There are a few benefits to online learning, but there are also a few cons. Here are a few. Convenience and social presence. Although convenience and social presence are advantages, online learning can also be limiting. It may be difficult to meet the needs of all learners. For this reason, it’s important to understand your goals and set a realistic goal.
Creating a learning community in online learning
When you create an online learning community, you want your students to feel that they belong. You want them to participate in the online community because they want to get specific information and develop their skills. In order to make that happen, you must conduct audience research. This can be done through interviews, surveys, polls, and online pre-assessments. You can also create audience personas and collect feedback from current online learners.
Online learning communities should have a sense of belonging and encourage personal connections. Every member of the community has their own personality, experience, and preferences. And it’s important to acknowledge and respect these differences. Creating an introduction board for new members of the community can help break the ice and foster meaningful interaction among online learners.
Strengths and weaknesses of online learning
There are many strengths and weaknesses of online learning. Among them, pedagogical quality and comfort are the most frequently mentioned. In addition, the online environment can be more flexible and adaptable than a traditional classroom setting. The main weaknesses were related to the technology used to conduct courses, such as Moodle, files, and other resources.
Older students and those with less self-confidence identified the technical and affective role of their teachers as a weakness. In contrast, younger students were more willing to accept new technologies.
Convenience
One of the main benefits of online learning is its convenience. Students can take their courses anytime, anywhere, and even in their pajamas. In addition, e-courses are usually self-paced, so students can work at their own pace and skip lessons as needed. Another advantage of online learning is that it is more affordable.
Many people prefer online training for a variety of reasons. The convenience of studying at home has opened up educational opportunities to many who were previously underserved by traditional higher-education institutions. Working parents can study at their own pace, and frequent travelers can attend classes on the go. The availability of online courses has also helped struggling schools boost attendance rates by allowing students to work around a busy schedule.
The cost of online learning is much less than the cost of traditional classroom learning. While each school has its own pricing system, in general, traditional learning tends to be more expensive due to the costs of space rental, facilities, and onsite staff. On the other hand, online learning has lower overhead costs, making it more affordable and beneficial for the environment. Online courses can be taken from home or any location, saving students travel time and money.
Social presence
The importance of social presence in online learning has been recognized by many researchers. It is important for educators to be aware of social presence to develop an effective online learning environment. Studies of social presence have shown that it influences students’ perception of their learning and satisfaction with their online learning environment. However, these studies are limited to a narrow focus on students’ perceived learning, rather than the actual experience of being in a community.
Social presence has many conceptualizations. Some measure social presence as an indicator of perceived social connection to other people. Other measures of social presence have a broad range of scales, making comparisons difficult.
Resources
Fortunately, the internet offers an abundance of free and low-cost resources for educators. In addition to traditional textbooks, many of these resources are intended for distance learning. You can find learning materials by grade, subject, or type. Educators can also use these resources to create lesson plans and classroom activities.
The best free online resources for teachers are available in the form of free videos. These videos feature a variety of educational topics. There are topics for elementary school students as well as high school students. You can find videos for math, science, English, and even art. Some of the videos have embedded learning activities. Whether you’re looking for some free math practice or a quick tutorial to improve your teaching skills, these resources can help you improve your student’s learning experience.
Additionally, there are also courses available on programming, such as full-stack development training, React, Java, digital marketing, and more.”
The BBC and Microsoft Education have partnered with the BBC World Service to provide an extensive range of free resources for students, including media literacy courses and lessons. You can assign parts of the lessons to your students, or let them work independently.
