live in completely different countries who can come together and share their cultural values and life experiences.
There are many benefits of taking an online learning course. Some are:
Classroom can be anywhere you're connected to the internet. With mobile internet it's perfectly possible to join in a class discussion whilst taking the bus to work or working on your train or on the beach.
The beauty of online discussion is that it creates a level playing field. The students with less confidence than their peers are typically more inclined to join a discussion when they're not physically standing in front of a room full of people. Online students can communicate better and more frequently with their fellow students than a group of students sat in the same room. This is because when students are available online it's easier to approach others.
For some people online learning suits them particularly well because they can absorb information at their own pace and examine course content more thoroughly. A particularly useful feature for those of us who tend to drift off during lectures! Online students can pause and rewind their lectures or research the points that the lecturer has made before moving on. Online education accommodates different learning styles. Learning materials can be developed for different learning styles. A lecturer will often provide both a visual representation of an idea he is trying to convey along with an audio description it, to satisfy both visual and auditory learners.
Sharing common traits with your fellow students is definitely something that helps break the ice. But what if you find you share a common love of 19th century architecture or 60s music with someone born, raised and living in a country you could never imagine visiting? Your online class may span multiple states, countries or continents and be filled be people who inspire you. This means that as an online student, you will encounter a rich diversity of views held by people from completely different walks of life.
Studying online isn't dissimilar from studying on campus. Online students interact with learning content, teachers and class members in a similar way to campus students. They view lectures, take part in discussions, have one-on-one tutorials with their teachers, work in groups, submit assignments and take exams. The difference is that all this takes place online and the students have control over when all these activities happen. Just with a campus-based education, having access to the right information and the right people is key. With online learning, students have an online environment where they can interact on a one-to-one basis with their teachers and fellow students, or alternatively start or join open discussions about a subject. Other internet resources such as instant messaging or conferencing facilities help to ensure students are supported in their learning. Hence in this fast pace competitive world online education is gaining importance due to its inherent innovative learning and teaching style and flexibility.
We all know how helpful it is to remember something that is taught visually to us rather than the one that is read through pages after pages. Just imagine, how beneficial would it be for students to understand a chapter visually in class. The concept of smart class education is indeed a blessing to the students of the 21st Century. Technology is changing the way life functions and if it’s for the good, then why not go for it. Smart classes use all interactive modules like videos and presentations and these visually attractive methods of teaching becomes appealing to students who are already struggling with the traditional method of teaching in a classroom. In fact, smart classes are almost like watching movies as sometimes, animated visuals are used to teach a point. This kind of visual is both eye-catching and young students can easily relate with them. This is because the audio-visual senses of students are targeted and it helps the students store the information fast and more effectively. And then, there is the advantage of utilizing much of the time wasted earlier in drawing or preparing diagrams on board. Smart boards have all. Some students and teachers have problems with chalk dust and they tend to suffer from allergic reactions. The smart boards saves you from such distress and won’t let you develop any health issues later. Smart boards are a lot smarter when it comes to field trips which is impossible with textbooks. A field trip to the deserts of Sahara or the rainforests of the Amazon basin becomes easy with visuals in the smart boards of smart classroom. These visuals are definitely more attractive than those descriptions in a few lines of a textbook. See information in memory and can be presented during the time of class lectures and thus, the time saved can be used in more important things.
One of the main reasons behind the constant increase in popularity of smart classes is the fact that this kind of education is perfect for all kinds of students. A classroom has students with varied power of understanding and learning, and studying from notes and other materials becomes difficult for some students. But the use of smart classes and modern technology eases the learning process for all students. Moreover, this kind of education in class promotes more interaction between teacher and student with more participation from both sides. When you take the negative side of this kind of smart education, there are just a few when compared to the myriad advantages it offers to students. Some technical fault that might arise during a class lecture is a common concern among those lobbying against smart technologies in classroom education. Then, there is the costing factor as well that is preventing schools to adopt this technology. With smart education comes the problem of high cost of education. The possibilities or advantages of smart classrooms are endless. Although adopting such a new concept might be a tough decision for many, but the technology can create a new opening for the education sector. Its indeed a blessing, all you need to do is to give it a try.
