How OnLine Learning Works
“Through our lessons and our presence, albeit in a digital way, we can provide our students with a reassuring voice and a sense of the known, as we explore the unknown together,” says Aaron Dominguez, provost and physicist at the Catholic University of America.
Across the country, students of all ages are being sent home to continue their studies at a distance from school (and from each other). At my own university, Catholic University of America, students are now working remotely for the rest of the school year. How does this education work and is it effective?
Read the article What an Effective Online Education Includes here => https://www.dailysignal.com/2020/03/25/what-an-effective-online-education-includes/
Then post your thoughts in the Comments Section below.
This article is required reading for many classes,
Cheers,
Jack
As a student halfway through their college career forced from an in-person to online environment it was a little jarring. However now after a full year under my belt of online learning I have become pretty familiar with how it typically works and what is to be expected. I really enjoyed this article and how it showed that online or distance learning is not anything new and has been around for hundreds of years. For me distance learning was only something I had heard of however never truly considered myself until it was forced upon me. I personally like many others would prefer an in person environment however many organizations have made distance learning a very efficient and in some peoples opinions a more preferable way to learn. Thankfully most content now such as textbooks now have electronic versions allowing you to access them anywhere you get an internet connection. Distance learning also gives an advantage of learning what you want where you want which allows for a lot more flexibility in a person’s busy schedule should they choose. Distance learning also does a great job of connecting people especially during a time in which physically connecting people was difficult.
I liked how the article illuminated that long distance and virtual learning, actually is not new has existed longer than may think. Long distance learning is believed to have existed for hundred of years. This connects with me, since I have a close friend who I met when I was in high school, that has been homeschooled with his brothers virtually, since middle school. They may thrive in an long distance learning setting, because they are driven, self-starters, who like to dictate their own pace. I simillary with Joe would personally prefer an in person environment. So, I can share interpersonal connections with my professors, peers, and friends on campus. Fortunately for companies, and those adjusting to virtual learning, most resources needed online to help further learning are available with the mass of content the internet provides.
This article was fascinating because it speaks about online learning in its entirety. I thought it was interesting to see similarities and contrasts between in-person classes and online classes virtually. Online learning has revolutionized learning for many, but it has become a difficulty for some as well. For me, online learning has been a mix of both good and bad. The good is that it saves time and money to attend classes virtually compared to driving to class, spending money on food, etc. I would also add the bad, which would be challenging to maintain focus at times since you are sometimes too comfortable at home and get easily distracted. I thought it was interesting how the article mentioned that distance learning had been around for over the years, and it’s nothing new. I thought this was well put, considering that online or virtual learning was a routine of use and a final method to have classes overall during the pandemic. Overall it is an excellent relatable article!
I think this article tells how an online classroom could be the future and a better way to access education but I also think this a system that needs to be transitioned into. While I was in my sophomore year of college I had my lacrosse season and school year come to a pause because of the pandemic and then going onto remote learning without very much training was very challenging. I think as easy as it is for some student to do well on a online environment it is more difficult for some students too though. Asking students to sit on their computers for an hour and 1/2 at a time make it very hard to focus. Especially when trying to take notes or other things students do during class.
The ability to learn anywhere is fascinating because of the digital access. Also, the easy learning the content through platforms and software. As an international student, I have benefit online learning while being home. Online courses were more fun in a learning environment. Virtual classes will rise and be more accessible to all students. It is true that the internet has changed in the way we learn new things, especially fewer students in the classes. Online classes are more interactive in the sense that students can interact without being presence.
As a student who has never done online classes during the regular school year, coronavirus definitely hit hard. It was challenging in the beginning because so many people did not know how to handle the situation. Many professors were being forced to use technology that they knew nothing about and getting criticism for being slow. I learned this past year to be extremely patient with my professor and they in turn were extremely patient with the students. Having the technology that we have today has helped push online learning to the forefront because it can be just as good as in person, and in this past year, a lot safer. Having the interaction between students face to face is not as important as the content that is shared in those interactions and this can be done over online classes.
I found this article very compelling due to the significant relevance of remote education. George Washington, the first president of the United States, earned his license through remote learning instead of being in the classroom. The University of Toronto successfully established the first online class in 1984, which I found interesting because remote education is not a new concept. It has been a concept that has been around for centuries, and I think universities are smart to adapt to this environment due to the convenience and effectiveness of remote learning. Students, professors, and the university are still connected through discussion and forums. In my assumption, and if used correctly, an online platform even has more benefits than an in-person classroom, and it is our responsibility to utilize this approach to learning.
Learning online is a revolutionary thing. It allows you to balance a work life, social life, and most importantly scholarly life. I never knew George Washington was a fellow remote learner. If someone that became the president could succeed remotely, anyone can. Online learning may not have all the perks of being in person. However, we can still have great dialogue through our writing and discussions in our virtual class. When we were all sent home during the pandemic and school was remote we saw this as a bad thing. We had live our lives on our college campus, excited to learn and gain the total college experience. That was all taken away with covid. However, we had to really gain more tools to engage remotely, to learn virtually, and still collaborate with our peers. If anything, operating remotely has made us stronger. We are able to adapt our skills more than ever. We have the world at our fingertips. We can still learn as much as we want, we have endless reading material, endless documentaries, etc that allow us to learn outside of the classroom. With our ever growing technology we are able to even work remotely. We can hold zoom meetings, have phone calls, and still be able to connect with colleagues and peers.
Learning online began for me 2 years before COVID, where my teachers in high school would post their coursework online whenever we had a snow day. At the time I found it extremely tedious, but once I got the hang of it, I found that it freed me to make more of my day than I would be able to in a normal school day. Learning that George Washington was also a remote learner was heartening; if the president who helped for our nation succeeded through remote learning, anyone could. While in-person schooling affords students the social aspect of school, remote learning helps broaden our communication skills across a multitude of platforms, such as Zoom. With advancing technology, remote learning has become more interpersonal, more, social, and more applicable in the modern world, where working from home has become more and more popular.
Undoubtedly, the educational landscape has changed due to the quick transition toward remote learning, which has brought obstacles and possibilities. As this essay has shown, the development of online education has been one of constant improvement and adaptability. The capacity of remote learning to link students, teachers, and course materials in creative ways is one of its most exciting features. The idea of an online classroom, where debates occur, and information is shared, goes beyond the physical confines of conventional schooling. Seeing how technology promotes meaningful relationships resembling in-person dialogues and peer-to-peer contact is impressive. I like how the three-way feedback loop—student, content, and teacher—is emphasized as the foundation of successful digital learning. The notion that participation turns into a sort of attendance fits with how education is becoming. Students are now active participants in the learning process rather than being able to hide in the rear rows. Comparing historical remote learners like George Washington also gives the story a feeling of continuity. Today’s students are navigating a digital world that provides access to a multitude of knowledge and skill, just like Washington did when he pursued his studies remotely. It’s encouraging to know that online education can be a solid and valuable learning medium when carefully planned and supported. Utilizing the knowledge we have gathered over the years as we have improved online learning is essential as we continue to navigate the changing environment of education. Technology and pedagogy coming together to provide a more inclusive and accessible educational experience for everyone will eventually significantly impact how education is developed in the future.