Online Education Essay

When we talk about education, we often allude to online education. Learners can thereby seek knowledge and skills without actually leaving their house. It is now feasible for students can access learning from anywhere in the world, thanks to the development of new technologies like the internet. Almost all learners have access to the online educational system around-the-clock.

Compared to the conventional method of learning, online learning is a very contemporary form of education. To develop a greater understanding of the students, the instructor or mentor makes use of a variety of tools, including texts, audio, videos, animations, etc.

Tutors and mentors can more effectively contact every student and impart the necessary skills to them, thanks to online education. With the advancement of the internet, pupils that are unable to attend sessions regularly can now acquire anything from any location.

The Covid-19 epidemic impacts all spheres of life. Due to the lockdown, pupils were unable to attend a regular classroom, which had a negative impact on academic performance. Thus, in order to allow students to continue their education, the Indian government's educational system decided to launch online classrooms.

This would lead to a need for online instructional techniques, and it is at this point that the value of online education became apparent. Many colleges, universities, and other university colleges have moved forward to offer online courses to students. Classes that allow students to advance their skills and study remotely via the internet

Online learning is becoming a fantastic resource for education that is accessible to students around the clock. Students will have greater flexibility in their capacity to learn anything from anywhere at any time, thanks to the incredible innovation of equipment (like mobile phones) or technology and the accessibility of the internet. This level of learning flexibility cannot be achieved in a regular classroom setting since the interaction between the pupils will cause them to become "four-bound."

The online training includes virtual instruction that is provided to the students by the teachers, as well as audio, text, video, animations and chats with tutors or mentors. These are the techniques for imparting knowledge and skills to pupils so they can become experts in their fields.

The teachers and students can connect via a variety of online resources. Social networking sites, Google Meet, WhatsApp, Zoom, and others are among them. The teachers can communicate with a significant number of students at once by using these resources. These resources make it simpler for the teachers to instruct a large number of groups at once. Let's examine the additional aspects of online education.

History of Online Education

Online education became the mainstay of the educational system during the Covid Pandemic. Because more and more students are choosing online courses over conventional learning techniques, we can conclude that there is no turning point.

E-learning as we know it now is a relatively recent idea. Since the 1950s, slide projectors and schools that use television have been prevalent. The University of Toronto provided the first ever entirely online course in 1984. The Electronic University Network was created in 1986 for use with Commodore 64 and DOS computers. This marked the start of a revolution whose potential was mainly unrealised at the time.

In the early 1990s, The Open University in Britain launched one of the earliest online distance learning programmes in the entire world. With almost 4 million students enrolled, the Indira Gandhi National Open University in India is currently the most prominent university in the world. The majority of these students today receive their education online.

Online Resources for Education

In a multitude of formats, there are numerous alternatives to learn something new and advance your knowledge base and enhance your skills. Learning new things while having leisure time is possible with online education.

There is a tonne of tools available to you, including online programmes, whether you are interested in marketing and want to learn marketing online or in the IT industry and want to learn coding and programming. The following resources are used to provide students with online education:

1. Live Lectures from Faculty and Industry Experts - During online sessions, students can hear lectures from academic staff with relevant experience in the field. They can offer the best guidance to the students because they have dealt with a variety of situations throughout their careers and can help them learn more efficiently.
2. Recorded Lectures - During online education, students will have access to recorded lectures that they may utilise whenever they have questions or run into difficulties while working as professionals, which is not possible in a regular classroom.
3. Digital Learning Resources - During online education, students will receive e-books for reading and learning from. For their entire lives, they will always have exposure to these books. Buying or carrying bulky books is not necessary when taking online classes.
4. One-on-One Faculty Interaction - Students get the chance to interact with professors one on one. If a student has a question about a particular subject, they can speak with the professor privately. The professor will personally address the issue to ensure that every student fully understands all subjects.

How Effective Is Online Education?

Online education can be proved beneficial in many ways; the student and the teacher may agree to take on new tasks if they share the same goal. Finding a solid work-study balance is made simpler by the essential time management skills that online learning gives you. There are certain advantages related to online education, which are as follows-

1. A Variety of Programmes.

Universities and other institutions of higher education learning are increasingly delivering their programmes online. Every type of learner has alternatives, from quantum physics to music composition. Taking your programme online is a terrific way to earn a certificate, diploma, or degree that the government recognises.

2. It Is Reachable

Online education is a fantastic option if you want to make a career while studying overseas. There is no need to adhere to a strict schedule or commute from one location to another. The virtual classroom is accessible from anywhere there is an internet connection, so travelling is an excellent way to benefit from this.

3. Individualised Educational Experience

Online classes typically have fewer students than traditional classes. Online learning environments often only let one or a few learners gain knowledge at a time. Online users frequently have access to a wide variety of content, including movies, pictures, and eBooks. Additionally, you can access this additional knowledge from anywhere at any time, which will provide you with a more dynamic education.

