define online learning essay

Essays About Online Learning: Top 6 Examples And Prompts

If you are writing essays about online learning, you can start by reading some essay examples and prompts in this article. 

People often regard online learning as kids stuck at home, glued to their devices. However, there is so much more to it than this simplistic concept. Many parents may see it as an “easy way out” for students to slack off on their studies while still passing their classes, but online learning has not reached its full potential yet. 

It has dramatically impacted how education is handled globally, for better or worse. It has forced teachers to take on extra work , while students say it has helped reduce their stress levels. It is undoubtedly a contentious topic. 

If you need help writing an essay about online learning, here are some essay examples you can use for inspiration.

1. Disabled Students Urge Universities To Make Online Learning More Accessible by Lucia Posteraro

2. why are more and more students taking online classes by perry mullins, 3. the benefits of online learning: 7 advantages of online degrees by kelsey miller, 4. why is online learning important by clare scott, 5. is online learning as effective as face-to-face learning by kelli wilkins, 6. i’m a high school student. i don’t want online learning to end. by rory selinger, prompts on essays about online learning, 1. how has online learning affected you, 2. compare and contrast online and in-person classes., 3. what can you learn from an online setup, 4. what is the future of online learning, 5. which is better- online or face-to-face learning, 6. can online learning be sustained long-term.

“Autism may hinder the ability to follow complex conversations, especially with background noise – but Charli’s lectures did not have subtitles. Moreover, extensions for group projects were too short for her extenuating circumstances.’

Posteraro tells the stories of students who want online learning to be more accessible. For example, Charli, a student with autism, was greatly affected by the transition from in-person to online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, online learning has not catered to her special needs, so she urges schools to take action to make online education more inclusive. You might also be interested in these essays about knowledge .

“The result of taking online classes is that students who take them become more proficient and comfortable with using computers. Students can learn to connect with one another online and with information in meaningful and useful ways. With that said more and more students are taking online classes because it’s the best way to save money work at your own pace and not have to be stressed about going to class.”

In his essay, Mullins discusses why more students prefer online learning. First, it lessens expenses, as students learn from the comfort of their rooms. Second, it helps students avert the fear of talking to strangers face-to-face, helping them communicate better. 

“It’s clear, then, that learning online helps prepare professionals for this shift toward online work. Below, explore what online courses entail, explore seven key benefits, and get the advice you need to determine if online courses are right for you.”

Miller briefly explains what online learning is, then proceeds to discuss its advantages. These include a self-paced schedule, improved communication, and new technical skills. However, he reminds readers that everyone is different; regardless of the benefits, they should only choose online learning if they believe it will work for them.

“Boil it right down and the answer is simple: change is constant. You must move with it. The true beauty of online learning is that it lends itself perfectly to your lifestyle. By its very nature, it can fit around you. Also, no longer are we taught how to do a job, it’s usually a case of figuring it out for yourself—and that’s where online learning can amplify your skills.”

Scott presents the importance of online learning. Similar to Miller, she mentions self-paced, giving students new skills. However, the most important lesson is that change is constant. Online learning exemplifies this precept, and these skills help us move along.

“While both ways of learning have advantages and disadvantages, what is more effective is based off of the student themselves. Students can weigh the costs and benefits between online learning and face-to-face learning. They can decide for themselves what would be best for them. Online learning can be as effective as face-to-face learning if the student is committed to putting their time and effort to study alone.”

Wilkins questions the notion that online learning is inferior to a face-to-face classes. She begins by listing the benefits of online classes, including comfort and easier schedules, as with Miller and Scott. However, she also mentions its disadvantages, such as the possibility of students being distracted and a lack of bonding between classmates. But, of course, it’s all up to the student in the end: they should decide which type of education they prefer.

“One thing I hope people now realize is that education is not a one-size-fits-all model. While the self-disciplined nature of remote learning is not for everyone, it has allowed students like me to flourish unimpeded by the challenges presented by typical classroom settings.”

A 14-year-old student, Selinger wishes to continue her education online as schools return to physical classes amid the pandemic. She discusses the relief she feels from the lack of peer pressure, judgment, and a rigorous schedule. Controlling your study schedule relieves students of pressure, and Selinger believes this is optimal for success. She believes online learning opens a path to be better rather than to “return to normal.”

In this essay, you can write about your experience of online learning. Whether you have had online coursework from school or college or taken an online course for your own interests, we’ve all had some experience learning online. Discuss how you benefited from online learning and the challenges you faced. For a compelling essay, conduct interviews to back up your experience by showing others who felt the same way.

Create an exciting comparative essay between online and in-person learning. You can compare and contrast the experiences and show the positives and negatives of each. Start by making a list or Venn diagram, and organize your essay. Include the structure, advantages, and disadvantages of each method of learning. 

Online learning can teach you some skills to succeed in the real world. In this essay, write about the unique skills you can gain from online learning. Perhaps you learn valuable IT skills, virtual note-taking, and basic administrative skills. Then, look into how these skills can benefit you in future studies or when trying to step into a new career path. 

We have barely scratched the surface of technology. In this essay, look to the future and imagine how online education will look. Then, research up-and-coming online learning technologies and see what will come next. Will the development of more online learning technology benefit students? Look into this exciting topic for an engaging discussion.

For this topic, writing an excellent argumentative essay is easy. First, from research and your own experience, list the benefits and downsides of each type of learning and determine which is more effective. Then, you can use Google and the essay examples above to support your argument.  

Online learning is most commonly used for students who are ill or during situations such as a global pandemic. It is meant to be temporary; however, can schools stick to a completely-online method of instruction? Include some advantages and disadvantages of online learning in your essay.

Tip: If writing an essay sounds like a lot of work, simplify it. Write a simple 5 paragraph essay instead.

If you’re still stuck, check out our general resource of essay writing topics .

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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How Effective Is Online Learning? What the Research Does and Doesn’t Tell Us

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Editor’s Note: This is part of a series on the practical takeaways from research.

The times have dictated school closings and the rapid expansion of online education. Can online lessons replace in-school time?

Clearly online time cannot provide many of the informal social interactions students have at school, but how will online courses do in terms of moving student learning forward? Research to date gives us some clues and also points us to what we could be doing to support students who are most likely to struggle in the online setting.

The use of virtual courses among K-12 students has grown rapidly in recent years. Florida, for example, requires all high school students to take at least one online course. Online learning can take a number of different forms. Often people think of Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, where thousands of students watch a video online and fill out questionnaires or take exams based on those lectures.

In the online setting, students may have more distractions and less oversight, which can reduce their motivation.

Most online courses, however, particularly those serving K-12 students, have a format much more similar to in-person courses. The teacher helps to run virtual discussion among the students, assigns homework, and follows up with individual students. Sometimes these courses are synchronous (teachers and students all meet at the same time) and sometimes they are asynchronous (non-concurrent). In both cases, the teacher is supposed to provide opportunities for students to engage thoughtfully with subject matter, and students, in most cases, are required to interact with each other virtually.

Coronavirus and Schools

Online courses provide opportunities for students. Students in a school that doesn’t offer statistics classes may be able to learn statistics with virtual lessons. If students fail algebra, they may be able to catch up during evenings or summer using online classes, and not disrupt their math trajectory at school. So, almost certainly, online classes sometimes benefit students.

In comparisons of online and in-person classes, however, online classes aren’t as effective as in-person classes for most students. Only a little research has assessed the effects of online lessons for elementary and high school students, and even less has used the “gold standard” method of comparing the results for students assigned randomly to online or in-person courses. Jessica Heppen and colleagues at the American Institutes for Research and the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research randomly assigned students who had failed second semester Algebra I to either face-to-face or online credit recovery courses over the summer. Students’ credit-recovery success rates and algebra test scores were lower in the online setting. Students assigned to the online option also rated their class as more difficult than did their peers assigned to the face-to-face option.

Most of the research on online courses for K-12 students has used large-scale administrative data, looking at otherwise similar students in the two settings. One of these studies, by June Ahn of New York University and Andrew McEachin of the RAND Corp., examined Ohio charter schools; I did another with colleagues looking at Florida public school coursework. Both studies found evidence that online coursetaking was less effective.

About this series

This essay is the fifth in a series that aims to put the pieces of research together so that education decisionmakers can evaluate which policies and practices to implement.

The conveners of this project—Susanna Loeb, the director of Brown University’s Annenberg Institute for School Reform, and Harvard education professor Heather Hill—have received grant support from the Annenberg Institute for this series.

To suggest other topics for this series or join in the conversation, use #EdResearchtoPractice on Twitter.

Read the full series here .

It is not surprising that in-person courses are, on average, more effective. Being in person with teachers and other students creates social pressures and benefits that can help motivate students to engage. Some students do as well in online courses as in in-person courses, some may actually do better, but, on average, students do worse in the online setting, and this is particularly true for students with weaker academic backgrounds.

Students who struggle in in-person classes are likely to struggle even more online. While the research on virtual schools in K-12 education doesn’t address these differences directly, a study of college students that I worked on with Stanford colleagues found very little difference in learning for high-performing students in the online and in-person settings. On the other hand, lower performing students performed meaningfully worse in online courses than in in-person courses.

