Benefits of Online Schooling

TOI-Online / Dec 22, 2022, 15:54 IST

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The onset of the pandemic saw the emergence of a new learning platform: online education, literally at our fingertips. No more having to go through the everyday routine preparation before school and the long commute to and from school. While initially seen as a knee-jerk alternative in a desperate situation to continue the education of the children, it proved to be one of the most indispensable means of quality education.With the further development and growing dependence on digital technologies, online schooling will gain more prominence and relevance. We spoke with Mohini Kumar, Founder and Chief Mentor, Delhi Math Circle. Delhi Math Circle has successfully innovated in creating a safe and judgement free online (and offline) environment to learn Math. According to Mohini, the most important benefit is that it offers a safe and bullying free online experience, especially for students that take a bit more to blossom or have shifted cities. An online learning environment,
Provides personal attention:
One of the most important benefits of online learning has been the option to cater individually to the students.

Students can connect directly to their teachers through email, or other messaging services especially created for this purpose
With the help of this, they can ask their doubts and discuss their learning difficulties without the fear of being judged or ridiculed
This greatly enhances the willingness for making mistakes fearlessly and learning from them

Offers a flexible curriculum:
The biggest advantage of online schooling is a flexible, learning schedule to which the children can adapt according to their pace of learning and other creative engagements.

Full-time online schools offer a customised study regime according to the student's family engagements, other skill-developing activities and the availability of the internet
It is also advantageous for small families, parents with excessive mobile jobs and transferable jobs who find it difficult to visit the school campus often or accompany their children on a fixed schedule
Moreover, a flexible study curriculum relieves students of undue pressure to study and complete assignments, and homework at a stipulated time

An inexpensive source of learning in the long run:
It may sound contradictory, with the digital divide and the inability of the disadvantaged classes to afford devices and the internet, but online schooling proves cost-effective in the long run.

After meeting the initial cost of a laptop and internet and other essential devices like speakers, and headsets as needed, online schooling helps parents save a lot of money on transportation and school uniforms
It not only saves from missing school due to being late or mildly sick but tangibly reduces expenses on ensuring a child’s safety while he/she is out, on the daily small and recurring expenditure of eating out and maintenance of various kinds
Besides, it helps parents save time spent travelling and on preparation before setting out for school

Promotes lifelong and in-depth learning
The proper usage of edtech and various AR and VR tools in teaching make online schooling an extremely effective means of inciting interest and clarity in the students about various concepts.

The application of various technological tools like 3-dimensional images and videos in addition to the classes helps students to reimagine their studies more vividly
It helps them stay inquisitive, and keen for learning and also makes them self-dependent to search, look for and understand the various aspects of a topic in their way
Online schooling provides a renewed approach to learning that supplements the regular, read, write and understand the process with imagining, creating and synthesising knowledge

Connects pupils to the global community easily:
It's needless to emphasise that the internet in general has open wide vistas and easier access to communicate and interact with people around the globe. Online schooling which is based on the internet, also facilitates the same for serving educational purposes holistically for children.

It helps to acquaint children with various kinds of teaching methods and learning approaches practised and employed in various countries
It also makes it easier to conduct national and international webinars, conferences and meetings to expose the students to their peers, their way of learning, and their minds
Besides, the use of VR, AR and Mixed Reality (MR) also makes it possible to show students far-flung historically eminent places of the world while sitting at home

On the whole, online schooling brings a lot of conveniences and real-world-like learning experiences that have the potential to sustain the interest and attention of the students.

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