Sometimes you just need something fast, but you don’t want to commit that money to a New York Times subscription, so one way to have faster access to online learning is to learn through the web. There are hundreds of platform’s online learning options that help everyone from corporate workers to college students learn the skills they need.
The latest technology has made it so that anyone with a smartphone or smart device has access to virtually every application and content in existence at all times.
The beauty of the online learning process is that it allows students to engage with different platforms on the one platform, and learn their material as much as possible at their own pace, turning tables around and increasing the possibilities for advancement.
Online Learning has the power to enrich the lives of many students, as it enables them to find out more information from different sources and choose the content which is most appealing to them. This method therefore has the potential to transform the lives of learners by helping them acquire valuable knowledge.
There are, however, two very big questions that raise their ugly heads every time someone is attempting to learn something new online:
Should they learn from the materials that they are taught in a classroom, or should they choose to use the online learning tool that is designed for them?
Many people share the belief that the purpose of learning should be achieved by personalization: that is, should students use the resources that are needed to advance in their subject, by themselves?
Putting these two questions together, we can reach a conclusion that both the forgoing scenarios need to be put on hold, because they prevent people from using the online learning solution that is most beneficial to them.
Let’s look at each of the methods for learning online and then examine what’s better for different situations and students:
1. Use Courseware Online Tools
The traditional way of learning how to learn, via classroom instruction, allows students to pick and choose what’s most relevant to them. So, it can be easy to sit in front of a classroom and listen to a lecture for five minutes or so, but not participate, since they don’t really have a desire to learn.
On the other hand, the online courses put on by companies like Coursera and Udacity allow students to learn different aspects of their subjects at their own pace.
An important aspect to note is that students who choose to use this online education option do not learn anything new, as each course has the entire body of material already available to them at their own fingertips. They also make up for the small number of students who spend a lot of time learning the material, as well as teach it themselves on the platform.
2. Use What’s Learning Platform Software
Using programs that we have traditionally associated with the educational sector, but which now allow us to customize our learning experience is a great way to go. We can use tools like Khan Academy and LearnWith.me to learn, but then supplement that learning experience by turning this insight into our own research on a subject, by reading related articles and on writing articles and essays on our own.
Another thing to remember is that most of these websites cost money, which means that there should be a lot of student demand for such services. If we count on massive scale of user demand, we will end up solving both problems: we will become the best at having superior students and a superior learning experience for everyone.
3. Leave it to the Teachers
Another option is to leave the students to learn by themselves. Teachers do not teach things that are impossible to learn on their own. They teach the previously mentioned resources, and students can develop themselves via them. Many teachers, like those at the University of Washington in Seattle, are allowed to buy the online learning tool that they want to use in the classroom, when the teachers need to explain something to students.
In other words, they will not only offer their skills to their students, but they will also give them resources that they could draw upon when they need some answers. Such resources could be found by simply using the tool to make a PowerPoint presentation and inviting students to look up the paper on Google. These websites also allow teachers to share materials with their students to make the learning process more fluid.
Because of the Internet and the smartphone, we are surrounded by online learning tools that anyone with a smartphone or smart device can use to learn more about what they are interested in.
The point is that online learning works well for many different scenarios. Any student who is looking for a better method of learning can choose their online learning tool of choice without having to worry about spending money and getting stuck in a boring lecture. If your student needs help finding an online learning tool to solve their problem, get their opinions and their feedback.
Remember, everyone can use the online learning tool they need to advance in their courses, and as a result, there is no need to put up with boring lectures or boring material.