Distance learning initially catered to those who cannot attend classes due to health complications, busy work schedules, parenting demands, or any other situation that necessitated staying close to home. Learn more about the distance learning classroom at https://sycamoreeducation.com/
2. Just a few short months
ago, the term distance
learning meant something
else entirely. It was a form
of remote education where
a student may not always
be physically present for
the lesson at a school or
college. Students would
take correspondence
courses and communicate
with the school via mail.
Now, with the
advancements in modern
technology, it involves
online education.
3. Distance learning
initially catered to those
who cannot attend
classes due to health
complications, busy
work schedules,
parenting demands, or
any other situation that
necessitated staying
close to home. Distance
learning also meant
studying a wide range
of topics with teachers
and students from a
variety of different
backgrounds.
4. There may be some confusion between the
differences of online learning and distance
learning. Distance learning is actually a
subset of online learning, as it relies heavily
on the educational tools of online learning,
and that is probably where the confusion lies.
5. Without question, the global pandemic created
a paradigm shift that resulted in schools,
colleges, and universities throughout the world
shifting to remote, or online, learning. This was
an abrupt change that required an immediate
pivot from in-person classroom teaching to
virtual classrooms and distance learning.
6. According to the World
Economic Forum, over 1.2
billion children are
currently unable to
physically attend
traditional classrooms.
Researchers believe
online learning will
continue to be the norm
post-pandemic, as many
benefits have been seen in
terms of shorter school
days, increased
knowledge retention, and
more focused attention
during classes and
assignments.
7. Students and parents have both expressed the notion
that e-learning is convenient and beneficial. In light
of this, more and more educators are shifting to an
online mode of teaching, with many schools looking
for school management systems that include features
like distance learning options, Curriculum Manager,
and seamless Google integration.
8. With the help of these
powerful tools,
schools can efficiently
manage their critical
operations and
communications, and
continue teaching
students during these
challenging times.
Learn more about how
the distance learning
classroom
outperforms its
traditional classroom
counterpart:
9. Flexibility. Arguably the biggest benefit of distance learning is
that it gives flexibility to students to fit schoolwork around
extracurricular and family commitments. When you consider the
increasingly busy schedule of many students, this sort of
flexibility comes as a huge relief.
10. For teachers, it is not required for
everyone to sit in front of a screen for
eight hours a day. Instead, you might
set a scheduled time period during
which the teacher is available for
online help or virtual class discussions
can be scheduled.
11. Accessibility. The needs of students vary,
and no classroom is perfect for every
student. Distance learning or studying
from home provides students with a
stable and secure environment that can be
more easily tailored to their specific needs.
12. Soft skills. Soft skills are general
abilities that set our students up
for success for the rest of their
lives. Distance learning is the
perfect opportunity to hone crucial
soft skills as students learn to
prioritize their time, learn to
effectively use technology, and
most importantly, equips students
with the knowledge of these skill
sets that they can take with them
into their future careers.
13. Personal responsibility. Additionally, distance learning
mandates that students learn to take ownership of their learning.
They develop a responsible outlook on their own education and
rely largely on themselves to complete assigned tasks and
objectives. With teachers not physically present in front of the
students each day, there is a certain level of problem-solving and
critical thinking skills that is required for students to succeed in a
distance learning classroom.
14. This isn’t to say that distance
learning doesn’t come with its
own set of challenges, but when
implemented effectively, it can be
instrumental in changing student
attitudes toward education in a
way that the traditional classroom
never could.
15. The benefits of distance learning go far beyond protection from a
virus. Just as schools keep students safe at their campus, they can
also keep students safe when learning at home. By selecting a
powerful school management system that alerts schools to at-risk
activity both online and offline, students are able to feel safe in an
environment in which they can thrive and prosper.