In this blog, I would like to discuss the impact of online/virtual learning on a child’s growth in 2021 and beyond.

I would also share some ways to make online learning more effective.

Let’s dive in and understand online learning.

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The New Normal | Online/Virtual Learning In 2021

A fair share of my blog has talked about online learning, but today, my perspective is pretty different from it in the past.

Since late 2020, you would have experienced that a lot has changed. Life has paced up yet retained the comfort.

Take the example of job interviews.

Before the pandemic, no multinational would hire an individual, regardless of the position, until they haven’t gone through a proper procedure of physical assessments.

Today, most established firms don’t prefer having a physical interview for the initial stages.

The capitalists believe that a virtual interview saves time and expense and allows better personnel evaluation.

Once the shortlist is created, then only the shortlisted candidates are called up. 

Similarly, online working procedures have allowed employees to have more family time without compromising productivity.

They can take more offs and work from home. A healthy share of employers has appreciated the work-from-home ethic, as they firmly believe that it has led to improved workforce morale and better target completion.

Do you think these changes had not have come in the world of revolutionary technology if the pandemic didn’t happen?

The Early Switch | Covid-19

Well, most experts suggest that the online infrastructure introduced by the pandemic was to come in about 5 to 7 years.

The world would have adapted to virtual living, but at a slower pace and possibly improved technology. 

A CNN journalist summarizes the situation as ‘We may have accelerated five to seven years’ worth of adoption behavior.’

The introduction of online learning looked inevitable by the time we reached 2025, but its arrival in 2020 meant that the world wasn’t ready to equip for a sudden change.

It is possibly why multiple critics are against the idea of implementing online education. 

This blog will deal with all such ideologies that judge online education’s effectiveness and whether it is worthwhile to switch to virtual classrooms.

Video Credit- TEDx Talks

A Blessing In Disguise

If you were to ask me, a student who traveled multiple kilometers for school, I know it is a massive hurdle to commute.

As young kids solely depend on their parents, they have to bear the stress of dropping and picking their children up.

And in unforeseen cases such as heavy rain, you can either take a leave from school or suffer the aftermath. 

If I were a student today, I would have preferred taking zoom classes without a single thought, but do the students feel the same way?

There are a lot of questions that arise in our discussion of the topic, and all of them diversify into a broader range, so to keep it simple, we will start with the fundamentals.

How to take an online class?

There are many applications available for the purpose, such as google meet, Microsoft teams, but one application that has outpaced all its competitors and is currently the pioneer in the industry is Zoom.

It wasn’t a well-known brand par 2020, but on March 15, as Kelly Steckelberg- the company’s financial officer- says, ‘everything changed.

Almost overnight, the demand grew exponentially.’

Zoom’s Unknown Past

Zoom isn’t only a video conferencing platform; it has multiple chat systems, cloud phone calling servers, and a whole business communication platform.

The company started its operation in April 2011 with a beta of zoom 1.0. Within 2 months of promising results, the software was launched officially.

The company’s founder is Eric yuan; he started the business from Silicon Valley, USA, and you know when something starts from there, it goes a long way. 

The current form of zoom-deals religiously with video conferencing- was released in January 2013, and within 7 months of its lifetime, the application crossed a million active users.

The early reviews were positive, and as the technology and idea were unique in their sense, Zoom was rated in Gartner’s magic quadrant amongst the finest software was in 2016.

Until 2019, the company used its primary interface, more like a Skype for businesses but with additional features. In the year, Zoom launched an internet phone calling service named zoom phone.

It was a significant boost to the profitability and popularity of the company, as Zoom experienced remarkable growth.

Around the same time, Zoom was listed on the stock exchange as Zoom inc. The share value rose rapidly upon its launch.

Within a month, the share was traded at $36 above its IPO and peaked in October 2019, when a single claim was valued at $104.

