When online learning was making its first timid steps just a few decades ago, there was no doubt that it had the potential to become an extremely powerful tool in different aspects of education. The surprise is not the fact that eLearning has become so popular, but how fast this has happened.
Should we expect online tutoring and studying to become the future of education?
The short answer is yes. The latest events related to the COVID-19 world epidemic showed the importance of effective online learning platforms that allow students to continue their studies even during weeks of quarantine and self-isolation. The growing popularity of online education is encouraging more and more schools and universities to include different programs and lessons in their curriculum that students can attend through virtual classrooms, as well as have instant access to an abundance of sources and learning materials.
There are lots of factors that have influenced the evolution of education as we know it: the significant development in the technologies and their integration into learning software and techniques. Some bold predictions suggest that the improvement of artificial intelligence and the new learning experience platforms may even replace the role of the tutor.
Is online tutoring the future of education?
Time will tell, but there is no doubt that online learning is becoming the “new normal” way of studying. Here are some of the reasons why:
Online tutoring and learning offer the best-personalized study experience
E-Learning allows for the adjustment of the teaching methods and the pace of studying to a student’s preferences, level of knowledge, and requirements. The learning platforms used today, like VEDAMO, provide tutors with fully equipped virtual classrooms, which have an abundance of tools and resources, such as a rich variety of supported multimedia files to use in class, storage of materials, etc.
Online learning has all the advantages of studying in a physical classroom along with the benefits of the customized experience that brings the most efficient results. During the online tutoring sessions, the teacher and the student interact in real-time with immediate feedback and have the flexibility to adjust the lesson to the student’s progress and needs. MedicMind.co.uk believes that medicine tutors are the right answer for all the students looking to get into a medical school.
ELearning and teaching are more accessible, affordable, and efficient
Modern virtual classrooms and eLearning platforms create the perfect study environment for students and tutors who no longer need to be at the same location (or even on the same continent) in order to hold a lesson. The ability to participate in the study process at a time that is convenient for both sides makes eLearning more accessible than traditional education. In addition, learning platforms provide access to the resources and learning materials at any time.
The lessons can easily be recorded for future reference. Tutors can create templates for the lessons and use them again with a few clicks of the mouse, which saves time in the preparation process. Today’s modern platforms provide teachers with an abundance of storage space where they can keep and organize a wide variety of materials and resources that are easy to access and apply when needed.
Online learning assures access to the best resources and teachers. Thanks to the internet, students have more options than ever to enroll in advanced programs with the most reputable tutors in their field. ELearning is becoming the most efficient way of gaining knowledge and skills in a wide range of businesses, industries, and life.
Many believe that the convenience of online tutoring and studying encourages more people to advance their education. It is easier to fit learning into your daily life without having to make serious compromises with your routine.
Online learning is also very affordable. Online courses and programs are often cheaper than the alternatives offered in traditional classrooms. The flexibility to schedule classes at a time that is most convenient for both tutors and students, as well as the saved expenses related to traveling to the physical school, are some of the reasons why eLearning is an affordable form of education.
Students and tutors improve both their academic and technical skills
One interesting benefit of online tutoring and learning is an improvement in the technical skills of both students and tutors. The rapidly developing technologies in education today make it crucial to stay on top of one’s game when it comes to new software, methods, and techniques in eLearning in order to get the best results from the learning process. This is the main reason why one of the goals of eLearning platforms like VEDAMO is to create the most user-friendly environment that brings the advantages of the technologies in an easy-to-understand way. The software is intuitive and user-friendly and even users who have never seen such platforms can easily learn all the features; before they realize it, working with the system becomes second nature.
Time management skills
All of the parties involved in eLearning use time management to achieve optimal results from the study process. Along with improved knowledge and competences, both students and teachers improve their time management skills, which are helpful in different aspects of life outside of education.
Online tutoring encourages creativity and “out-of-the-box” thinking
The hands-on skills used in traditional teaching can’t always be transferred directly to the virtual classroom. Younger students, for example, learn best through imitation and visual stimulation. Therefore, it is very important for the tutor to provide a combination of pictures, letters, words, and exercises on the whiteboard of the virtual classroom with the live interaction through videoconferencing.
According to MathMinds, online tutoring is suitable for both private one-to-one lessons, as well as teaching classes of several students. Will eLearning completely replace the traditional methods of education? More and more schools and universities are offering the option of hybrid programs that include a combination of traditional learning and eLearning. This type of hybrid learning provides the best results for disciplines that benefit from lessons focused on practice and demonstrations, like medicine, hairdressing, etc.
Online tutoring and learning have a lot of benefits, but they also have some weaknesses, such as:
A smooth teaching process depends on the flawless performance of the technologies involved, including the internet connection, the equipment, etc.
Online studying is more challenging for more extroverted students because they usually learn better with lots of stimulating activities and by socializing. They get invigorated by high energy activities and an abundance of events. Online tutors can apply different techniques to keep the extroverted students more engaged, like using a lot of interactive exercises, different multimedia, role-play games, and many more.
Just like in most things, in education, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. One thing is certain though, the convenience and efficiency of online tutoring and learning will take education to the next level.