But just because students who struggle in in-person classes are even more likely to struggle online doesn’t mean that’s inevitable. Online teachers will need to consider the needs of less-engaged students and work to engage them. Online courses might be made to work for these students on average, even if they have not in the past.

Just like in brick-and-mortar classrooms, online courses need a strong curriculum and strong pedagogical practices. Teachers need to understand what students know and what they don’t know, as well as how to help them learn new material. What is different in the online setting is that students may have more distractions and less oversight, which can reduce their motivation. The teacher will need to set norms for engagement—such as requiring students to regularly ask questions and respond to their peers—that are different than the norms in the in-person setting.

Online courses are generally not as effective as in-person classes, but they are certainly better than no classes. A substantial research base developed by Karl Alexander at Johns Hopkins University and many others shows that students, especially students with fewer resources at home, learn less when they are not in school. Right now, virtual courses are allowing students to access lessons and exercises and interact with teachers in ways that would have been impossible if an epidemic had closed schools even a decade or two earlier. So we may be skeptical of online learning, but it is also time to embrace and improve it.

A version of this article appeared in the April 01, 2020 edition of Education Week as How Effective Is Online Learning?

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Argumentative Essay: Online Learning and Educational Access

Conventional learning is evolving with the help of computers and online technology. New ways of learning are now available, and improved access is one of the most important benefits available. People all around the world are experiencing improved mobility as a result of the freedom and potential that online learning provides, and as academic institutions and learning organisations adopt online learning technologies and remote-access learning, formal academic education is becoming increasingly legitimate. This essay argues the contemporary benefits of online learning, and that these benefits significantly outweigh the issues, challenges and disadvantages of online learning.

Online learning is giving people new choices and newfound flexibility with their personal learning and development. Whereas before, formal academic qualifications could only be gained by participating in a full time course on site, the internet has allowed institutions to expand their reach and offer recognized courses on a contact-partial, or totally virtual, basis. Institutions can do so with relatively few extra resources, and for paid courses this constitutes excellent value, and the student benefits with greater educational access and greater flexibility to learn and get qualified even when there lots of other personal commitments to deal with.

Flexibility is certainly one of the most important benefits, but just as important is educational access. On top of the internet’s widespread presence in developed countries, the internet is becoming increasingly available in newly developed and developing countries. Even without considering the general informational exposure that the internet delivers, online academic courses and learning initiatives are becoming more aware of the needs of people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and this means that people from such backgrounds are in a much better position to learn and progress than they used to be.

The biggest argument that raises doubt over online learning is the quality of online courses in comparison to conventional courses. Are such online courses good enough for employers to take notice? The second biggest argument is the current reality that faces many people from disadvantaged backgrounds, despite the improvements made in this area in recent years – they do not have the level of basic access needed to benefit from online learning. In fact, there are numerous sources of evidence that claim disadvantaged students are not receiving anywhere near the sort of benefits that online learning institutions and promoters are trying to instigate. Currently there are many organisations, campaigns and initiatives that are working to expand access to higher education. With such high participation, it can be argued that it is only a matter of time before the benefits are truly realised, but what about the global online infrastructure?

There is another argument that is very difficult to dispel, and that is the response of different types of students to the online learning paradigm. Evidence shows that there are certain groups of students that benefit from college distance learning much more than other groups. In essence, students must be highly motivated and highly disciplined if they are to learn effectively in their own private environment.

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Online Learning During the Pandemic

Today’s rapid shift in the traditional patterns of social lifestyle caused by the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has resulted in the necessity to define possible approaches to living a full-scale life while respecting the need for social distancing. Thus, one of the major challenges in the context was to define the patterns of work and education process during the global lockdown. When it comes to the notion of education, the process of online learning has become a salvation to the problem of education access and efficiency. The definition of online learning stands for an umbrella term that encompasses a series of machine-learning techniques that allow learners to acquire relevant knowledge with the help of technology in a certain sequence [1]. Although the process of online learning has become widely popular due to an ongoing emergency, the term genesis can be traced back to decades prior to COVID-19, as machine learning is also regarded as a scientific outbreak besides being an urgent problem solution [2]. Thus, once the necessity of technological intervention in education became an absolute necessity, there had already been a variety of devices and software applications to implement.

Over the times of the pandemic, the concept of educational technology (EdTech) has become widely popular with software developers and investors. In fact, EdTech, despite a relatively long existence in the market, has now introduced a variety of software applications like Classplus and Edmingle that would facilitate the process of education in both developing and developed countries [3]. Moreover, the already existing educational sources powered by Microsoft and Google are also of great efficiency for today’s learners, as their plain yet efficient design helps students accommodate quickly to the process. Hence, taking everything into consideration, it might be concluded that the process for online education that was rapidly facilitated by a pandemic outbreak is likely to develop greatly over the next few years, creating a full-scale competition for conventional patterns of learning.

S. C. H. Hoi, D. Sahoo, J. Lu, and P. Zhao. “Online learning: A comprehensive survey,” SMU Technical Report , vol. 1, pp. 1-100, 2018.

A. Muhammad, and K. Anwar. “Online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic: Students’ perspectives.” Online Submission , vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 45-51, 2020.

D. Shivangi. “Online learning: A panacea in the time of COVID-19 crisis.” Journal of Educational Technology Systems , vol. 49, no.1, pp. 5-22, 2020.

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The pros and cons of online learning

What to look for in an online course.

By: MIT xPRO

If you’re at a point in your life where you’re considering continuing your education, you may wonder if online learning is the right path for you.

Taking an online course requires a notable investment of time, effort, and money, so it’s important to feel confident about your decision before moving forward. While online learning works incredibly well for some people, it’s not for everyone.

We recently sat down with MIT xPRO Senior Instructional Designer and Program Manager Luke Hobson to explore the pros and cons of online learning and what to look for in an online course. If you’re waiting for a sign about whether or not to enroll in that course you’ve been eying, you just might find it here.

Pros of Online Learning

First, let’s take a look at the true value of online learning by examining some of the benefits:

1. Flexibility

Online learning’s most significant advantage is its flexibility. It’s the reason millions of adults have chosen to continue their education and pursue certificates and degrees.

Asynchronous courses allow learners to complete work at their own pace, empowering them to find the optimal time to consume the content and submit assignments.

Some people are more attentive, focused, and creative in the mornings compared to the evenings and vice versa. Whatever works best for the learners should be the priority of the learning experience.

2. Community

When Luke asks people about their main reason for enrolling in a course, a common answer is networking and community.

Learners crave finding like-minded individuals who are going through the same experiences and have the same questions. They want to find a place where they belong. Being in the company of others who understand what they’re going through can help online learners who are looking for support and motivation during challenging times and times that are worth celebrating.

Some learners have created study groups and book clubs that have carried on far beyond the end of the course-it’s amazing what can grow from a single post on a discussion board!

3. Latest information

“Speed is a massive benefit of online learning,” and according to Luke, it often doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

“When we say speed, we don’t mean being quick with learning. We mean actual speed to market. There are so many new ideas evolving within technical spaces that it’s impossible to keep courses the way they were originally designed for a long period of time.”

Luke notes that a program on Additive Manufacturing , Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality , or Nanotechnology must be checked and updated frequently. More formal learning modalities have difficulty changing content at this rapid pace. But within the online space, it’s expected that the course content will change as quickly as the world itself does.

Cons of Online Learning

Now that we’ve looked at some of the biggest pros of online learning, let’s examine a few of the drawbacks:

1. Learning environment

While many learners thrive in an asynchronous learning environment, others struggle. Some learners prefer live lessons and an instructor they can connect with multiple times a week. They need these interactions to feel supported and to persist.

Most learners within the online space identify themselves as self-directed learners, meaning they can learn on their own with the right environment, guidance, materials, and assignments. Learners should know themselves first and understand their preferences when it comes to what kind of environment will help them thrive.

2. Repetition

One drawback of online courses is that the structure can be repetitive: do a reading, respond to two discussion posts, submit an essay, repeat. After a while, some learners may feel disengaged from the learning experience.

There are online courses that break the mold and offer multiple kinds of learning activities, assessments, and content to make the learning experience come alive, but it may take some research to find them-more on what to look for in an online course later in this article! Luke and his colleagues at MIT xPRO are mindful of designing courses that genuinely engage learners from beginning to end.

3. Underestimation

Luke has noticed that some learners underestimate how much work is required in an online course. They may mistakenly believe that online learning is somehow “easier” compared to in-person learning.

For those learners who miscalculate how long they will need to spend online or how challenging the assignments can be, changing that mindset is a difficult process. It’s essential to set aside the right amount of time per week to contribute to the content, activities, and assignments. Creating personal deadlines and building a study routine are two best practices that successful online learners follow to hold themselves accountable.

