Everyone has been affected by COVID-19 in many ways, particularly students whose academic careers have been temporarily postponed because of the pandemic.
While it has been more than a year since the COVID-19 outbreak, it will take a while before international travel becomes fully open for all students. This encouraged students to consider nearby reputable colleges and universities that offer their desired degree programs with better academic facilities and a conducive learning environment.
For those who want to resume their studies at home amid a pandemic, the available option is online learning. But despite the conveniences of studying online, many are hesitant to take it, while others are concerned about how it will affect the quality of education.
Online learning has been on the rise in recent years, but it only faced a sudden rise during the pandemic. But as more learning options continue to emerge, many are wondering which one can help them towards effective learning. With that in mind, we’ll help you decide the best learning options that suit your academic needs.
Online learning
There are plenty of advantages to online learning. First, geographical borders will no longer restrict you from accessing top universities and colleges around the world. All you need is a laptop and a reliable internet connection, and you get to access a suite of degree programs that fits your interest.
Online learning opens opportunities to interact and engage with other students from different cultures while receiving support from professors and university officials. Learning to explore the online learning landscape also helps develop knowledge on using different digital platforms, which you may find helpful once you entered the workforce.
For most students, online learning has financial benefits. Although you might think that buying a laptop and paying for an internet connection is expensive, consider how much it would cost you to cover all the expenses involved in on-campus learning. Aside from transportation, on-campus learning means paying for school facilities, learning materials, and other miscellaneous resources which you actually seldom use.
Studying at home or wherever the students like gives them more flexibility in their learning techniques. They get to choose the place and time to take their classes, according to how their schedules see fit.
On-campus learning
One of the biggest benefits of on-campus learning is that students get full access to the learning opportunities the institution offers, allowing them to make the most of their learning experience. These include tutoring, clubs, academic organizations, educational support services, and other activities to supplement learning.
Nothing can ever replace face-to-face interactions when it comes to teaching. In fact, students and instructors are finding online learning more difficult since it requires more time for independent work. Students who opt to learn online likely miss out to mingle with students who share the same interest, which is very helpful in forming study groups and making friendships beyond the classroom.
Taking face-to-face classes allows learners to engage and immerse themselves in different cultures and enjoy student life. These include living in dorms, apartments, and resident halls. At the same time, it also opens other avenues to stay involved, widen their social circle, and stay connected with the university.
Hybrid model
The hybrid model offers a more comprehensive approach to education by integrating the best parts of online and on-campus learning to create a flexible learning experience. This means dividing the students’ time to learn at home and in class, but other districts choose to keep certain grade groups at home while others return to the classroom.
Many confuse hybrid learning with blended learning, but the two differ significantly. Blended learning provides online resources that support learning instead of completely replacing the in-person experience. It can be a form of project-based learning supplemented by common coursework and multimedia resources while allowing students to learn by themselves and explore different educational disciplines.
On the other hand, hybrid learning provides students with online tools through remote learning portals that they can use outside the classroom environment. Many institutions are transitioning to hybrid learning for a flexible learning experience, schedule, teaching modes, and communication.
The hybrid model also takes advantage of synchronous learning opportunities offered by face-to-face learning. Online learning cannot easily match the intimacy and immediacy of in-person communication, so the hybrid model addresses this by allowing synchronous work. These include presentations with Q&A portions, reporting, group work, and group discussions.
Whatever learning model you choose, it’s important to pick the one that will support your learning requirements. Pay attention to your learning style to determine your preferred learning method. Each learning model has specific mechanisms in terms of absorbing and processing information. To make the process easier, choose something that will make the learning process more fun and effective.
