Virtual or online classes became a thing during the COVID-19 pandemic. And as things start going back to normal, we will soon return to in-person classes. However, 5-10 years down the road, online learning might become mainstream. And there is a good chance that it might replace regular in-person classes too. Here are four reasons why that is a possibility.
#1 It Saves Time
Have you ever thought of how much time you waste commuting to and from school? You also have nothing to do during off-periods or breaks. Sometimes, you might have to wait three to five hours for the next class to start, only for it to last 40 minutes.
There is no doubt that in-person classes lead to a lot of time wastage; time which otherwise could have been spent more productively doing your homework or assignments.
With online classes, however, you do not have to bother leaving your house. Hence, no time is wasted commuting to and from your college or school. You also do not have to worry about breaks in between classes. Be it three hours or five, since you are home, you can utilize that time however you want. This is a more effective solution than asking students to stay on campus throughout the day to attend two classes three or five hours apart.
#2 On-Demand Classes and Tutorial Services
Usually, you have to make an appointment with your teacher or student tutor if you need a consultation session with them. However, they might not be available all the time. So you have to wait for a free slot, and when you do get your turn, they might not be able to spend more than 20 minutes on your problem. That is hardly enough time to explain the problem, let alone get a proper solution for it.
With online classes, this problem will not exist. Instead of reaching out to your assigned teacher or tutor, you can avail online tutoring or homework assistance services like homeworkmarket.com. These platforms have their own designated tutors who are experts in their respective subjects.
Many of them are students like you and are more than happy to help you out. The best thing about these services is that you can avail them on-demand. There is no need for you to schedule an appointment and wait for days to get in touch with them.
#3 More Scope to Diversify the Lectures
One of the many advantages of conducting online classes is that the school can bring in teachers or lecturers from all around the world. That will expose students to newer theories, studying techniques and methodologies, and newer ideas.
Distance learning has been around for a while now. However, this type of curriculum is usually conducted on a limited scale. That means students attending these programs are only getting to take part in them for a limited time, which is usually shorter than a regular semester. Besides, the courses offered in such programs are not usually mainstream.
Students can do the same classes they are doing now but under foreign instructors, if online learning becomes mainstream. It will be somewhat similar to distance learning with students being able to take more courses from their major programs.
That will help diversify the lectures as well as the curriculum in each subject. College students might also get the opportunity to collaborate on research projects with professors who are living thousands of miles away from them.
#4 Online Resources are Easier to Distribute
There are plenty of cloud-based platforms that make it easier for schools and colleges to distribute study materials to their students. Thanks to these cloud platforms, online education has become more feasible and accessible to students.
Even if you are a computer science student, and do not have a high-end PC to run your programs, you can utilize cloud-based compilers. Your programs will be executed on their servers by utilizing their resources. So even at home on a low-end computer, you will still be able to execute programs that require a lot of resources.
Many colleges are also setting up their own online learning platforms with the help of existing MOOC platforms. That way, they can upload pre-recorded lectures for their students. The students can watch those lectures and attend live online classes to clear out their confusion. It is a system that has a lot of scope to ensure maximum utilization of time, both for teachers and students.
Of course, online learning does have its drawbacks. However, in the near future, there is a possibility that it will replace in-person classes, at least to some extent. As long as the required infrastructure is there, the switch to such a system of learning should not be a big problem.
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