Experience the Value of Online Learning: What to Look For in an Online Course

You’ve probably gathered by now that not all online courses are created equal. On one end of the spectrum, there are methods of online learning that leave learners stunned by what a great experience they had. On the other end of the spectrum, some online learning courses are so disappointing that learners regret their decision to enroll.

If you want to experience the value of online learning, it’s essential to pick the right course. Here’s a quick list of what to look for:

• Feedback and connection to peers within the course platform. Interacting regularly with other learners makes a big difference. Luke and the MIT xPRO team use peer-reviewed feedback to give learners the opportunity to engage with each other’s work.
• Proof of hard work. In the online learning space, proof of hard work often comes in the form of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) or specific certifications. MIT xPRO course participants who successfully complete one or more courses are eligible to receive CEUs , which many employers, licensing agencies, and professional associations accept as evidence of a participant’s serious commitment to their professional development.

Online learning isn’t for everyone, but with the right approach, it can be a valuable experience for many people. Now that you know what to look for in an online course, see what Luke and the MIT xPRO instructional design team have to offer by checking out the latest MIT xPRO courses and programs .

Originally published at http://curve.mit.edu on August 8th, 2022.

The pros and cons of online learning was originally published in MIT Open Learning on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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Online Learning: A Panacea in the Time of COVID-19 Crisis

Shivangi dhawan.

1 Department of Commerce, SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India

2 Department of Commerce, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, Delhi, India

Educational institutions (schools, colleges, and universities) in India are currently based only on traditional methods of learning, that is, they follow the traditional set up of face-to-face lectures in a classroom. Although many academic units have also started blended learning, still a lot of them are stuck with old procedures. The sudden outbreak of a deadly disease called Covid-19 caused by a Corona Virus (SARS-CoV-2) shook the entire world. The World Health Organization declared it as a pandemic . This situation challenged the education system across the world and forced educators to shift to an online mode of teaching overnight. Many academic institutions that were earlier reluctant to change their traditional pedagogical approach had no option but to shift entirely to online teaching–learning. The article includes the importance of online learning and Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, & Challenges (SWOC) analysis of e-learning modes in the time of crisis. This article also put some light on the growth of EdTech Start-ups during the time of pandemic and natural disasters and includes suggestions for academic institutions of how to deal with challenges associated with online learning.

The deadly and infectious disease Corona Virus also known as Covid-19 has deeply affected the global economy. This tragedy has also shaken up the education sector, and this fear is likely to resonate across the education sector globally. The Covid-19 pandemic outbreak forced many schools and colleges to remain closed temporarily. Several areas are affected worldwide and there is a fear of losing this whole ongoing semester or even more in the coming future. Various schools, colleges, and universities have discontinued in-person teaching. As per the assessment of the researchers, it is uncertain to get back to normal teaching anytime soon. As social distancing is preeminent at this stage, this will have negative effects on learning opportunities. Educational units are struggling to find options to deal with this challenging situation. These circumstances make us realize that scenario planning is an urgent need for academic institutions ( Rieley, 2020 ). This is a situation that demands humanity and unity. There is an urgent need to protect and save our students, faculty, academic staff, communities, societies, and the nation as a whole.

Several arguments are associated with e-learning. Accessibility, affordability, flexibility, learning pedagogy, life-long learning, and policy are some of the arguments related to online pedagogy. It is said that online mode of learning is easily accessible and can even reach to rural and remote areas. It is considered to be a relatively cheaper mode of education in terms of the lower cost of transportation, accommodation, and the overall cost of institution-based learning. Flexibility is another interesting aspect of online learning; a learner can schedule or plan their time for completion of courses available online. Combining face-to-face lectures with technology gives rise to blended learning and flipped classrooms; this type of learning environment can increase the learning potential of the students. Students can learn anytime and anywhere, thereby developing new skills in the process leading to life-long learning. The government also recognizes the increasing importance of online learning in this dynamic world.

The severe explosion of Corona Virus disease can make us add one more argument in terms of online learning, that is, online learning serves as a panacea in the time of crisis.

Literature Review

Online learning or e-learning.

Rapid developments in technology have made distance education easy ( McBrien et al., 2009 ). “Most of the terms (online learning, open learning, web-based learning, computer-mediated learning, blended learning, m-learning, for ex.) have in common the ability to use a computer connected to a network, that offers the possibility to learn from anywhere, anytime, in any rhythm, with any means” ( Cojocariu et al., 2014 ).Online learning can be termed as a tool that can make the teaching–learning process more student-centered, more innovative, and even more flexible. Online learning is defined as “learning experiences in synchronous or asynchronous environments using different devices (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, etc.) with internet access. In these environments, students can be anywhere (independent) to learn and interact with instructors and other students” ( Singh & Thurman, 2019 ). The synchronous learning environment is structured in the sense that students attend live lectures, there are real-time interactions between educators and learners, and there is a possibility of instant feedback, whereas asynchronous learning environments are not properly structured. In such a learning environment, learning content is not available in the form of live lectures or classes; it is available at different learning systems and forums. Instant feedback and immediate response are not possible under such an environment ( Littlefield, 2018 ). Synchronous learning can provide a lot of opportunities for social interaction ( McBrien et al., 2009 ). Amidst this deadly virus spread such online platforms are needed where (a) video conferencing with at least 40 to 50 students is possible, (b) discussions with students can be done to keep classes organic, (c) internet connections are good, (d) lectures are accessible in mobile phones also and not just laptops, (e) possibility of watching already recorded lectures, and (f) instant feedback from students can be achieved and assignments can be taken (Basilaia et al., 2020).

Online Teaching Is No More an Option, It Is a Necessity

The major part of the world is on quarantine due to the serious outbreak of this global pandemic Covid-19 and therefore many cities have turned into phantom cities and its effects can be seen in schools, colleges, and universities too. Betwixt all this online teaching and online learning can be termed as the panacea for the crisis . The Corona Virus has made institutions to go from offline mode to online mode of pedagogy. This crisis will make the institutions, which were earlier reluctant to change, to accept modern technology. This catastrophe will show us the lucrative side of online teaching and learning. With the help of online teaching modes, we can sermonize a large number of students at any time and in any part of the world. All institutions must scramble different options of online pedagogical approaches and try to use technology more aptly. Many universities around the world have fully digitalized their operations understanding the dire need of this current situation. Online learning is emerging as a victor ludorum amidst this chaos. Therefore, the quality enhancement of online teaching–learning is crucial at this stage. Online education in Chinese universities has increased exponentially after the Covid-19 outbreak. There was an overnight shift of normal classrooms into e-classrooms, that is, educators have shifted their entire pedagogical approach to tackle new market conditions and adapt to the changing situations. During this tough time, the concern is not about whether online teaching–learning methods can provide quality education, it is rather how academic institutions will be able to adopt online learning in such a massive manner (Carey, 2020).

Resistance to change will not help any educational unit across the world. They will be judged on their pace to adapt to the changes in such a short period and their ability to maintain the quality. The reputation of educational units is on stake and under scrutiny. How well they behave and how well they maintain their quality of education amidst this crisis shows their adapting capabilities. The shift from face-to-face lectures to online classes is the only possible solution. Indeed, academic institutions would not be able to transform all of their college curricula into and online resource overnight. Distance, scale, and personalized teaching and learning are the three biggest challenges for online teaching. Innovative solutions by institutions can only help us deal with this pandemic ( Liguori & Winkler, 2020 ). There is a requirement of a quick shift to online learning mode; therefore, the products by Google can be really useful under such problematic situations; they are (a) Gmail, (b) Google Forms, (c) Calendars, (d) G-Drive, (e) Google Hangouts, (f) Google Jam board and Drawings, (g) Google Classroom, and (h) Open Board Software (not a Google product, helps in recording meetings in the form of files). These tools can successfully be used as an alternative for face-to-face classes (Basilaia et al., 2020).

Problems Associated With Online Teaching and Learning

There are n number of technologies available for online education but sometimes they create a lot of difficulties. These difficulties and problems associated with modern technology range from downloading errors, issues with installation, login problems, problems with audio and video, and so on. Sometimes student finds online teaching to be boring and unengaging. Online learning has so much of time and flexibility that students never find time to do it. Personal attention is also a huge issue facing online learning. Students want two-way interaction which sometimes gets difficult to implement. The learning process cannot reach its full potential until students practice what they learn. Sometimes, online content is all theoretical and does not let students practice and learn effectively. Mediocre course content is also a major issue. Students feel that lack of community, technical problems, and difficulties in understanding instructional goals are the major barriers for online learning ( Song et al., 2004 ). In a study, students were found to be not sufficiently prepared for balancing their work, family, and social lives with their study lives in an online learning environment. Students were also found to be poorly prepared for several e-learning competencies and academic-type competencies. Also, there is a low-level preparedness among the students concerning the usage of Learning Management Systems ( Parkes et al., 2014 ).