4. More Effective Than Traditional Education

Online education is frequently less expensive than traditional classroom instruction. You may frequently choose from a variety of payment methods that allow you to pay in instalments or per class. The commute and the frequently free course materials can also help you save money.

5. Saves Time and Money

Students can save a lot of time and money by getting their education online. It reduces the cost and time of transportation.

6. Accessible to Everyone

Online learning is accessible to everyone. Any student from any location or age group can learn online. It is one of the main benefits for kids with physical disabilities. They can receive an education without physically leaving the comfort of their home.

7. No Time Limit

Students that study online have a lot of flexibility. Anytime, students can look for information. Like the traditional learning approach, there is no time limit.

8. Choice

Online education offers a wide range of courses. Students can study skills like personality development and other things that are typically challenging to master offline in addition to course material.

Apart from the advantages, online education also has some disadvantages. Some of them are listed below:

1. Create a Feeling of Seclusion

Platforms for virtual classrooms have been developed online to help students and teachers communicate more effectively. Some students find solace in their college community. To be as effective as traditional classes, online education needs to foster social learning.

2. Vulnerable to Technical Problems

The most common drawbacks of online learning are technical issues. Today's online courses can be viewed by clicking a link without the requirement of any installation of an application. The quality of internet connections has significantly increased worldwide

3. Lack of Accountability

Accountability is increased by physically attending classes and being a member of a group. Instead of only taking online courses, switching to virtual, live classes decreases accountability.

4. Dependency

Online learning is beneficial for those who can study independently. Kids and other students cannot effectively study online without assistance. This kind of research necessitates inward focus.

5. Lack of Resources

Online education requires computers or mobile devices as well as strong internet connectivity. Online study is not possible for those without computers or in places with network problems.

6. Disengagement from Society

Spending a lot of time in front of a screen could be bad for your health. The student's physical growth is also impacted by it. They will grow apart from their friends and society if they don't attend school.

Online Education Vs Offline Education

There are various ways that the online or modern education system differs from the offline or traditional education system.

• Time management: Unlike online education, where you can choose a time slot that best suits your needs, offline education has a set timetable.
• Cost-Effective: Online learning is significantly less expensive than traditional learning. Transportation costs are just one of the numerous costs associated with the existing educational system. Students require appropriate uniforms as well as a number of other items. Although it is important to note that online learning presents new challenges for students, it also has the potential to cut them off from their surroundings. Children's physical and mental development are both aided by attending school. They enjoy spending time with their friends and teachers.
• Choice: In an online classroom, students are allowed to select the subject they want to learn about. They can view it multiple times for improved comprehension. Students have no options in offline schooling.
• Knowledge Outside the Books: In an offline setting, students physically interact. They also learn other manners, such as self-control, appropriate behaviour, and other related abilities. These competencies are not produced by offline schooling.

Online Education During Covid Pandemic

The term online education becomes very popular during the times of the Covid pandemic. The advantages offered by online education helped it to win the heart of students and their parents during this critical time. The rise in the spread of the Coronavirus has led to the shutdown of all schools and universities. This affected the studies of the students. During this time, online education serves as a vaccine in the field of education.

The revolution in the field of education proved fruitful for all the students. Many schools schedule online classes for kids. Many schools adopted the trend of online schooling to engage the children with studies rather than wasting time. Online education proved helpful for both teachers and students to carry out their job without affecting their safety.

Online Learning Platforms

There are numerous tools and platforms for online education that can be helpful to both educators and learners. Some are free to use, while others need payment. Numerous courses are available online. Students can pick up knowledge from a range of professions and specialists. Some well-known online educational resources include the following:

• EdApp: It is an award-winning education platform that offers software that can work well with mobile phones. It offers various ready-to-learn courses for users.
• Google Classroom: Google Classroom is another platform that can be a good choice for school and college students. It provides some additional functionalities, which include google docs, calculation sheets, etc.
• Udemy: It is another very popular online learning platform that provides various tools for content creator. It offers a wide variety of about 150,000 courses. However, the subscription charge of Udemy is quite small compared to other platforms.
• Coursera: This learning platform provides a variety of certification programmes. Experts from several universities can teach students courses at the university level. Many languages, including English, Spanish, German, Arabic, French, etc., are supported in the courses.
• Masterclass: Another well-known learning platform that differs from others is Masterclass. It provides a range of programmes in numerous subject areas. The top experts in the world can teach you acting, singing, cooking, writing, and other skills.

Conclusion

Online education provides the user virtual experience of studying. However, online education is preferred for higher education. Many students apply for online courses, whereas many opt for offline classes. Today, on noticing the role played by online education, it is very clear that the online system will surely drive the future of the education system. But the complete transformation of the traditional systems into online systems will lead to many problems. Therefore, adopting the advantages of both systems will be fruitful for the students.