The Days of Blackboards and Chalks
Let us go few years back in time. The days when a teacher asking a student to write on the blackboard was considered a privilege. Those days when the class monitor was assigned the task to write the date on the top left corner of the blackboard everyday. Those days when dusting off the chalk powder from the duster was also a task happily done by students to earn some brownie points from teachers. These moments which are nostalgic for many of us. But it might be new information for the younger school students, especially those who joined school in the past few years when online learning had become the norm.
And then Covid struck…
In the Post-Covid era we see a striking rise in the number of ways in which one can learn remotely. The doors which e-learning has opened for learning possibilities are commendable. Although there were already various ways of accessing knowledge and information online, there has been a significant growth in the sources for the same. The flexibility which online education allows is something which everyone seeks. Working professional or even a person who dropped studies can join for a study programme which is being provided by an institution located thousands of kilometres away. It gives a lot of flexibility to people as they can download the study material and then study as per their convenience. The number of universities providing these facilities have increased rapidly over the last few years.
The Pros of Online Learning
The diversity in the type of students and teachers accessing online learning is also worth noticing especially people with geographical location issues and physical disabilities. Few years ago who would have thought that attendance can be given from the comfort of your homes! You might be learning in your sweatpants with a tutor you have never met in real life. This transition to online learning has been really fast during Covid times. The efforts taken by teachers to switch, almost overnight, from traditional blackboard teaching methods to online methods is very commendable. The tireless efforts taken by older teachers to quickly join the digital teaching era is especially praiseworthy. It shows us their dedication and passion.
The Cons of Online Learning
Although online learning has many advantages to its credit, we can’t ignore the cons. We must never forget that one needs easy and accessible internet facility for these online resources to be available at one’s fingertips. This is something which many people still face an issue with in a lot of places. Lack of real time interactions has also affected the bonds between students and teachers. Also most of the time, the flexibility offered by online learning has affected the authenticity of work produced by students. It has also lead to an increase in procrastination among students. This has affected the teachers too as real-time interaction and corrections are easier than online interactions, especially for classes like dance or music coaching.
A World of Opportunities Awaits
The pros of online learning far outweigh the cons. Long gone are the days when anyone can say “I didn’t know about this”, because the fact is – there are tons of resources available online! That’s the advantage of e-learning! There are no boundaries for gaining knowledge and the resources are endless. One should learn the art of finding the right source and tutor which will help in the long run.
Technology is not a silver bullet. It’s only as good as the teachers … using it as one more tool to help inspire, and teach, and work through problems.
Barack Obama