Possible Solutions for Problems

A lot of issues are attached to online education but we cannot ignore the perks of it in times of such crisis. We can always have solutions to fix these difficulties. Technical difficulties can be solved through prerecording video lectures, testing the content, and always keeping Plan B ready so that the teaching–learning process cannot be hampered. Online courses should be made dynamic, interesting, and interactive. Teachers should set time limits and reminders for students to make them alert and attentive. Efforts should be made to humanize the learning process to the best extent possible. Personal attention should be provided to students so that they can easily adapt to this learning environment. Social media and various group forums can be used to communicate with students. Communication is the key when it gets difficult to try reaching out to students via texts, various messaging apps, video calls, and so on—content should be such that enable students for practice and also hone their skills. The quality of the courses should be improved continuously and teachers must try to give their best. Online programs should be designed in such a way that they are creative, interactive, relevant, student-centered, and group-based ( Partlow & Gibbs, 2003 ). Educators must spend a lot of time in making effective strategies for giving online instructions. Effective online instructions facilitate feedback from learners, make learners ask questions, and broaden the learner horizon for the course content ( Keeton, 2004 ). Institutions must focus on pedagogical issues and emphasize collaborative learning, case learning, and project-based learning through online instructions ( Kim & Bonk, 2006 ).

The challenge to educational institutions is not only finding new technology and using it but also reimagining its education, thereby helping students and academic staff who are seeking guidance for digital literacy.

Objectives of the Study

• To explore the growth of EdTech Start-ups and online learning.
• To conduct an Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, & Challenges (SWOC) analysis of online learning during the Corona Virus pandemic and natural disasters.
• To give some suggestions and recommendations for the success of online mode of learning during a crisis-like situation.

Research Methodology

The study is descriptive and tries to understand the importance of online learning in the period of a crisis and pandemics such as the Covid-19. The problems associated with online learning and possible solutions were also identified based on previous studies. The SWOC analysis was conducted to understand various strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges associated with online mode of learning during this critical situation. The research tool used for analyzing the data which amassed from different sources for this study is a content analysis and the research method is descriptive research. We have taken into consideration the qualitative aspects of the research study. This study is completely based on the secondary data. A systematic review was done in detail for the collected literature.

Secondary sources of data used are (a) journals, (b) reports, (c) search engines, (d) company websites and scholarly articles, (e) research papers, and other academic publications.

EdTech Start-ups in the Times of Corona

If we go back in history and see EdTech through the ages, we can observe that writing slates were used in Indian schools during the 1100s. In the year 1440, first printing press was invented by Johannes Guttenberg; in the 1600s, Abacus helped students in understanding fundamentals of Math; and in the year 1913, Thomas Edison promoted film clips as a replacement for teachers. In 1927, Sidney Pressy invented the first teaching machine famously called the MCQ machine. In the 1960s, online education originated at the University of Illinois and in 1994, India’s EdTech journey finally began in India with the launch of Educomp. Recently, around 2010, EdTechs start-ups entered the market intending to disrupt the education sector. A learning application Byju’s became one of the most valued EdTech companies in the year 2019. And from then many start-ups have come up to give tough competition to Byjus’s. Li Kang, Ai English Executive Director said, “Online Learning is the future and if there was no virus, that realization would have taken another few years but this has accelerated the process.”

EdTech Start-ups are tapping all the right opportunities by providing free online courses to students amidst this crisis. UNESCO also suggested that these EdTech Start-ups and learning apps can help students during such hard times. Digital payment companies, such as Paytm, Mobiwik, Tez, PhonePe, and so on, grew rapidly during and after demonetization. Now, in this pandemic outbreak, EdTech start-ups are hoping for improved performance. EdTech start-ups are trying hard to make most out of this situation by providing several free courses and e-resources to the students. Although the availability of electricity and a stable internet connection is still a bigger challenge in their way as a lot of Indian cities especially small cities still face frequent electricity shortages. As per the reports, initiatives by these companies are already bringing them gains. Their customer base is improving a lot, it might be for a temporary period but even if they can retain a few customers it is for their good only.

Educators or teachers in the form of facilitators face a lot of trouble while working on these EdTech start-ups in the form of how to start using it when to use it, how to reduce distractions for students, how to hone students’ skills via EdTech. The participation by students is not enough, educators must put considerable effort to increase student engagement, retain their attention, take feedbacks, and assess them in several ways. This will create an effective and meaningful learning environment. EdTech cannot replace a teacher but it can enhance instruction. During such tough times, when Covid-19 has forced schools and colleges to remain completely lockdown for few weeks due to the seriousness of the situation, EdTech companies can prove to be of great help to students ( Brianna et al., 2019 ). According to the reports by KPMG and Google, the EdTech sector will boom and is likely to reach around 2 Billion Dollars by 2021. Some of the famous EdTech start-ups include Byju’s, Adda247, Alolearning, AptusLearn, Asmakam, Board Infinity, ClassPlus, CyberVie, Egnify, Embibe, ExtraaEdge, iStar, Jungroo Learning, GlobalGyan, Lido Learning, Pesto, Vedantu, Edubrisk, ZOOM Classroom, ZOOM Business, Toppr, Unacademy, Coursera, Kahoot, Seesaw, Khan Academy, e-pathshala, GuruQ, and the list is long. SWAYAM portal is an interesting educational program that is initiated by the government of India to achieve three important objectives of our educational policy, that is, access, equity, and quality. The main objective of SWAYAM is to provide online learning and reduce the digital divide. It provides a large number of free courses for school, distance, graduate, and postgraduate education. During the Covid-19 crisis, SWAYAM is of great help for students across the country.

SWOC Analysis of Online Learning: During Corona Virus Pandemic and Other Crisis-Like Situation (Natural Disasters)

In the aftermath of some of the natural calamities such as floods, cyclones, earthquakes, hurricanes, and so on, knowledge delivery becomes a challenging task. These hazards disrupt the educational processes in schools and colleges in several ways. Sometimes, it leads to closure of schools and colleges which creates serious consequences for students and deprives them of their fundamental right to education and poses them to future risk. “100 million children and young people are affected by natural disasters every year. Most of them face disruption to their schooling” (World Vision). Situations of crisis and conflicts are the biggest hurdles in the path of education. Many students and teachers also face psychological problems during crisis—there is stress, fear, anxiety, depression, and insomnia that lead to a lack of focus and concentration. Disasters create havoc in the lives of people (Di Pietro, 2017).

With changing weather patterns and rising global temperatures, an increasing number of extreme weather events have become the new norm. Such events caused varying amounts of loss to life and property. Table1 shows some of the natural disasters that caused huge disruption in educational processes. Large numbers of schools and colleges were destroyed and thousands of students were affected by these natural calamities. Their education got disrupted in midway. “Disruption of education can leave children at risk of child labor, early marriage, exploitation, and recruitment into armed forces” ( Baytiyeh, 2018 ). When disasters and crises (man-made and natural) occur, schools and colleges need to be resilient and should find new ways to continue with teaching–learning activities ( Chang-Richards et al., 2013 ).

For instance, in 2016, Italy experienced three violent and powerful earthquakes. This brought huge devastation in the number of areas. About 1,00,000 people became homeless, buildings and structures collapsed, and there was severe loss of life and property. The University of Camerino, one of the oldest universities in the world suffered a huge loss. The university was in crisis, its structure collapsed, a large number of students became homeless and some left the place. In such situations, students were deprived of education and learning. It is rightly said, “It is difficult to stick to the traditional road when the road itself has crumbled.” This means that face-to-face instructions were not possible at that time; therefore, management and leaders came forward to devise some plans to keep the educational processes in continuation. Before the earthquake’s destruction, e-learning at the University was cumbersome. But they were unstoppable, and to continue the teaching–learning processes, they used Webex (an online tool) by Cisco. Webex helped professors in designing their instructional programs and sharing notes and presentations with students. In almost 1 month, the university was well-versed with e-learning strategies and techniques. They integrated themselves well in an e-learning world. They believed that, of course, the value of the face-to-face instruction method cannot be reduced, but e-learning can be used together with the traditional methods to bring in efficiency, effectiveness, and competitive edge over other competitors by imparting quality education ( Barboni, 2019 ).

In February 2011, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook Christchurch and the University of Canterbury collapsed. Information technology and online learning helped the university to restart its operations and gave them a second life ( Todorova & Bjorn-Andersen, 2011 ).

At New Orleans, Southern University converted itself into an e-learning campus after the violent hurricane created a Havoc. Several online courses were offered and mobiles were used to provide education to the displaced students ( Omar et al., 2008 ).

And the most recent disaster is in the form of the Covid-19 which is spreading like a forest fire around the world. All of the schools, colleges, and universities are facing lockdowns in the most affected areas to curb further spread of the Corona Virus. Many academic institutions are, therefore, seeking the help of online learning so that teaching and learning processes are not hampered. The SWOC Analysis of Online Learning is shown in Figure 1.

In the last few years, e-learning has started gaining popularity in India. Many platforms provide affordable courses to students via Massive Open Online Courses. Still a lot of institutions in India were reluctant toward online teaching and learning. However, the challenges posed by the Corona Virus pandemic introduced everyone to a new world of online learning and remote teaching. Instructors indulged them in remote teaching via few flatforms such as Google Hangouts, Skype, Adobe Connect, Microsoft teams, and few more, though ZOOM emerged as a clear winner. Also, to conduct smooth teaching–learning programs, a list of online etiquettes was shared with students and proper instructions for attending classes were given to them ( Saxena, 2020 ).

