Distance Education – All schools are closed, and all schoolroom lessons have moved online to contain any danger of the spread of COVID-19. Therefore, distance schooling is a necessary precaution to ensure that the possibilities of transmission of the virus are limited. It is homeschooling time for many children. That is to say, and each family has access to online resources or distance courses: exercises and even “virtual classes” by videoconference. We will present in this article the definition, the advantages and the disadvantages of distance education compared to traditional education:
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Definition of Distance Education
Distance education, also called distance education, online education or e-learning, refers to a teaching modality that “allows a person to learn relatively independently, with minimal constraints of time and travel, and with the remote care of resource persons.
In calculation, distance learning is accessible wherever you are, in the presence of other participants or not. Distance education has constantly developed according to technological innovations.
In addition, there are different modalities and methods of distance learning:
- Synchronous distance learning: students attend real-time videoconferences according to a defined schedule.
- Asynchronous distance learning: lessons take place offline. Students have access to their courses at any time in different formats.
- Blended or hybrid learning refers to the everyday use of online learning and the traditional learning model, often called face-to-face. The learner will alternate between remote online sessions and face-to-face sessions with the trainer.
On the other hand, face-to-face teaching refers to a teaching modality where a professor exchanges in real-time and face to face with his students.
The Benefits of Distance Learning
Here are the advantages of online courses:
More Flexibility
Normally, those who work and need to take courses in addition to their job find it difficult to manage their time. Online courses allow them to decide when they are most available to study. They can follow their courses and programs while traveling by bus, car, train, or plane. This is obviously not possible in face-to-face teaching, which requires a predefined schedule and a fixed place. But online courses bounce you the time to succeed yourself to learn. Online courses allow you to appropriate them where you want in your schedule.
Suitable for all Rhythms
Each learner works at their own pace. If you are faster than the others, there is no need to wait for them. The reverse is also true: if you’re slower, you can take your time without getting in the way of anyone. The courses can also be tailored to the level of learning.
Practice
Distance education, unlike face-to-face teaching, makes it possible to provide training in asynchronous time and place.
Moreover, learners no longer need to travel to schools and comply with timetables. In other words, we train where we lack when we want. All you necessity is a WI-FI connection and a laptop, tablet or smartphone.
E-learning allows learners who need to stay at home, for example, for family reasons, to take advantage of their free time to continue learning and developing professionally. There is no requirement to travel or ask a teacher to come to your home with distance learning. The lessons will have the carefulness of being carried out online. You can work in a familiar situation that makes it easy to operate. In addition, a considerable saving of time is to expect.
When it is well designed, E-learning is now based on playful and varied media: videos, interactive formats, podcasts, forums, questionnaires, slide shows, etc.
Choose the course of your dreams
Following the training of your dreams often requires moving to another city or another country. Online training makes this task relaxed for many students.
The Disadvantages of Distance Learning
Less Interaction
Online teaching facilitates remote access to a classroom that suits the learner. The latter may experience a feeling of separation due to the individual format of this type of learning, giving him a sense of loneliness. But with the constant advances in technology, learners can engage more actively with teachers or other students, using video conferencing, social media and discussion forums.
Health Problems
Learners who take online training spend a lot of time on their computers and other such devices, which can lead to visual fatigue, bad postures or other physical problems, which can affect the learner.
Fewer Commitments
The youngest learners are often the ones who have the most problems with self-discipline. So they will be less inspired to complete their online training because there will not have been a teacher physically present to encourage them to study.
The Emergence of Online Learning
To mimic the social features of a traditional classroom, it is best to use tools such as message boards and Facebook groups. They make students feel like they’re not just looking at an empty bulletin board but talking to real people. Of course, this does not replace class peers.
In a traditional classroom, students naturally learn from each other while solving problems and working collaboratively. They are refreshed by a teacher who does not speak through a pre-recorded video. Online learning has yet to find ways to mimic life in a real classroom.
In contrast, e-learning provides teachers with precise and clear feedback on how students interact with the material. Through the click of a button, they can see their students’ assignments and where they are struggling.
In addition, the reduced workload allows teachers to adapt their skills in other ways that are more beneficial for the students and the class as a whole. Indeed, fewer hours spent filing records means more time spent engaging each student on an individual level. This combination of adapted content and resource management will allow teachers to lead our classrooms into the future.
Conclusion
The advantages of online learning are many: advantages: efficiency, accessibility and versatility. However, distance learning also has certain disadvantages, particularly at the technological and human levels.
Nevertheless, this type of education will continue to evolve, and e-learning, despite its advantages and disadvantages, provides an ideal learning environment for most fields, learners and teachers.