Bigger, Wider Class Rooms

The Internet has revolutionized so many things in the lives of humans. What used to be contained in shelves full of books can be accesses faster with the search engine and online encyclopedias, even Wikipedia. Letters that used to take days before reaching its destination can now arrive in light-second thanks to email. More recently, the Internet is on the verge of replacing or at least providing an alternative to walking into campus and the four walls of a classroom. Welcome to online education.

There are many universities all over the world that has embraced online education for on some of their programs. This allows them a wider reach in terms of students as well as a wider selection of the faculty and learning platform. With online education, more students, who are otherwise unable to go to school because of work or distance from campus, now have an opportunity to learn. Better teachers who are geographically distant can now be involved in the learning. With more students and more competent teachers available, the learning will be more fruitful.

There are already several online classrooms like Virtual Classroom or Blackboard Academic Suite. These platforms support chat rooms and the virtual whiteboard—the essentials of online education. They also allow folders for readings and documents from teachers to be shared to students. There are also discussion boards where students can post their thoughts and react to other student’s posts. There are also roster pages so everyone can see and meet each other.

At the heart of the online education concept is the interaction. Unlike in ordinary classroom setups where the teacher is in front and the students are grouped together below, in online education, everyone, including the teachers stand together in the “virtual classrooms.”

However, just like any other concept, online education is not for everyone. It cannot also be applied for all disciplines, at least not yet. There are certain skills that students must possess in order to be effective in an online classroom. One must have initiative, must be diligent and can work on his or her own, without being instructed and spoon-fed by teachers.

Unlike in traditional class setups, online classes are more interactive and the teacher does not dominate the discussion, or else, students can just pretend to be “online” but they are actually sleeping or watching television. That is why online teachers elicit discussion, requires students to do research and share personal reflections and experiences. This is how the discussion is stimulated and to allow everyone to be involved. Students are not just consumers of information and knowledge, they are also the producers.

Online education is a new frontier to learning. However, it also requires a lot more from students. It has its advantages like bridging distances and diversity, but it also has disadvantages like lack of interaction and personal monitoring and learning. However, in a fast-paced world already bridged by fiber-optics, it is an inevitable destination. It is a natural progression.

A Different Mode of Learning

Every now and then, technology tends to give people many opportunities to enjoy life and have a better way of living. With the emerging developmental transfigurations that are happening today, people have all the possibilities to live life the easiest and the most convenient way possible. Technology has played an important role in upgrading the quality of education a learner receives. It has been formal that students are taught in an atmosphere that is conducive for learning such as a school but nowadays, there is a new mode of teaching that enables an individual to interact with a teacher with the use of computers and other communication technologies. This new method of instruction is popularly known as online education. This type of education allows the student to be on a class that took place in front of a computer.  Just like a formal class in school, the teacher plans and conducts activities that needed analysis; it evaluates the performance of the learner and makes sure that everything is properly understood.

Many schools and universities offer students online education and since the efficiency of technology has reached new heights, this mode of instruction has become popular as ever. Many students prefer to have online classes because of its convenience and cost-effectiveness. What’s good about online education is that individuals that engage in such can take the class, even if the person is at work or doing something as long as he bears with him a computer. Online education works by letting students watch lecturers discuss something through a video clip while participating to the discussion with the use of telecommunication media. The student can also respond to questions by emailing the answer to the lecturer. The students that are part of the lecture can interact with each other simultaneously inside a chat room, and they can share and exchange ideas about a certain topic discussed by the lecturer. The learner always can rewind the video clip whenever it may appear unclear to him. This will make sure that every material is well taken by the learner. The setting, therefore, in this type of learning is somewhat the same as that of a classroom. The only difference is that the learner is at home in front of a computer. The programs offered by online education covers academic and vocational courses. Online education caters to a greater number of applicants in comparison to that in school, which may include those students living in other places that are interested. It will give the learner a chance to experience a different kind of learning most especially if the educator is from another country. The learner does not need to spend for school supplies like papers and pens since everything is done via the computer and does not require traveling thus less spending. There is also flexibility with the time of the session. Since it’s available anytime, it’s up to the discretion of the student when to attend the class and utilize a different computer as long as all the necessary requirements are there.

In the previous years, it has been found out that students receive a higher quality of education and had performed better in class in online education. Instructors are able to show students other methods of teaching by utilizing everything that the computer can, to give the learners a much realistic and understandable instruction for better retention. It does not only teach the students about academics but also motivate the student to be fully equipped with the skills needed most especially in dealing with the technological advancements present today. The accessibility of the internet in online education aids for a faster pace in understanding rather than relying to the materials presented by lecturers in an actual classroom setting. In companies, they engage in this way of educating trainees. They provide them with scenarios that usually occur in the actual setting and answer problems with the use of computers. They find it very effective and less effort is needed for the training. It will not only benefit the company but also the trainees.

This new trend in education only proves that people are making use of what is available to them. Since computers are widely used, its utilization in education provides a learning that is complementary to the advancements we have now. This type of education is very enriching and worth the pay.