2020 |The Virtual World

Then came 2020, the year where Zoom’s luck shone the brightest of all. The company clocked its highest ever downloads in March 2020, with the overall count crossing 2.13 million in a single day.

Then, by the end of March, the number of daily participants rose to 3 million regularly.

Zoom bought an end-to-end message encryption service to smoothen the conversation process that allowed the users to share files or chat messages with no third-party interference. 

During the same year, Zoom’s phone service gained popularity, and instead of connecting over the video, people kept a more straightforward and smoother one-end communication.

The importance of Zoom’s services was soon realized by Gartner’s magic quadrant, and they labeled it as the top-ranked application for the first time. 

Despite the year’s end and improved conditions, Zoom’s popularity kept on growing, and by the start of the year 2021, 1 million zoom seats were sold.

The rapid development led to a 191% rise in zoom’s overall revenue for the first quadrant of 2021. In late April, Zoom was acquired by Five9 for 14.7 billion, the costliest acquisition in zoom’s history.

Today, Zoom has become a common name for all of us. It won’t be wrong to say that its popularity in phone communication is only second to WhatsApp.

Zoom is widely used for conducting classes, conferences, and business meetings. It has eased communication by a fair margin and has helped us adjust to the new normal.

The latter section of the article will focus on online learning, its effectiveness, and the alternatives.

Let’s move forward.

Concept of Virtual/Online Learning

Virtual learning is also referred to as E-Learning. It is conducted through the Internet, where the learners can access the learning materials online from any place.

Learning through the Internet via devices that support the Internet in simple terms.

Now let me discuss the effects of online learning on kids. Online learning has a significant impact on a child’s overall growth. 

Video Credit- Special Education Resource

Is Online Learning Effective for Kids?

Too Much Screen Time Is Harmful to Kids

E-Learning is typically conducted through laptops and smartphones.

E-Learning contributes to the significant usage of smartphones and laptops, which leads to more screen time that is harmful to toddlers.

It leads to various health problems, including obesity, sleep problems, depression, anxiety, and chronic back pains.

Recent research revealed that children who spend more than two hours a day on electronic devices scored lower on thinking and language tests.

Therefore, it is relatively necessary to limit the usage of smartphones/laptops for toddlers. 

Children Fail To Develop Communication Skills

Communication skills are relatively necessary for career success. However, when it comes to e-learning, the method fails to develop communication skills.

It is because of limited or no face-to-face communication between students and teachers.

Moreover, it also leads to good academic graduates but fails to pass their ideas and thoughts to others.

Lack Of Practice-Based Learning

Online learning is theory-based. Theoretical knowledge is comprised of facts, ideas, and reasoning, whereas practical knowledge is about hands-on training. 

For example, E-learning would be an excellent tool for understanding the theory-based aspects of Cricket, such as its history, rules, and regulations.

However, it can’t be utilized to convey practical information such as playing the game, which can only be accomplished by getting out on the field.

We can make online learning more effective by implementing the below points.

Making Online Learning Effective

The drawbacks associated with online learning can’t be eliminated, but they can be reduced to a greater extent.

Below are some tips that instructors can consider to improve the online learning process.

• The instructors should connect to students individually. Instructors should allot 10 -20 minutes to each student where both teachers and students can discuss and address the queries and concerns of students.

• The instructor should reward students who actively respond, encouraging other students to participate in the communication.

• Assign group and pair work- Assigning group work can help in improving communication and building connections with each other.

• Let parents know how they can get involved- For example, you can provide supplementary resources, videos, or activities that parents can do with their children.

The Conclusion

E-Learning is relatively different from the traditional way of learning, and it may take some time to adjust for both teachers and students to adjust to the new norm.

Online learning would be successful with the combined efforts of teachers and parents.

Parents need to make sure that the kids are focused and participating in classes.

Here it comes to the end of this blog. I have discussed e-learning, its impact, and ways to improve it in this blog. I hope you enjoyed reading this post.

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