With the onset of online teaching, virtual classrooms have become the new normal. As students and teachers adapt to online classes, the benefits of virtual classrooms are gradually making their way as a long term teaching practice. Virtual classrooms are basically time-specific online study sessions that are a replica of in-school sessions. With modified lesson plans and time-effective solutions, virtual teaching is making learning easy and effective. Here are the top 7 benefits of virtual classrooms in today’s times:
1. Enhanced Accessibility
The best advantage of virtual classrooms is without doubt, the ease of connecting with tutors online. Students no longer have to wait for the school to reopen or attend classes to clarify doubts. Tutors are available online and round-the-clock sometimes, to help students out with their conceptual roadblocks. This makes it easier for students to get help at any given time.
2. Time Effective
The onset of online learning has proven to be more time efficient than conventional teaching methods. If in class, a student spent 3 hours attending extra classes, the same student now takes only 15 minutes online with a tutor to clarify concepts. Access to tutors online is helping students as well as parents to manage their time effectively.
3. Attention and Retention
Virtual classrooms have changed the face of learning resources. Students have access to important concepts available in engaging formats like audio-video presentations, animated videos and PDFs that are easily accessible from the comfort of their homes. The pool of e-learning resources provides better retention of concepts as they are designed in bite-sized formats that are easy to grasp.
4. Immediate Feedback
Gone are the days when students waited for their homework to be reviewed and copies to be signed. With virtual classrooms and apps for online teaching, teachers can now give students their valuable feedback on the spot online. This not only reduces workload for teachers but also relieves students’ anxiety.
5. Flexibility to Learn at Own Pace
Virtual teaching gives students the freedom to grasp a concept at their own pace. Students can easily do their research on the learning resources available and get back to their lessons at their own time. Going virtual has reduced the stress of syllabus on students and has shifted focus to understanding concepts effectively. Students enter online classes with a more relaxed state of mind that promotes better learning and retention.
6. Community Building
Virtual learning has provided students a way of continuing their in-class discussions online. Students can now form study groups online and assign a topic of discussion to explore new insights on the subject. This has proven to be more effective than haphazard class discussions in school. This serves as a platform for healthy group discussions online. In most cases, the educator serves as a moderator to keep the discussions on track with the subject assigned.
7. Cost Effective
Online teaching has drastically cut down learning expenditures. With virtual classrooms, factors like travel and accommodation have taken a backseat. Students can attend a class from anywhere around the globe and simply pay attention in class. The cost of infrastructure and equipment is now redirected towards investing in technological upgrades like a laptop and sound device. The use of technology in education is economical and saves time as well.
While traditional classrooms have their own charm, online learning is now the need of the hour.
Online teaching apps have engaged lakhs of students and are even helping tutors thrive financially. E-learning resources are plenty and only need to be segregated class wise before being circulated. Virtual learning, if supervised efficiently, has the potential to elevate educational standards globally.