Natural Disaster That Affected Teaching–Learning Badly.

Source. Save the Children (2014 , 2017 ), US News and World Report, & Briggs, 2018.

The SWOC Analysis of Online Learning During Such Crises. Note . SWOC = Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, & Challenges.

E-learning methods and processes are really strong. These strengths of the online learning modes can rescue us from these hard times. It is student-centered and offers a great deal of flexibility in terms of time and location. The e-learning methods enable us to customize our procedures and processes based on the needs of the learners. There are plenty of online tools available which is important for an effective and efficient learning environment. Educators can use a combo of audio, videos, and text to reach out to their students in this time of crisis to maintain a human touch to their lectures. This can help in creating a collaborative and interactive learning environment where students can give their immediate feedback, ask queries, and learn interestingly. The Anywhere-Anytime feature of e-learning is beneficial in the times of crisis-like situation, for instance, man-made disasters, natural disasters, or pandemics such as Covid-19. The closure of places and unsafe traveling by roads can create a lot of troubles but e-learning will at least not keep us deprived of getting an education at our homes or workplaces.

Technology provides innovative and resilient solutions at times of crisis to combat disruption and helps people to communicate and even work virtually without the need of face-to-face interaction. This leads to many system changes in organizations as they adopt new technology for interacting and working ( Mark & Semaan, 2008 ).

E-learning has certain weaknesses in the form that it can hamper the communication between the learner and the educator, that is, direct communication and human touch are lost. Users can face many technical difficulties that hinder and slow-down the teaching–learning process (Favale et al., 2020). Time and location flexibility, though it is the strength of online learning these aspects are fragile and create problems. Student’s nonserious behavior in terms of time and flexibility can cause a lot of problems. All students and learners are not the same, they vary in degrees of their capabilities and confidence level. Some do not feel comfortable while learning online, leading to increased frustration and confusion. Inadequate compatibility between the design of the technology and component of psychology required by the learning process; and inadequate customization of learning processes can obstruct the teaching process and creates an imbalance.

Opportunities

Online learning generally has a lot of opportunities available but this time of crisis will allow online learning to boom as most academic institutions have switched to this model. Online Learning, Remote Working, and e-collaborations exploded during the outbreak of Corona Virus crisis ( Favale et al., 2020 ). Now, academic institutions can grab this opportunity by making their teachers teach and students learn via online methodology. The people have always been complacent and never tried some new modes of learning. This crisis will be a new phase for online learning and will allow people to look at the fruitful side of e-learning technologies. This is the time when there is a lot of scope in bringing out surprising innovations and digital developments. Already, EdTech companies are doing their bit by helping us fighting the pandemic and not letting learning to be put at a halt. Teachers can practice technology and can design various flexible programs for students’ better understanding. The usage of online learning will test both the educator and learners. It will enhance problem-solving skills, critical thinking abilities, and adaptability among the students. In this critical situation, users of any age can access the online tools and reap the benefits of time and location flexibility associated with online learning. Teachers can develop innovative pedagogical approaches in this panicky situation, now also termed as Panic gogy. EdTech Start-ups have plenty of opportunities to bring about radical transformations in nearly all the aspects associated with education ranging from, teaching, learning, evaluation, assessment, results, certification, degrees, and so on. Also, increasing market demand for e-learning is an amazing opportunity for EdTech start-ups to bring technological disruption in the education sector.

Online learning faces many challenges ranging from learners’ issues, educators’ issues, and content issues. It is a challenge for institutions to engage students and make them participate in the teaching–learning process. It is a challenge for teachers to move from offline mode to online mode, changing their teaching methodologies, and managing their time. It is challenging to develop content which not only covers the curriculum but also engage the students ( Kebritchi et al., 2017 ). The quality of e-learning programs is a real challenge. There is no clear stipulation by the government in their educational policies about e-learning programs. There is a lack of standards for quality, quality control, development of e-resources, and e-content delivery. This problem needs to be tackled immediately so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of quality education via e-learning ( Cojocariu et al., 2014 ). One should not merely focus on the pros attached to the adoption of online learning during the crises but should also take account of developing and enhancing the quality of virtual courses delivered in such emergencies ( Affouneh et al., 2020 ). A lot of time and cost is involved in e-learning. It is not as easy as it seems, a considerable amount of investment is needed for getting the devices and equipment, maintaining the equipment, training the human resources, and developing the online content. Therefore, an effective and efficient educational system needs to be developed to impart education via online mode.

Ensuring digital equity is crucial in this tough time. Not all the teachers and students have access to all digital devices, internet, and Wi-Fi. Unavailability of proper digital tools, no internet connections, or iffy Wi-Fi connections can cause a lot of trouble due to which many students might lose out learning opportunities. Efforts should be taken by institutions to ensure that every student and faculty is having access to the required resources. They must also ensure that all the educational apps work on mobile phones as well, in case students do not have laptops. Therefore, steps must be taken to reduce the digital divide.

Practice makes a man perfect is a famous and very true proverb. Students and teachers across various universities have never really practiced e-learning. Most of them are complacent and are stuck with traditional modes of teaching. The Corona Virus outbreak is the chance to make out the best from the current situation. We can learn a lot in this challenging situation. A lot of tools are available, teachers are required to choose the best tool and implement it to impart education to their students. A step-by-step guide can be prepared by academic institutions that can guide the teachers and students on how to access and use various e-learning tools and how to cover major curriculum content via these technologies thereby reducing the digital illiteracy. Teachers can present the curriculum in various formats, that is, they can use videos, audios, and texts. It is beneficial if educators complement their lectures with video chats, virtual meetings, and so on to get immediate feedback and maintain a personal connection with the students.

Conclusions and Suggestions

Ayebi-Arthur (2017) conducted a case study of a college in New Zealand which was badly affected by seismic activities. In her study, she found that the college became more resilient to online learning after that disastrous event. Technology helped them overcome the barriers in those difficult times. But they suggest that robust IT Infrastructure is a prerequisite for online learning. Infrastructure needs to be so strong that it can provide unhindered services during and after the crisis.

As per the World Economic Forum, the Covid-19 pandemic also has changed the way how several people receive and impart education. To find new solutions for our problems, we might bring in some much-needed innovations and change. Teachers have become habitual to traditional methods of teaching in the form of face-to-face lectures, and therefore, they hesitate in accepting any change. But amidst this crisis, we have no other alternative left other than adapting to the dynamic situation and accepting the change. It will be beneficial for the education sector and could bring a lot of surprising innovations. We cannot ignore and forget the students who do not have access to all online technology. These students are less affluent and belong to less tech-savvy families with financial resources restrictions; therefore, they may lose out when classes occur online. They may lose out because of the heavy costs associated with digital devices and internet data plans. This digital divide may widen the gaps of inequality.

This terrible time of fate has taught us that everything is unpredictable and we need to be ready to face challenges. Although this outbreak did not give us much time to plan we should take a lesson from this that planning is the key. We should plan everything, no matter if plan A fails, we should have plan B ready. This can only be done if we do scenario planning. There is a need to prioritize all the critical and challenging situations which may occur and plan accordingly. This pandemic has also taught us that students must possess certain skills such as skills of problem-solving, critical thinking, and most importantly adaptability to survive the crisis. Educational institutions must build resilience in their systems to ensure and prioritize the presence of these skills in their students.

“The key lesson for others may be to embrace e-learning technology before disaster strikes!” ( Todorova & Bjorn-Andersen, 2011 ). Today, we are forced to practice online learning, things would have been different if we have already mastered it. The time we lost in learning the modes could have been spent on creating more content. But it is better late than never. This virus surely has accelerated the process of online learning. For instance, this e-application called ZOOM is making a lot of news because of its viable features. It allows conducting live online classes, web-conferencing, webinars, video chats, and live meetings. As most of the schools, colleges, universities, companies are closed due to lockdowns/curfews and most of the people are working from home, this app helped in keeping people connected via video conferencing. This application is trending on Google play store amidst the ongoing crisis. People are practicing social distancing so this application gave them a sigh of relief. ZOOM also allows conducting business meetings.

Disasters will continue to occur and technologies will likely help us cope with them ( Meyer & Wilson, 2011 ). Don Dippo, The Co-Principal Investigator at the Borderless Higher education for Refugees said that “We are in a world where conflict and environmental destruction … are going to have lots of people, families, and communities, living in precarious contexts. The willingness of post-secondary institutions to step-up and engage and provide opportunities for those people will never be as large as the need. The only way we can even make a dent in this is to learn to collaborate and cooperate across institutions and across time and spatial boundaries. The only way really to do that is to rely on technology to create conditions to allow people to collaborate.”

