COVID-19 has had a significant worldwide influence, impacting people from all over the world. While we acknowledge the difficulties we encountered, it is critical to emphasize the resilience and adaptability that our society showed during this period.
The records from the World Health Organization reflect the scale of the pandemic, yet amidst the difficulties, communities have come together to support one another. The education sector, despite facing significant disruptions, has shown remarkable flexibility in responding to the challenges.
Students, in particular, have exhibited perseverance in dealing with changes to their learning settings. As educational institutions shifted to online platforms to ensure safety, both teachers and students embraced the new modes of learning. The benefits of online learning and the changing nature of education are examined in this article.
Shift to Online Learning
The most noticeable and immediate shift that students have experienced since the pandemic is the increasing use of online education. In order to stop the virus from spreading, colleges and institutions had to close their physical locations; thus, students had to swiftly adjust to learning virtually. This change came with benefits like flexibility, saving time, and saving money (it removed the preparation for going to school and transportation costs). In this regard, AHEAD offers the best online tutorial programs in the Philippines.
Lower Expenses and More Free Time
Purchasing textbooks and course materials costs the average student thousands of pesos a year, if not more. Taking advantage of virtual resources is common in virtual courses, which results in lower textbook costs. Although education might be costly, there are several ways that students can save money using virtual learning.
You can reduce your transportation expenses and time if you don’t need to commute to school. You may utilize that extra time however you like, whether it be to work on your profession or spend time with your family. Speaking of expenses, AHEAD is the one and only review center in the Philippines that offers a money-back guarantee!
Personalized Instruction
When it comes to course materials, the era of online learning has brought forth an abundance and accessibility of options. Online learning systems provide a wide range of resources that accommodate different learning styles and preferences, replacing outdated lecture notes and textbooks.
Online courses could help students who find it difficult to concentrate in class. When interacting online, students who are less assertive might be able to participate in class discussions more effectively. With self-paced learning and the freedom to work from any location, the outcome may be a more customized educational experience. Students in online courses are free to select the time that suits them best for finishing readings and tasks. Courses can be performed anywhere there is an internet connection because the coursework is done online.
Course Materials Are Available Anytime
Video presentations can be viewed and reviewed as needed, but traditional lectures rely on you taking the best notes possible. Students can go back and listen to a video lecture again if they didn’t fully understand any of the material covered. Lecture videos are an additional resource that students can use to assist with conflicting assignments.
Interactive Learning
A multitude of course resources are available for online learning. Teachers employ multimedia resources like videos, audio samples, interactive simulations, digital textbooks, and e-resources for multimedia features and interactive simulations to increase student engagement and comprehension. It is possible to include pupils in learning in a variety of ways. Resources for online learning are not limited to text. The utilization of interactive components and visual aids can enhance students’ comprehension of complex concepts, hence contributing to the efficacy of the learning process.
Open Educational Resources (OER)
In online learning, the idea of Open Educational Resources has become more popular. Open Educational Resources (OER) are materials that are available for use, modification, and sharing under an open license. By guaranteeing that a diverse variety of students, irrespective of financial limitations, can obtain top-notch course materials, this democratization of educational content promotes inclusion and open knowledge.
One significant technological development that is changing not only our society but also university cultures around the globe is the Internet. Universities and online institutions must take advantage of the Internet to teach as a result, and one forward-thinking aspect of this is the utilization of online delivery techniques. According to Lord (2000), three essential success variables in online delivery are identified: technology, the instructor, and the previous use of the technology from a student’s standpoint.
When we talk about online education, we should carefully consider our choices because they will impact the future of our children. We have to think of the expenses, technology, and reputation of the online university or institution. AHEAD is the leading and most awarded supplementary educational service provider in the Philippines. It is committed to making a real difference in the lives of students, professionals, and its partner organizations and franchisees through diverse service brands.
AHEAD’s lecturers consist of experienced educators who graduated from UP, Ateneo, and La Salle with cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude. It offers academic tutorials for all levels and subjects and specializes in test-based review programs for the UPCAT, ACET, and DCAT.
It is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant and lasting effect on students as we work through its aftermath. Even though there are still difficulties, students’ tenacity and flexibility, along with the proactive steps taken by educational institutions, give promise for a more robust and inclusive educational future.
The availability of diverse and dynamic course materials for online learning has revolutionized the educational landscape. From digital textbooks to multimedia elements and adaptive technologies, the abundance of resources caters to a wide range of learning preferences. This not only enhances the learning experience for students but also empowers educators to create dynamic and engaging courses. As online learning continues to evolve, the accessibility and richness of course materials contribute to a more inclusive and impactful educational journey for learners around the world.
By: John Miguel Tolentino
References :
Drexel University. (n.d.). THE BENEFITS OF ONLINE EDUCATION IN A VIRTUAL CLASSROOM. Drexel University School of Education. Retrieved from https://drexel.edu/soe/resources/student-teaching/advice/benefits-of-online-and-virtual-learning/
Number of COVID-19 deaths reported to WHO (cumulative total). (n.d.). WHO COVID-19 Dashboard. Retrieved from https://data.who.int/dashboards/covid19/deaths?n=c
Volery, T., & Lord, D. (2000). Critical success factors in online education. International journal of educational management, 14(5), 216-223. Retrieved from https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/09513540010344731/full/html