Online learning got a boost in popularity and relevance from the work-from-home transition and remote learning environments sparked by COVID-19.
The media is rife with scary claims about the impacts of online learning, but the benefits more than outweigh them with a little bit of love and care.
Learn about the opportunities online learning provides your student and yourself.
Table of Contents
Flexibility and Comfort
Who doesn’t love the idea of learning from anywhere at any time? If there is an online version of a work training or a replay of a lecture, it reduces stress on learners everywhere.
Worldwide, students have long commutes to public schools, making access and time management education difficult. Geographic limitations are a pain of the past with online learning. It opens up previously strict routines and social schedules for more freedom and work-life balance.
The convenience of readily prepared educational materials encourages curiosity and learning at your own pace, adding emotional flexibility on top of the practical. The peace of mind translates to guardians too. It allows parents to balance their lives alongside students better, ensuring they stay on task without compromising their work or focus, attempting to micromanage from a distance.
Organic Parent-Child Participation
Online learning makes you more aware of and involved in your child’s education. Parents can also view learning materials to help contextualize what their student is consuming, better preparing them to help with homework or projects. Who knows — maybe the parent will learn a little something along the way.
It also sets a precedent for the learners. Whether you are learning alongside your spouse or the student is studying independently, it fosters an environment that cherishes education. Communication improves as a byproduct. When online resources are accessible to parents, students expect that their progress is always up for discussion, even when it comes to online parent-teacher conferences.
Wide Array of Educational Tools
Students and adults are now open to more than what formal education provides. Online learning platforms like Coursera and Skillshare are only a few online services teaching everything from how to write a resume to astrophysics. Initiatives like SciShow and Crash Course on YouTube are rewriting history by providing high-quality education for free to supplement passionate learning worldwide. It allows everyone in a household to explore outside the predetermined curriculum. It might be the first time a student has had a chance to be independent in their learning journey, which is essential for internal growth and appreciation for knowledge.
It allows learners to explore what education has to offer. The diverse resources reinvigorate their love of learning, especially when they can dive into specific interests and niches. Online aids are mostly audio-visual, but with printable worksheets and interactive media, there is a whole world to explore while engaging in almost all senses. Gamified tech-driven learning experiences might engrain students the knowledge they need to pass a test over a standard lecture.
Cost and Time Savings
The most tangible benefit of online learning is financial savings. Not everyone loves how much commutes cost in time and money — especially with rising gas prices. The time used on long bus trips is better spent sleeping, doing homework or participating in hobbies.
A case study analyzed how commutes impact sleep. For every minute a student commutes, an average of 1.3 minutes of sleep is lost. Therefore, a student with a 30-minute commute sleeps around 26 minutes less than a student with a 10-minute ride.
That isn’t the only time and cost-saving students and guardians have. Imagine how much time and money you spend packing lunches. Eating at home with full kitchen access invites more nutritious, varied meals.
Additionally, the proliferation of online learning resources has created more educational products. Many of them are cheaper than traditional alternatives, dismantling the cost barriers associated with classic schooling. For example, math-savvy students are familiar with the classic TI-84 calculator that quickly becomes necessary in high school and college. Online apps and emulators make this cost-prohibitive tool available at reduced or no cost.
Socialization and Networking Possibilities
Consider how much time you and your students spend on their phones or computers communicating with people. From Discord servers to active iMessage group chats, online learning happens in the same socially-involved way. It exposes students to international perspectives, broadening everyone’s horizons by learning more about different cultures and educational systems worldwide.
The networking opportunities — especially on platforms outside the classroom, like LinkedIn Learning — are everywhere you look. Discussion boards publicize open and transparent conversations about learning, allowing everyone to ask for help and advice on whatever platform they feel most comfortable with. Everyone can share experiences in safe online spaces, becoming more confident communicators and learners along the way.
Classrooms of the Future
Online learning has even more benefits outside of these, but they are individualized for every person. One student may find increased confidence, while another has a more quantifiable improvement in higher assignment grades.
The possibilities are endless, and parents should encourage students to dig for ways to learn online. The improved access and decreased barriers to education will create a more curious, well-rounded and empathetic world for the current and subsequent generations.