We need a high level of preparedness so that we can quickly adapt to the changes in the environment and can adjust ourselves to different delivery modes, for instance, remote learning or online learning in situations of pandemics such as Covid-19. Institutions and organizations should prepare contingency plans to deal with challenges such as pandemics and natural disasters ( Seville et al., 2012 ). Reliability and sufficient availability of Information Communication Technology infrastructure, learning tools, digital learning resources in the form of Massive Open Online Courses, e-books, e-notes, and so on are of utmost importance in such severe situations ( Huang et al., 2020 ). Instruction, content, motivation, relationships, and mental health are the five important things that an educator must keep in mind while imparting online education ( Martin, 2020 ). Some teaching strategies (lectures, case-study, debates, discussions, experiential learning, brainstorming sessions, games, drills, etc.) can be used online to facilitate effective and efficient teaching and learning practices. In such panicky situations, where the lives of so many people are at stake, teaching and learning should be made interesting. This will also reduce the stress, fear, and anxiety levels of people. For this, proper technique and learning support should be provided to teachers and students and government support is also crucial at such stage. Pedagogical and technical competency of online educators is of utmost importance. Rigorous quality management programs and continuous improvement are pivotal for online learning success and making people ready for any crisis-like situation.

Natural disasters can stimulate our motivation for the adoption of highly innovative communication technology and e-learning tools ( Tull et al., 2017 ). To make e-learning effective in such difficult times, we need to focus on the use of technology more efficiently, that is, the usage of that technology which has minimum procurement and maintenance costs but can effectively facilitate educational processes. Before bringing in and adopting any e-learning tool or technology, its pros and cons need to be weighed. Institutions should conduct plenty of research when bringing the right technology for different educational initiatives. There should be proper clarity on the purpose and context of technology adoption. As several factors affect the choice of a particular technology such as security features, availability and condition of laboratories, internet speed, internet access, digital literacy levels of the beneficiaries, and so on. E-learning can help in providing inclusive education even at the time of crisis. Such systems need to be developed in educational institutions that make sure that no student is getting deprived of education due to their location, social class, ethnicity, and so on. Online methods of teaching support and facilitate learning–teaching activities, but there is a dire need to weigh the pros and cons of technology and harness its potentials. Disasters and pandemic such as Covid-19 can create a lot of chaos and tensions; therefore, there is an important need to study the technology deeply and with due diligence to balance these fears and tensions amidst such crisis.

Author Biography

Shivangi Dhawan is an assistant professor of Commerce at SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi. Currently, she is pursuing MPhil from the Department of Commerce, Delhi School of Economics. She is a graduate of SGTB Khalsa College and completed her Masters in Commerce from Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), University of Delhi. Her area of specialization is Organizational Behaviour & Development and has work related to it to her credit. Ms. Dhawan has written several research papers and presented them in various National & International Conferences.

Authors’ Note

Below are the sites of different educational portals which I referred to while knowing what types of courses they offer & two of them are news articles as COVID is currently in the news. https://www.ft.com/ https://swayam.gov.in/explorer https://bolog.zoom.us/ https://byjus.com/ https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/features/covid-19-cities-lockdown-zoom-video-calling-app-videoconferencing-google-hangout-skype/articleshow/74767206.cms https://www.usatoday.com https://www.wvi.org/education-and-life-skills/education-emergencies (World Vision)

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

The author received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Shivangi Dhawan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6102-4941

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Everything You Need to Know About Online Learning Environments

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As COVID-19 continues to affect countries around the world, our global education communities are doing their best to plan for and provide safe, sustainable learning environments for their students and instructors. What that looks like in one school, however, may look completely different in the school one town over. And as we thoughtfully anticipate the semester(s) to come, it’s helpful to understand some of the vocabulary associated with in-class and online learning environments.

The term “traditional education” refers to the delivery of educational services predominantly involving face-to-face interaction between students and instructors. Worldwide (and pre-COVID), most schools and institutions conducted lessons and lectures this way, with learners gathering in a shared space and yes, often utilizing technology and the Internet while in class to learn.

Online learning (sometimes called eLearning) is a broader term that means students work through digital lessons and assessments online. This type of learning is accomplished on a computer, usually over the internet, is pre-planned, and is a component of a larger curriculum picture involving engaging instruction. Online learning can follow in-person lessons in a classroom or take place at home, during, and/or outside of school hours.

Distance learning ( or distance education ) is all about location, meaning students and instructors are in different geographical locations and instruction occurs on a device . With distance learning, there is no in-person interaction; instruction and assessment are taking place online independently and can take place without regular instructor contact, often (but not always!) self-paced.

Remote learning occurs when students and instructors, or the source of information, are separated by time and distance and therefore cannot meet in a traditional classroom setting. Like the above, online technology is used to facilitate communication, learning, and assessment , but remote learning is known to embrace a more formal classroom framework , which means a student’s remote schedule or daily lesson structure may look very similar to if they were in the classroom.

Online, remote, and distance learning can all be synchronous or asynchronous; that is to say, they can either require students to align to a specific schedule with live instruction or offer a more flexible timeline with pre-recorded videos and content. Synchronous learning happens in real-time, with students and instructors interacting in a classroom or via video conferencing, collaborating through social learning technology. Many schools worldwide have utilized tools like Zoom or Microsoft Teams to conduct video classes, where instructors teach a lesson live and students attend via Zoom room. 2U , an online learning platform serving several larger North American universities, espouses the value of having synchronous, live online classes at least once a week to help drive motivation and build community. This type of learning “can provide an effective venue for deepening individual learning, building social connections, and providing real-time feedback.”

Conversely, asynchronous learning allows students to access information and/or engage in learning outside of the classroom, on their own schedule, and often, independent of the instructor . It can sometimes be referred to as on-demand or self-paced learning. Khan Academy is an example of asynchronous learning, where content can be consumed at any time in a student’s day.

Hybrid or blended learning appear similar at first glance because they both feature a combination of in-person and virtual experiences, sometimes connected to the concept of flipped classrooms . But hybrid learning and blended learning are different . In hybrid learning courses, online components are designed to replace in-person interactions. Blended learning involves face-to-face classroom time with online materials and activities intended to supplement in-person learning. In other words, in blended learning, online work does not replace in-person interaction.

To make matters even more complicated, there are varying and contradictory definitions of some of the above terms across the internet. And so, you ask, with confusing vocabulary and related concepts, how can schools and universities best approach the final months of 2020?

Patti West-Smith , a former educator and administrator, recognizes the possible confusion associated with online learning environments within a community of practice. "No matter how these terms are being used,” she says, “it's best to make sure everyone has a shared understanding.” Whatever terminology you adopt, West-Smith offers these steps to improve clarity and transparency:

Define your terms.

Don't assume that all stakeholders have a shared definition or that each person's definition matches the one you have in mind. Write out definitions of terms in easily accessible language and provide examples. Share and publish this documentation in as many venues as possible, and be sure to have it translated for different language communities. Also, consider whether you can provide the information in different formats, such as an audio recording, to allow for the greatest possible access. This will ensure that everyone within your learning community has a shared understanding of the terms, whichever terms you choose to use.

Keep an open channel for questions.

Because there are many, conflicting definitions out there, it's important to provide an avenue for teachers, parents, and even students to ask clarifying questions, and that responses to those questions are clear and consistent.

Focus on essential ideas, not terminology.

Whether someone says blended learning or hybrid learning, what really matters is that the community understands exactly what is being done, how it is being accomplished, and the objectives and impacts of those instructional delivery choices.

Now—and in the months to come—schools and universities around the world are weighing the benefits and costs of in-person learning vs online learning. It’s clear everyone is trying to make the best decisions possible with the information at hand, which means there’ s a chance our schools will give every type of online and in-person learning environment a try before the year is through. As we navigate this landscape, it’s important to understand the terminologies and the specific impacts they have on pedagogy and student learning outcomes so that we examine all possibilities and choices ahead of us. We hope the road ahead provides you with safety.

What Is Learning? Essay about Learning Importance

What Is learning? 👨‍🎓️ Why is learning important? Find the answers here! 🔤 This essay on learning describes its outcomes and importance in one’s life.

Introduction

• The Key Concepts

Learning is a continuous process that involves the transformation of information and experience into abilities and knowledge. Learning, according to me, is a two way process that involves the learner and the educator leading to knowledge acquisition as well as capability.

It informs my educational sector by making sure that both the students and the teacher participate during the learning process to make it more real and enjoyable so that the learners can clearly understand. There are many and different learning concepts held by students and ways in which the different views affect teaching and learning.

What Is Learning? The Key Concepts

One of the learning concept held by students is, presentation of learning material that is precise. This means that any material that is meant for learning should be very clear put in a language that the learners comprehend (Blackman & Benson 2003). The material should also be detailed with many examples that are relevant to the prior knowledge of the learner.

This means that the learner must have pertinent prior knowledge. This can be obtained by the teacher explaining new ideas and words that are to be encountered in a certain field or topic that might take more consecutive lessons. Different examples assist the students in approaching ideas in many perspectives.

The learner is able to get similarities from the many examples given thus leading to a better understanding of a concept since the ideas are related and linked.

