Virtual learning is becoming more and more popular especially now with the global pandemic still going on. Schools have had to strategize and make use of digital technology to continue teaching students from home because meeting in classrooms at full capacity poses health risks. The fact that virtual learning has become more popular does not mean that it will totally replace learning in a classroom setting. In this post, we will take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of virtual learning.
What is Virtual Learning?
Virtual learning is learning in a digital environment by use of a computer, tablet, or phone. It can be done online or by using software installed on electronic devices. There are various forms of virtual learning and other terms used to describe some of those forms. E-learning, for example, is done on the Internet using digital technologies. Others may call this “online learning.” Then, there is also blended learning, where a combination of classroom and virtual learning is used.
Components of virtual learning include:
- Access to information provided online or through software
- Assignments that can be done virtually and handed in
- Access to pre-recorded or live instruction
- Conferences with students and teachers
- Tests
- Online discussion forums for students
- Grades and feedback from teachers
During all of these activities, the use of multimedia makes the virtual learning experience more engaging. Additionally, videos, illustrations, audio recordings, and other tools can enhance the learning experience. Some learning environments include paraphrasing tools, built-in dictionaries, and ways to create summaries based on the available information.
Advantages
Some people specifically choose learning virtually over the traditional classroom setting. Others have no choice because their learning institutions want them to participate in virtual learning as part of the course. Whatever the case may be, there are advantages and disadvantages to virtual learning. Let’s start by looking at the advantages.
Freedom and Flexibility
With virtual learning comes freedom. Students can study from home or any place they’d like. In case students prefer studying in a library, they can simply carry their laptops there or log in on a library computer to start studying. Students also have more freedom when it comes to time because they can plan their own lesson schedules. Sometimes they will have to attend online conferences with their class at set times, but everything else is pretty flexible outside of that. This is ideal for early risers and night owls because they can study during hours that are most suitable for them. Therefore, virtual learning offers an opportunity for students to work at their own pace, which makes life less stressful for students.
Since virtual learning is more flexible, students can easily combine their studies in conjunction with a job or other tasks. This, however, varies from one course to another, so students should pay attention to their obligations and required commitments before signing up for classes.
Variety
When joining an online course, students will meet classmates who they may not have met otherwise. Online learning platforms come with discussion forums. Since it is a blended mix of people who sign up for a class, students will get to know different points of views from their fellow classmates. Beside the new things that students will learn in a course, their different backgrounds and experiences will definitely be enriched.
Access to Information
The Internet is a great source of unlimited information from news articles to academic research. All this information is just a few clicks away. This is in contrast to having to search for information in a library with the chance of not finding a specific book because someone else already checked it out. Virtual learning also comes with great tools that students can use to store, select, and highlight information. Learners can easily save the information and revert to it at any time. Students can also find a great variety of editorials that can help them formulate their own opinion when writing an essay.
Tracking Results
Virtual learning not only has advantages for students but also for teachers and parents. They often have access to dashboards that give them insight into students’ scores. Teachers can leave feedback for individual students or entire classes. Parents can discover specific areas where their children need the most help. Metrics that are generated by the software or online programs give clear overviews on the progress of a class or individual.
Disadvantages
Now that we’ve discussed some advantages of online learning, let’s take a look at its disadvantages. Since there is no perfect way or place to study, sometimes learning in a classroom is more beneficial.
Feedback
In a classroom, students can get an immediate answer to their questions because the teacher is physically there. Studying virtually means that the teacher might not be as easily accessible or has many students who need feedback. This all requires students to be more patient in receiving answers from their teachers and can even make students stall their studies for a while if they’re not sure how to continue without some guidance.
Presentations
In class, students often get the opportunity to present a certain topic to their fellow classmates and teachers. Presentations teach them public speaking, self-confidence, and strong communication skills. On top of that, teaching others what they have learned is one of the main ways to internalize information. Although presentations can still be done during video conference calls, it is different than actually standing in front of a group of people. During conference calls, not everyone might have their webcams turned on. This makes it challenging to see their facial expressions and reactions to what is being presented and harder to know if everyone is on the same page.
Supervision
When taking tests and completing assignments, there is less supervision from a teacher who makes sure that no one cheats. With virtual learning, it primarily comes down to the honesty of the students themselves. A student might be tempted to plagiarize when writing an essay or research paper. While there are some online tools that can calculate how much of a text has been plagiarized, not all courses or schools have these tools available. Even though it seems like a quick fix for students to copy and paste answers found on the Internet, they don’t learn as much as they would have when done on their own at the end of the day.
Loneliness
When students are always studying on their own, there comes a time when they miss personal interactions with others. Chatting online is not the same as having an in-person conversation. It can feel more distant not being able to see non-verbal communication cues. As previously stated, not everyone uses their webcams during conference calls; this can make some students feel like they are anonymous or unseen.
Access
Virtual learning is only accessible to those who have the devices, electricity, and Internet connections available. This leaves a big percentage of the world’s population cut off from this type of learning. As much as the world keeps on becoming more digital, this is one of the reasons why it should never fully replace in-class learning. Moreover, even if students have access to everything they need to start virtual learning, it can be challenging at first to find out how everything works. Also, it can be time-consuming to find what they need in the ocean of unlimited information that is presented or figuring out how the study dashboard works to avoid missing assignments or important feedback. This means that virtual learning is most appealing to those who have a handle on how technology and software work. As a result, computer illiterate people are at a great disadvantage when it comes to virtual courses.
Technology Failure
Many must rely heavily on technology these days, but what if technology fails? The Wi-Fi connection could stop working, or the teacher’s connection could cut out during an online lesson. All these technical hiccups will make it hard for students to study and concentrate on what is being taught. These disruptions would not happen if students were seated in a classroom receiving instructions. Some technological issues can be solved quickly, but others may take longer to fix.
Takeaway
The rise of technology comes with great opportunities. Many people don’t have to leave their houses in order to learn something new because almost everything can be done from the comfort of home. Especially during these COVID-19 times when many are advised to stay home, virtual learning can be a great solution. We discussed various pros and cons of virtual learning. It can offer great freedom and flexibility. Students have tons of information available to them that is just a few clicks away. However, this sometimes comes with feelings of loneliness or being anonymous might play a part when studying virtually.
Whether your student is currently making use of virtual learning or not, it is here to stay. Ideally, a combination of both learning in a classroom and virtual learning opportunities will be utilized in schools to help all learners. If your child is struggling to adjust to online learning, consider hiring one of our professional tutors to provide additional academic support.
