Unpacking the Benefits of E-Learning

• (Photo : Unpacking the Benefits of E-Learning)

Technology has roundly affected the way people live - the way they work, consume entertainment, shop, eat, play games, and so forth. In many cases, it's handed more decision-making authority over to the individual. Now more than ever, individuals are able to conveniently choose what suits them, whether that's what TV show they're watching tonight on Netflix or how they'll communicate with their team members at work. 

Education is no different. While in-class education may still be the conventional option, more students are trying online learning, to great success. With online schools like Ontario eSecondary School now offering students the option of obtaining their high school diploma from the comfort of their home computer, what's keeping you in the classroom? 

 In this post, let's unpack the benefits of E-learning from a student's perspective. 

Learning at Your Own Pace

No two students are alike. Some students prefer to move swiftly through course material, feeling unchallenged when the pace lags behind their comprehension. Others prefer a little breathing room - time to digest and retain concepts before moving on to new ones. To expect either student to match the other's pace does a disservice to both. With E-learning, students set their own pace and learn at their own speed, taking anywhere from four weeks to a year (or more) to complete a course. 

Focusing on Challenges

Similar to pace, E-learning allows students to allocate their energy where they see fit.  They can zero in on what's challenging them, and focus time on concepts they find tricky. They may, for example, understand quadratic functions perfectly fine, but it's those pesky exponential functions giving them grief. With online learning, students can opt to focus their energy more on the latter, setting themselves up for better overall success.  

Providing a Bullying-Free, Accessible Space

Navigating the social and physical challenges of a classroom can be distracting and disheartening for some students. Students with anxiety or learning difficulties may come to negatively associate learning with distress and feelings of inadequacy. And people with physical disabilities may find that it's helpful to supplement their in-class learning with lessons from home. In those cases, E-learning offers a bullying-free and pressure-free space for students to learn.

Centralizing Learning

You've got your English textbook at home, your physics notes in your locker, your media studies paper wadded up in your backpack, and who knows where you left your copy of Macbeth! On top of that, you never did update your calendar, so you have to double-check due dates for all your course work. It can get pretty disorganized, pretty quickly. With online learning, however, all those resources - the textbooks, papers, literary works and schedules - are all right there in front of you. They're not going anywhere. It may seem small, but that inherent act of organization can really help you focus. 

Online learning may not be right for every student, but it has helped a great many people achieve their learning outcomes with confidence and peace of mind. Maybe it's time to rethink what exactly a classroom can be.