Secondly, new meanings should be incorporated into the students’ prior knowledge, instead of remembering only the definitions or procedures. Therefore, to promote expressive learning, instructional methods that relate new information to the learner’s prior knowledge should be used.

Moreover, significant learning involves the use of evaluation methods that inspire learners to relate their existing knowledge with new ideas. For the students to comprehend complex ideas, they must be combined with the simple ideas they know.

Teaching becomes very easy when a lesson starts with simple concepts that the students are familiar with. The students should start by understanding what they know so that they can use the ideas in comprehending complex concepts. This makes learning smooth and easy for both the learner and the educator (Chermak& Weiss 1999).

Thirdly, acquisition of the basic concepts is very essential for the student to understand the threshold concepts. This is because; the basic concepts act as a foundation in learning a certain topic or procedure. So, the basic concepts must be comprehended first before proceeding to the incorporation of the threshold concepts.

This makes the student to have a clear understanding of each stage due to the possession of initial knowledge (Felder &Brent 1996). A deeper foundation of the study may also be achieved through getting the differences between various concepts clearly and by knowing the necessary as well as the unnecessary aspects. Basic concepts are normally taught in the lower classes of each level.

They include defining terms in each discipline. These terms aid in teaching in all the levels because they act as a foundation. The stage of acquiring the basics determines the students’ success in the rest of their studies.

This is because lack of basics leads to failure since the students can not understand the rest of the context in that discipline, which depends mostly on the basics. For learning to become effective to the students, the basics must be well understood as well as their applications.

Learning by use of models to explain certain procedures or ideas in a certain discipline is also another learning concept held by students. Models are helpful in explaining complex procedures and they assist the students in understanding better (Blackman & Benson 2003).

For instance, in economics, there are many models that are used by the students so that they can comprehend the essential interrelationships in that discipline. A model known as comparative static is used by the students who do economics to understand how equilibrium is used in economic reason as well as the forces that bring back equilibrium after it has been moved.

The students must know the importance of using such kind of models, the main aspect in the model and its relationship with the visual representation. A model is one of the important devices that must be used by a learner to acquire knowledge. They are mainly presented in a diagram form using symbols or arrows.

It simplifies teaching especially to the slow learners who get the concept slowly but clearly. It is the easiest and most effective method of learning complex procedures or directions. Most models are in form of flowcharts.

Learners should get used to learning incomplete ideas so that they can make more complete ideas available to them and enjoy going ahead. This is because, in the process of acquiring the threshold concepts, the prior knowledge acquired previously might be transformed.

So, the students must be ready to admit that every stage in the learning process they get an understanding that is temporary. This problem intensifies when the understanding of an idea acquired currently changes the understanding of an idea that had been taught previously.

This leads to confusion that can make the weak students lose hope. That is why the teacher should always state clear similarities as well as differences of various concepts. On the other hand, the student should be able to compare different concepts and stating their similarities as well as differences (Watkins & Regmy 1992).

The student should also be careful when dealing with concepts that seem similar and must always be attentive to get the first hand information from the teacher. Teaching and learning becomes very hard when learners do not concentrate by paying attention to what the teacher is explaining. For the serious students, learning becomes enjoyable and they do not get confused.

According to Chemkar and Weiss (1999), learners must not just sit down and listen, but they must involve themselves in some other activities such as reading, writing, discussing or solving problems. Basically, they must be very active and concentrate on what they are doing. These techniques are very essential because they have a great impact to the learners.

Students always support learning that is active than the traditional lecture methods because they master the content well and aids in the development of most skills such as writing and reading. So methods that enhance active learning motivate the learners since they also get more information from their fellow learners through discussions.

Students engage themselves in discussion groups or class presentations to break the monotony of lecture method of learning. Learning is a two way process and so both the teacher and the student must be involved.

Active learning removes boredom in the class and the students get so much involved thus improving understanding. This arouses the mind of the student leading to more concentration. During a lecture, the student should write down some of the important points that can later be expounded on.

Involvement in challenging tasks by the learners is so much important. The task should not be very difficult but rather it should just be slightly above the learner’s level of mastery. This makes the learner to get motivated and instills confidence. It leads to success of the learner due to the self confidence that aids in problem solving.

For instance, when a learner tackles a question that deemed hard and gets the answer correct, it becomes the best kind of encouragement ever. The learner gets the confidence that he can make it and this motivates him to achieve even more.

This kind of encouragement mostly occurs to the quick learners because the slow learners fail in most cases. This makes the slow learners fear tackling many problems. So, the concept might not apply to all the learners but for the slow learners who are determined, they can always seek for help incase of such a problem.

Moreover, another concept held by students is repetition because, the most essential factor in learning is efficient time in a task. For a student to study well he or she should consider repetition, that is, looking at the same material over and over again.

For instance, before a teacher comes for the lesson, the student can review notes and then review the same notes after the teacher gets out of class. So, the student reviews the notes many times thus improving the understanding level (Felder & Brent 1996). This simplifies revising for an exam because the student does not need to cram for it.

Reviewing the same material makes teaching very easy since the teacher does not need to go back to the previous material and start explaining again. It becomes very hard for those students who do not review their work at all because they do not understand the teacher well and are faced by a hard time when preparing for examinations.

Basically, learning requires quite enough time so that it can be effective. It also becomes a very big problem for those who do not sacrifice their time in reviews.

Acquisition of the main points improves understanding of the material to the student. Everything that is learnt or taught may not be of importance. Therefore, the student must be very keen to identify the main points when learning. These points should be written down or underlined because they become useful when reviewing notes before doing an exam. It helps in saving time and leads to success.

For those students who do not pay attention, it becomes very difficult for them to highlight the main points. They read for the sake of it and make the teacher undergo a very hard time during teaching. To overcome this problem, the students must be taught how to study so that learning can be effective.

Cooperative learning is also another concept held by the students. It is more detailed than a group work because when used properly, it leads to remarkable results. This is very encouraging in teaching and the learning environment as well.

The students should not work with their friends so that learning can be productive, instead every group should have at least one top level student who can assist the weak students. The groups assist them in achieving academic as well as social abilities due to the interaction. This learning concept benefits the students more because, a fellow student can explain a concept in a better way than how the teacher can explain in class.

Assignments are then given to these groups through a selected group leader (Felder& Brent 1996). Every member must be active in contributing ideas and respect of one’s ideas is necessary. It becomes very easy for the teacher to mark such kind of assignments since they are fewer than marking for each individual.

Learning becomes enjoyable because every student is given a chance to express his or her ideas freely and in a constructive manner. Teaching is also easier because the students encounter very many new ideas during the discussions. Some students deem it as time wastage but it is necessary in every discipline.

Every group member should be given a chance to become the group’s facilitator whose work is to distribute and collect assignments. Dormant students are forced to become active because every group member must contribute his or her points. Cooperative learning is a concept that requires proper planning and organization.

Completion of assignments is another student held learning concept. Its main aim is to assist the student in knowing whether the main concepts in a certain topic were understood. This acts as a kind of self evaluation to the student and also assists the teacher to know whether the students understood a certain topic. The assignments must be submitted to the respective teacher for marking.

Those students who are focused follow the teacher after the assignments have been marked for clarification purposes. This enhances learning and the student understands better. Many students differ with this idea because they do not like relating with the teacher (Marton &Beaty 1993). This leads to very poor grades since communication is a very essential factor in learning.

Teaching becomes easier and enjoyable when there is a student- teacher relationship. Assignment corrections are necessary to both the student and the teacher since the student comprehends the right method of solving a certain problem that he or she could not before.

Lazy students who do not do corrections make teaching hard for the teacher because they make the other students to lag behind. Learning may also become ineffective for them due to low levels of understanding.

Acquisition of facts is still another student held concept that aims at understanding reality. Students capture the essential facts so that they can understand how they suit in another context. Many students fail to obtain the facts because they think that they can get everything taught in class or read from books.

When studying, the student must clearly understand the topic so that he or she can develop a theme. This helps in making short notes by eliminating unnecessary information. So, the facts must always be identified and well understood in order to apply them where necessary. Teaching becomes easier when the facts are well comprehended by the students because it enhances effective learning.

Effective learning occurs when a student possesses strong emotions. A strong memory that lasts for long is linked with the emotional condition of the learner. This means that the learners will always remember well when learning is incorporated with strong emotions. Emotions develop when the students have a positive attitude towards learning (Marton& Beaty 1993).

This is because they will find learning enjoyable and exciting unlike those with a negative attitude who will find learning boring and of no use to them. Emotions affect teaching since a teacher will like to teach those students with a positive attitude towards what he is teaching rather than those with a negative attitude.

The positive attitude leads to effective learning because the students get interested in what they are learning and eventually leads to success. Learning does not become effective where students portray a negative attitude since they are not interested thus leading to failure.

Furthermore, learning through hearing is another student held concept. This concept enables them to understand what they hear thus calling for more attention and concentration. They prefer instructions that are given orally and are very keen but they also participate by speaking. Teaching becomes very enjoyable since the students contribute a lot through talking and interviewing.

