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Do we mean the same thing?
Being stuck at a place with our family and forced to depend on online process to facilitate all activities have made us aware of a lot of things. There are various types on online learning and knowing them all helps you further understand which you should choose and for what purpose exactly.
THE DIFFERENT TYPES ARE;
a. Online learning
b. On-demand learning
c. Distance learning
d. Virtual learning
e. E-learning
Each one of these different types of online education sound the same. Most people will wonder if there is an actual different between them all. There is indeed a difference between them and we are here to find out what it is.
Trying to navigate the online space can be a bit too much. There is an overlap between all of them and most people mix up their meanings. Some compare them to each other which are true or false in some cases.
Given all this, here are the listed guiding statements with facts sprinkled about it. Defining them and comparing them against popular facets is what we are going to do here.
ONLINE EDUCATION TYPES.
Online learning:
This simply means any learning activity that takes place with the use of the internet.
It covers all websites, apps or learning platform a student can learn on. This term is the broad overreaching explantation of all.
For example; Duolingo as a learning app.
On- demand learning:
Some online learning platforms do on-demand learning where you can’t book down the class but need to join in whenever it begins. More like having to join in on a live learning session. You can click and you are off without having to book for it or have time for yourself.
On-demand learning is the closest to online learning services because it is not attached to any physical institute. It is available for anyone and everyone to join in this lesson so far they have internet connection. The general public can gain skills anytime they please through this.
We classify learning on YouTube as a form on On-demand learning. You can get on YouTube and watch self made videos that’ll help you achieve a particular goal or gain skills. Sometimes it is attached to a condition like subscription or registration but it helps generally at the time of need.
Think of it like your cable, where movies and shows can be accessed “on-demand.” Yes you can tune into any channel to watch TV live, or you can select the exact show you want and have complete control of the playback “on demand.”
You can apply for this so easily especially if you or your loved ones find anything they learn hard to understand.
Distance learning:
This seems similar to remote learning but it isn’t quite the same. Distance learning has to do with the learning schedule. So you are not only separated from your tutors by lack of physical access, you are also separated based on the number of times learning occurs. Distance learners often rely more on materials than the tutors teaching.
People often think distance learning to mean online learning because they are synonymous, however it is different in a way. These programs can include online resources and assignments, or even non-digital instruction.
VIRTUAL LEARNING
Virtual learning is similar to online learning but it had some 3d features. it is more personal or looks just like a classroom for the various students. Kids who learn this way might not be able to differentiate traditional classrooms from this online classroom because it has been fashioned to copy the environmental style.
It is like an in-person element being put online. They take lots of fun elements to further the experience of students. It is described as an almost real experience. It means that the exact instructions and routines that would take place in a physical activity is being picked up and placed directly in the virtual one.
It is simply taking something that was originally built to be an in-person experience and putting it online.
E-learning:
This is your typical online platform that offers digital help to all and sundry who are interested. They also offer self paced games for kids to click through.
Using an e-learning platform has many advantages like self routine and growing commitment towards any activity.
Understanding how all this plays is very important when choosing the right platform for yourself or your ward. It is necessary to note all advantages it promotes. While learning at your pace, being diligent, enjoying the program just like you would or even better online, understanding platforms is key.
But I guess a big takeaway is, look at how much confusion and overlap there is over what maybe should just be a group of simple straightforward terms.
Number 26
HOW ONLINE EDUCATION BENEFITS DISABLED STUDENTS.
It’s amazing how online learning how transform through the years. In the past, there was nothing like it. This new development brings about a lot of opportunities and hope for people who cannot because of one reason or the other make it to physical classrooms.
At a time, there was no internet nor technology. People had to travel long distances or miss out on every other thing just to learn. The internet was an adventure waiting to be explored. With everyone focused on every other thing everyday or every other day.
It quite hard to imagine it now. Students were not as lucky as they are today. Education was for a certain groups of people ( the wealthy and young) who could afford to sacrifice time and money just to make it. They couldn’t research as there was nothing like the internet, books were hard to come by unless you physically visit the library.
In today’s world, there are lots of opportunities associated with the internet and one major factor is how it affects disabled people who don’t have one part of their body or another to work for them. Technology changed lives and made things much more easy for every kind of person.
The internet was more than a welcome idea, it was a revolutionary technology that assists and aids bullions of people till this day to reach their peak in like. It made all forms of communication possible or nearly possible virtually without having to exert any energy or strength.
Online education is the best option for various students who are limited by disabilities.
ONLINE LEARNING PROMOTES CONVENIENCE.
Online learning introduces a platform that is not hinged on physical appearance. Especially for those who are incapacitated in one form or the other. It is the best tool used to promote convenience for everyone. You can learn at your pace, go through study materials whenever you need and become a top student without having sacrifice much.
The internet has pros and cons but it is safe to say that the pros exceeds the cons in this aspect. As the medium for learning, students with physical disabilities no longer need to travel long distances just to get to their school and back once more. Just with a laptop or even mobile phones, people stay connected to lessons through the internet.
The inconvenience of a commute is one the major reasons disabled students find it hard to go to school. Most of them may have someone living assisting them with their needs, such as their own family. However, for college-bound students that are living alone with their disability, basic tasks such as using the bathroom can be a minor inconvenience.
Having difficulty imagining them having to do this every day and taking risks to attend universities for more than a year is so hectic. Attending a university physically also attracts costs like transportation fee, hostel fee, so learning through an online platform removes this burden from them. Paying the costs of tuition alone can also be discouraging, that is why most disabled people opt to take a job.
Finding a way to balance and sort out these high tuition cost would probably involve getting another job and the best way to manage time risk for a disabled person is by enrolling in an internet class.
Disabled students should also be on the lookout for other factors such as the availability of facilities for their needs when choosing a higher education institution. They would need to find a college or university that accommodates them through ramps for mobile-impaired students, special handicap spaces, as well as trained personnel to attend to their needs.
Online learning so importantly promotes Convenient to the highest level.
ONLINE EDUCATION PROMOTES CONFIDENCE AND REMOVES DOUBT.
As a disabled student, there is definitely a lot of self doubt you may have. As an awesome person, dealing with in-person communication can be stressful. Online learning provides room for boost of confidence especially when you reach all set goals.
Having the resilience and dedication required to succeed as an online student fills you up with so much confidence and eradicates doubt. It means you stick to a routine and excel at given work.
It is easy to be discouraged and scared as a disabled student but online learning makes you understand that you are unique and that you can do anything you’ve set your mind to.
There is no large crowd therefore you can express yourself without feeling shy. You can ask questions to both peers and tutors without feeling conscious.
You can study and your pace and allocate time for each activity everyday. There is no cast in stone procedure in doing any activity and this makes it much easier to achieve set goals.
When it comes to online learning, it doesn’t really matter if students repeat their lessons when feel like they need to; they will not be holding back an entire class. They can go back to previous lessons learnt without fear of bringing the whole class back. This enables proper learning to be acquired.
ONLINE EDUCATION OFFERS EASY AND ACCESSIBLE READING MATERIALS.
For visually impaired or blind students, there are awesome mechanisms in online lessons put in place to guide you along the way. Innovative tools allow them translate their thoughts to the computer with ease.
That means they can participate fully in classes. Even deaf students have materials that enable them still understand what the course is all about and be at ease while learning. The world is still growing and more technological heights are being reached daily. Getting tools that can further improve the learning abilities of disabled students is something we all look forward to.
