7 Reasons Why Students Should Be Part Of Online Classes During Lockdown

The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in the closure of schools and colleges across the country. Education has changed dramatically over the last two months, with a considerable rise of e-learning, whereby teaching is executed remotely and on digital platforms.  

Tens of thousands of students are glued to computers and smartphone screens as teachers and students enter a new world of virtual lectures, tutorials, and assessments. Though e-learning poses a challenge to both students and teachers over technology and access, it is keeping everyone busy with lectures, worksheets and assignments.  

Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, e-learning was growing at an unprecedented pace. According to the 2019 Global Learning Technology Investment Patterns report, EdTech companies around the world pulled an investment of $18.66 billion in 2019. It will be interesting to see if the changes coronavirus has caused in the education system stay forever. Let us explore other benefits of online classes. 

1. Online Competency-Based Learning

Competency-based learning allows a student to attain transferable skills and competencies.  Such teaching is learner-focused and not dependent on any other factor. The important aspect that every student has a different learning style and level of engagement usually go unaddressed in regular offline classes where many students hesitate in interacting with the teacher due to peer competition or domineering students in the class. The online classes offer flexibility and the ability for students to drive the learning of a competency. The major focus is on skills, knowledge, and/or behaviour, tied with strategic objectives. 

2. Creating High Calibre Learning Pathways for Future  

Skill development and enhancement is key to career growth in competitive times we live in. Various online education platforms have made it easy for students to develop new skills while continuing with a regular course at a college/university. Online education is the key and perhaps the best path to upskilling. It is common to see an MBA student with a specialization in HR doing an online course in data analytics to expand his skills and likewise. Adapting to an online learning environment will make students familiar with the future of work and required competencies.  

3. Improved Attendance

Since the virus outbreak forced the educational institutes to adopt online classes, there is a considerable improvement in the attendance of students. While there is no need to travel long distances for classes, today's tech-savvy and pro-digital generation are loving the concept of online classes. There is a significant improvement in participation and interaction. 

4. Trackable Learning

The performance and learning ability of students is easily trackable in online classes. In online mode, data of every student is individually stored and digitally trackable. While digital tools enable teachers to easily track students with online learning, the same cannot be done with face-to-face learning. The analytic tools provide detailed reports about every student's performance and progress. This helps the teachers to create online classes according to the learning patterns of students. 

5. High Engagement 

Online learning materials are visually stimulating, concise, and more interactive combined with features like surveys or polls, quizzes, etc. As a result, online classes increase student engagement. The classes with multimedia content are easily accessible on any device and give control to students over how they take in the material.  

6. Reduced Distractions

Another great thing about online classes is that assessment is an ongoing process. There is increased student engagement as there is no peer distraction. Away from the competition and dominant students, there is increased involvement of students in asking doubts and initiating an interaction. Moreover, some concepts are better taught online. For instance, there are various tools and techniques in engineering which, with the support of visual effects are being taught better than before. 

7. Quick Assessment 

Online classes have enabled the teachers to quickly assess the learning of students as and when they teach. Unlike in the traditional classrooms, tech-enabled classes allow the teachers to post a quiz of 2-3 questions after every 10 minutes or after every concept or conduct a fact-finding poll. Shy students may actively participate in answering these questions as chat does away with the fear of 'What if I am wrong?. 

Summing It All Up 

Online learning, which came as a panacea for the crisis, is increasingly seen as a new paradigm in education. Major world-changing events are often an inflection point for rapid innovation such as the rise of e-commerce post-SARS. While it may be too early to predict, it is very likely that e-learning is going to majorly impact education and herald the arrival of a new normal.  

A Nagaraj Subbarao

Guest Author The author is Professor & Dean, Executive Education, Dayananda Sagar University

Dr Srinivas A

Guest Author The author is Professor & Dean, School of Engineering, Dayananda Sagar University

Dr M K Banga

Guest Author The author is Professor and Chairman, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, School of Engineering, Dayananda Sagar University