Learning occurs effectively because the students involve themselves in oral reading as well as listening to recorded information. In this concept, learning is mostly enhanced by debating, presenting reports orally and interviewing people. Those students who do not prefer this concept as a method of learning do not involve themselves in debates or oral discussions but use other learning concepts.

Learners may also use the concept of seeing to understand better. This makes them remember what they saw and most of them prefer using written materials (Van Rosum & Schenk 1984). Unlike the auditory learners who grasp the concept through hearing, visual learners understand better by seeing.

They use their sight to learn and do it quietly. They prefer watching things like videos and learn from what they see. Learning occurs effectively since the memory is usually connected with visual images. Teaching becomes very easy when visual images are incorporated. They include such things like pictures, objects, graphs.

A teacher can use charts during instruction thus improving the students’ understanding level or present a demonstration for the students to see. Diagrams are also necessary because most students learn through seeing.

Use of visual images makes learning to look real and the student gets the concept better than those who learn through imaginations. This concept makes the students to use text that has got many pictures, diagrams, graphics, maps and graphs.

In learning students may also use the tactile concept whereby they gain knowledge and skills through touching. They gain knowledge mostly through manipulative. Teaching becomes more effective when students are left to handle equipments for themselves for instance in a laboratory practical. Students tend to understand better because they are able to follow instructions (Watkins & Regmy 1992).

After applying this concept, the students are able to engage themselves in making perfect drawings, making models and following procedures to make something. Learning may not take place effectively to those students who do not like manipulating because it arouses the memory and the students comprehends the concept in a better way.

Learning through analysis is also another concept held by students because they are able to plan their work in an organized manner which is based on logic ideas only. It requires individual learning and effective learning occurs when information is given in steps. This makes the teacher to structure the lessons properly and the goals should be clear.

This method of organizing ideas makes learning to become effective thus leading to success and achievement of the objectives. Analysis improves understanding of concepts to the learners (Watkins & Regmy 1992). They also understand certain procedures used in various topics because they are sequential.

Teaching and learning becomes very hard for those students who do not know how to analyze their work. Such students learn in a haphazard way thus leading to failure.

If all the learning concepts held by students are incorporated, then remarkable results can be obtained. A lot information and knowledge can be obtained through learning as long as the learner uses the best concepts for learning. Learners are also different because there are those who understand better by seeing while others understand through listening or touching.

So, it is necessary for each learner to understand the best concept to use in order to improve the understanding level. For the slow learners, extra time should be taken while studying and explanations must be clear to avoid confusion. There are also those who follow written instructions better than those instructions that are given orally. Basically, learners are not the same and so require different techniques.

Reference List

Benson, A., & Blackman, D., 2003. Can research methods ever be interesting? Active Learning in Higher Education, Vol. 4, No. 1, 39-55.

Chermak, S., & Weiss, A., 1999. Activity-based learning of statistics: Using practical applications to improve students’ learning. Journal of Criminal Justice Education , Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 361-371.

Felder, R., & Brent, R., 1996. Navigating the bumpy road to student-centered instruction. College Teaching , Vol. 44, No. 2, pp. 43-47.

Marton, F. & Beaty, E., 1993. Conceptions of learning. International Journal of Educational Research , Vol. 19, pp. 277-300.

Van Rossum, E., & Schenk, S., 1984. The relationship between learning conception, study strategy and learning outcome. British Journal of Educational Psychology , Vol. 54, No.1, pp. 73-85.

Watkins, D., & Regmy, M., 1992. How universal are student conceptions of learning? A Nepalese investigation. Psychologia , Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 101-110.

What Is Learning? FAQ

• Why Is Learning Important? Learning means gaining new knowledge, skills, and values, both in a group or on one’s own. It helps a person to develop, maintain their interest in life, and adapt to changes.
• Why Is Online Learning Good? Online learning has a number of advantages over traditional learning. First, it allows you to collaborate with top experts in your area of interest, no matter where you are located geographically. Secondly, it encourages independence and helps you develop time management skills. Last but not least, it saves time on transport.
• How to Overcome Challenges in Online Learning? The most challenging aspects of distant learning are the lack of face-to-face communication and the lack of feedback. The key to overcoming these challenges is effective communication with teachers and classmates through videoconferencing, email, and chats.
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Bibliography

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What Is Online Learning? Benefits & Disadvantages Of (OL)

Online Learning

Online learning is a form of education that takes place over the Internet, using various technologies and platforms to deliver courses, lectures, assignments, and assessments. O-Learning can be synchronous, meaning that learners and instructors interact in real time. Or asynchronous, meaning that learners can access the materials at their own pace and convenience. O-Learning can also be blended, combining online and face-to-face components.

Online learning has many benefits, such as flexibility, accessibility, affordability, personalization, and diversity. o-learning can also pose some challenges. Such as technical issues, isolation, motivation, and academic integrity. o-learning requires learners to be self-directed, disciplined, and responsible for their own learning outcomes.

Platesforms & Providers

There are many online learning platforms and providers. That offers a wide range of courses and certifications in various fields and disciplines. Some of the most popular o-learning platforms are Coursera, Udemy, edX, Khan Academy, and Skillshare. These platforms partner with universities, companies, and experts to create high-quality online courses that cover topics such as computer science, data science, business, arts and humanities, languages, and more. Some of these platforms also offer free courses or financial aid for learners who need it.

Online learning is a great way to learn new skills, advance your career, or pursue your passions. Whether you want to learn Python, Excel, web development, or drawing, you can find an online course. That suits your needs and interests. O-learning can also help you connect with other learners and instructors from different backgrounds and cultures, enriching your learning experience. o-learning is the future of education, and you can be part of it.

Benefits Of Online Learning

Online learning is a mode of education that allows students to access courses and programs through the internet, without having to attend classes in person. o-learning has many benefits, such as:

• Convenience and flexibility: Online learning gives you the freedom to choose when and where you study, as long as you have a reliable internet connection. You can learn at your own pace, review the materials as many times as you need, and schedule your study time around your other commitments.
• Cost-effectiveness: O-learning can save you money on tuition fees, transportation costs, accommodation expenses, and other related costs. You can also access a variety of free or low-cost online resources, such as e-books, podcasts, videos, and webinars.
• Diversity and networking: Online learning exposes you to different perspectives and cultures from around the world. You can interact with instructors and peers from different backgrounds, disciplines, and industries. You can also build your professional network without geographical boundaries.
• Technical skills: O-learning helps you develop and enhance your technical skills, such as using digital tools, platforms, and software. You can also learn new skills that are relevant and in demand in the modern workplace. Such as data analysis, web development, digital marketing, and more.
• Self-motivation and discipline: O-learning requires you to be self-motivated and disciplined to complete your assignments and meet your deadlines. You can also improve your time management, organization, and problem-solving skills.

These are some of the benefits of online learning that can help you achieve your personal and professional goals.

What are some disadvantages of online learning?

Online learning has many advantages, but it also has some disadvantages that you should be aware of. Some of the common disadvantages of o-learning are:

• Inability to focus on screens: For many students, one of the biggest challenges of online learning is the struggle with focusing on the screen for long periods of time. With O-learning, there is also a greater chance for students to be easily distracted by social media or other sites.
• Lack of social interaction: Online learning can cause social isolation, as students may miss out on face-to-face communication and peer interaction. That is essential for their social and emotional development. Online learning also lacks the opportunity for students to participate in extracurricular activities. As sports, clubs, and cultural events.
• Technical issues: O-learning requires a reliable internet connection and a suitable device. However, not all students have access to these resources. o-learning can be inaccessible to the computer-illiterate population. Or those living in remote areas. Moreover, o-learning can be disrupted by technical glitches. Such as power outages, software errors, or hardware failures.
• Lack of accreditation and quality assurance: Learing Online is still a relatively new phenomenon, and there are many online courses and programs that are not accredited or recognized by reputable institutions. O-learning can also suffer from a lack of quality assurance. As there may be no standardized curriculum, assessment methods, or feedback mechanisms. Online learners may also encounter issues with plagiarism, cheating, or academic dishonesty.
• Limited practical skills: O-learning may not be suitable for certain disciplines. That requires hands-on experience or practical skills, such as medicine, engineering, or art. Online instructors may tend to focus more on theory than on practice. Online learners may not have access to the necessary equipment, facilities, or materials. o-learning can also limit the development of communication skills, teamwork skills, and leadership skills. That is often acquired through in-person interactions.

These are some of the disadvantages of online learning. That you should consider before enrolling in an online course or program. However, these disadvantages can be overcome or minimized by adopting effective strategies. Such as setting a regular schedule, and creating a conducive learning environment. Seeking social support, choosing reputable online providers, and engaging in active learning.

Online learning typically involves the use of various digital tools and technologies. Such as learning management systems ( LMS ). Video conferencing software, discussion forums, online assessments, and multimedia resources. These tools facilitate communication between instructors and students and enable content delivery. And provide a platform for collaboration and engagement.

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