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Benefits of Online Learning
Virtual schooling is becoming an alternative to brick-and-mortar learning. According to the Research and Markets, the online learning market would hit $230 billion by 2025 – and with the effect of the Coronavirus pandemic, it’s expected that online courses will experience greater growth.
The current Covid-19 pandemic shows that virtual education is a sustainable model of learning. Virtual education makes learning accessible to students during natural disasters, pandemics, or other situations where teachers and students cannot travel. Online learning can serve learners across the globe. In this article, we outline the top 10 benefits of learning online as well as how students take advantage of them to enhance their performance.
What are the Advantages of Virtual Learning?
The model of virtual programs can assist you in thriving both academically and personally, assisting you in accomplishing your goals.
1. No Need for Relocation
In virtual learning, students do not require to commute long distances or shift to a different town so as to attend theirs preferred program. Students can stay where they are and maintain their job as they work towards improving their careers with high school diplomas or graduate degrees.
You can listen to audios, watch lectures, read course materials, complete coursework, and take exams or tests from any place – whether from the comfort of your home, on a beach, or in a restaurant.
2. Achievement of Ideal School-Life Balance
The other benefit of virtual schooling is that it is flexible. Many components are asynchronous, which means that students can finish them at their own pace, studying from any place and at the time that works best for them. But some elements can be synchronous, whereby students are required to participate in live lectures, discussion sessions, or demonstrations.
Your time management becomes smoother where you are in control of your timetable. It is easy to balance your family and social life as you earn your high school diploma, graduate degree, or college degree. Also, it’s easy to have them all: vibrant personal life, professional development, and education.
3. Online Learning Can Assist you in Developing and Sticking to Healthy Habits
The other advantage of virtual learning is that it enables online students to develop a greater discipline regarding healthy habits. Not every individual enjoys a yoga session at the start of their day or prior to going to bed. Thus, in case you are studying from your house or any place of your convenience, you can take a virtual Pilate class or job during breaks. Also, you can take power naps, which studies show can be beneficial to your learning and memory. Self-care, meditation, or yoga boosts your emotional intelligence and confidence.
4. You Have Enough Time to Pursue your Passions
If you are learning in a traditional classroom but do not reside near school, traveling can take much of your time which could have been used in other productive activities. Data from the United States Census Bureau shows that, on average, people take 54.2 minutes on roads. In case you are like many other individuals, you would perhaps avoid traffic. Saving 54 minutes each day will provide you with time to use in connecting with your family, having fun, exercising, working, and singing. Actually, spending tie away from your studies boosts your creativity and productivity.
5. Online Education Can Enable You Keep Your Work
Most graduate students cannot afford to leave their jobs. They usually prefer continuing with their studies as they stay in their present work, enhancing their credentials as they apply what they learn in their jobs. Hence, if you intend to continue working while attaining your diploma or degree, virtual learning is the best way to go since you do not have to select between work and school.
6. You Can Create Your Workspace
Online learning is important since it enables you to create your own office. As a student, you can look for a supportive chair and set your learning table at the right height – or you can learn from the comfort of your couch. This will ensure that you have a physically comfortable setup that enhances your online learning concentration. Research shows that many students are more productive when learning from home.
7. Easy Participation and Concentration
Because various learners are more active at different hours of the day, virtual education enables you to study when your brain is active. Additionally, some students have difficulties in participating and concentrating in crowded traditional classrooms. Virtual learning enables learners to concentrate and for introverted learners to participate by asking questions and sharing ideas, which can assist in boosting their positivity and confidence.
8. Network with Your Classmates
Meeting peers online enables you to network across the globe, so it can assist you in advancing your studies and future careers. You can get a mentor who can guide and support you to excel in your studies.
9. Online Learning is Affordable
Online learning is cost-effective compared to traditional learning. There are no accommodation and travel costs for students and instructors. Also, there is no need to buy textbooks since online learning content can be re-used, and learning resources can be accessed online anytime.
10. Online Learning Can Be Customized to Meet the Needs of Learners
Different students learn in different ways, and virtual education caters to their learning needs. Online learning instructors and instructional designers create online programs that accommodate the preferences and needs of all students. With virtual learning, it does not matter whether students are kinesthetic, acoustic, or visual; there are numerous learning tools and methods that support online learning while meeting their needs.
Is Online Learning Suitable For Everyone?
A large number of people these days prefer to take up online courses for learning a particular skill or acquiring knowledge. Online learning has become very popular in many industries and fields today, but still, some feel that it would not be as effective as traditional classroom-based learning.
The concept behind online learning is quite simple; rather than attending regular classes where a teacher explains the same stuff over and over again with no chance to ask questions or get clarification, in a virtual class, you log on to a course website, register, and then can watch the lectures online when you want on your own schedule. The lectures are usually presented as PowerPoint slides or videos accompanied by an instructor, who answers questions posted by students during the lecture in real-time; due to this flexibility of being able to attend the lectures at any time, one has found increased popularity over the last decade or so with thousands of students enrolling for such courses every year.
In an online course, unlike traditional classrooms, it doesn’t matter who you are or what your background is; you can learn things that interest you without worrying about looking silly while asking questions or appearing too slow on understanding things due to lack of knowledge. The reason is simple – all students are working independently and studying material individually. There is no need to worry about social etiquette, how fast someone else can finish studying etc. This way online courses help one gain the confidence needed to continue learning new things at their own pace, without feeling self-conscious about their lack of knowledge or being too slow.
However, online learning is not for everyone. The reason is that not everybody can learn when they want to; in fact, most people learn best when someone else is there to guide them and give them a push whenever they get stuck. This sort of learning requires motivation, discipline, and hard work from the student’s side which many students today lack. In this regard, online courses are very much similar to classroom courses where both teacher and student have duties to fulfill during the course of study. By sitting back and expecting other people to do all the work doesn’t help in improving one’s education outcomes further.
In order to access information effectively, one has to know how and where to look for it. This is true in online learning as well; without proper research and background knowledge, even the best course material can be of little use to students. By doing your homework before you sign up for any course, i.e go through the material carefully on their website or blog to see if this is a not-for-profit service offered by experts interested in helping others, whether they are recommended by people you know, etc. Also, try and find out as much information about the instructor as possible – do they have experience in education? Are they certified? Do they teach other courses? Do they provide support for their students? Are there any testimonials from past students saying how much they benefited from such courses?
Whether online or offline, the most important factor in determining what topic you should study is your own self-interest. If a subject does not interest you, no matter how hard you try it will be difficult to grasp its core concepts. On the other hand, if something interests you no amount of coursework can make up for your lack of enthusiasm and passion towards a particular subject. Passion is the driving force that finds online learning useful. They must have an independent mind with plenty of enthusiasm towards their studies to keep them going regardless of how long it takes them or how difficult certain concepts might seem at first. Such students must also be willing to take initiatives into their own hands when that makes one want to learn; without which all effort put into learning anything becomes meaningless.
Thus, people who benefit the most from online learning are those who do not let themselves get distracted from their goals. It is also important to identify one’s weaknesses and strengths before signing up for any course since each subject has its own peculiarities which cannot be overlooked. Making a plan of what topics to study, identifying resources and time frames will help in keeping students focused on their goals while making the best use of available time.
Is a High School Diploma Right for You?
If you are considering whether a virtual high school diploma is the appropriate option for you, ensure that you consider the advantages that online learning offers. For learners facing the challenge of balancing their education, family, and passions, a virtual course is an ideal solution.
Are you interested in obtaining your high school diploma online? Contact us today to learn more.