As each of us are navigating the impact of COVID-19 on our lives in different ways, the education has made a huge shift from traditional methods of learning to online classes. The schools all over the globe have been shut down with almost 1.2 billion children studying from home. As per an article by the World Economic Forum, there’s recently been a research conducted that shows that there is an increase in retention of information among students and it takes less time.
In fact, lot of reputed professors and educationalists are also happy that they are able to reach more students without any geographical and time barriers. This means, there is a high possibility that some of the changes made by the coronavirus will be here to stay!!
But if Online Learning is actually effective?
The only challenge online learning could have is the access to internet and a computer. Since our main focus lies on the impact of e-learning in the UK and here, majority of the learners do have the right technology. Once this need is fulfilled, online learning is certainly rising up as an ultimate solution to the new post-COVID-19 lifestyle.
Some research reveals that in comparison to face-to-face learning where retention rates are just 8-10%, e-learning projects have an average retention rate of 25-60%, which is a remarkable improvement. Going a step further, there are a lot of online learning platforms offering self-paced courses that move as per the pace of an individual child bringing them confidence to learn at their own speed with no peer pressure, though not omitting the crucial element of competition. Examwizz, is one such platform that offers interactive online courses on 11 Plus, SATs with multitude of engaging features that make the learning fun and effective. Already used by hundreds of students all across the UK, it helped a lot of students reach their desired Grammar Schools last year and is again on roll with even more interesting features. One of the Examwizz’s student, says:
“Examwizz is excellent! Thank you for stretching my understanding and working speed. It has helped me pass my 11 Plus exam, well pleased.”
Rajeshwar, 11 Years, May 2020
But how exactly is Online Learning Better than Face-to-Face Learning?
a) It saves a lot of time and money - With online learning, students can study from home, while they and the parents save the crucial time of travelling that otherwise becomes exerting, especially after the hectic school run. Also, the average tuition charges paid by the parents are approximately £45 per session. Add to it, the costs of books, test papers and more.
On the other hand, online courses charge a one time payment of around £80-£120 for the whole program that is inclusive of interactive learning sessions, tutorials, time-bound tests, practice sessions, worked examples and a lot more. So if we calculate, online learning is a lot more affordable and cheaper as compared to traditional learning.
b) Gets instant feedback - Feedback is a very important learning element and without it, the learning is incomplete. When children are learning online on platforms like Examwizz, they get smartly generated instant feedback reports that thoroughly evaluate their progress on various factors like skill-based understanding, topic understanding and more. This report is more accurate and effective.
Whereas, in the case of traditional teaching methods, the reports are generic and irregular.
c) It is engaging - Online learning can be very engaging when it is supported by video tutorials, quizzes, worked examples, tests and more. While learning through platforms like Examwizz, a child gets personalised virtual attention and is proceeded to the next levels based upon their present understanding. Along the way, they witness interesting clips, tutorials, quizzes. This way, they enjoy learning more and retain the concepts better.
Talking about traditional learning methods, all children are taught in the same manner using a whiteboard that may not grasp a child’s attention for long.
d) Helps maintaining social distancing - Not only the e-learning is beneficial now because it is instantly accessible and offers flexible scheduling but also because during the time of crisis like COVID-19, it helps in maintaining social distancing and supports continuous learning without any gaps. This, on the other hand, is not possible in face-to-face learning.
e) A child can learn independently with no peer pressure - Every child has a different learning pace and when they are learning in a group in a physical environment, peer pressure and competition can work against the slow learning students. They can feel demotivated and may lose confidence to ask their questions.
When we talk about online learning programs, students learn independently at their own pace. The timelines are set up to give them the push but simultaneously they feel comfortable to go back to any topic they didn’t understand.
f) Provides timed exam questions - Performing timely in the exams is the key to getting good results. Online learning platforms like Examwizz offer time bound tests, mock exams that create a positive pressure on the students while providing them the complete first hand experience of the actual exam.
This trend is here to stay!
Online learning platforms have massively been fulfilling the learning and teaching needs of schools, tuitions, students and parents. As more and more users are joining this online wagon, the trend will continue to remain there, even when this pandemic situation subsides, because of the flexibility and features it offers. So, it’s time that we explore its full potential and make the best use of it for our children.
Join Examwizz today ensure your child’s success
Written by Pouname Khaira
20 Year Experience in Teaching