With the boost of online education, eLearning awards students valuable learning opportunities anytime and anywhere. Here are five reasons why eLearning is valuable.
- Supports Personal Learning Styles
eLearning supports personal learning environments, whether in a classroom or online at home. It accommodates different learning styles since students can choose eLearning platforms and tools that suit their learning style. eLearning supports opportunities for self-paced education. Some students may want to re-watch parts of a video, or read several examples, where others may need less time to a topic if they already have deep understanding. Students also have fun learning how to use a new educational platform intuitively which increases engagement in learning.
- Enhanced Communication and Collaboration
eLearning experiences allows students to explore a multitude of platforms for learning. Students can seek new ideas and insights about topics and enhance learning through communication and collaboration. They can choose from several multimedia tools to present their research and views, discuss challenging questions, and problem solve. Groups of students can meet asynchronously or synchronously, providing more options for learning. eLearning also opens the opportunity for students to have global exchange of ideas and views, and collaboration with other students across the world.
- Learning is Accessible 24/7
As mobile learning trends, students’ learning experiences are no longer confined to school hours or within brick and mortar learning facilities. In the modern digital times, students no longer need to wait for a teacher or tutor to answer their questions. Instead, online platforms allow students to find online learning lessons, videos, tutorials, and examples to help them understand content they are learning in class, or new information from questions that sparked their interest from their learning experiences. Round the clock access to content allows students to pursue answers to their own questions or catch up with topics that are unclear.
- Access to an Abundant Supply of Resources
eLearning platforms provide an abundance of material for all students. Many sites offer online libraries to search, example problems and practice problems, and quizzes or tests. There are even diagnosis assessments where students can assess their knowledge and identify areas for improving their studies. Students can also have access to online assessments that they can complete multiple times, allowing for more practice and time to become proficient in the content. Repeating similar assignments or exams is generally not an option with traditional paper-pencil test in schools.
- Encourages Exploration and Learner-Centric
Students engaged in eLearning can explore new topics or questions as they arise, using time productively and increasing knowledge in topics that spark their interests. They can easily seek out courses and multimedia that interest them which can help the direction of future studies and goal setting. eLearning offers students choices in their learning which is empowering and leads to positive educational experiences. The multimedia tools within eLearning platforms provide fun opportunities to engage students through their interactions within the apps. They offer a tactile experience where students can be digitally hands-on with their learning. Some platforms include digital simulations where students can experiment with different settings, reset and try again, to explore various outcomes. Students develop inquisitiveness about their learning which builds meaning and ownership to their educational experience.
