The pandemic has disrupted our education systems. The lockdowns and social distancing norms forced all the educational institutions to shut down. This resulted in the rise of a new normal where education is being imparted virtually. This unexpected shift in the mode of learning has left a lot of experts wondering if online learning or eLearning will continue to be a part of our lives in the post-pandemic world, and how it will affect the education market as a whole. To find out the same, we have been counting and analyzing the differences between the two, since the first day. However, we might have overlooked the fact that the motive behind the two is the same – imparting quality education to our students. Thus, both the modes of learning are more similar to each other than we can contemplate.
So, today we will list out 5 ways in which virtual teaching is similar to traditional teaching
1. Need To Engage Students
Irrespective of the mode of imparting learning, keeping students and learners engaged is highly important. It not only improves their attention and focus but also motivates them to practice their learnings in real life. An engaged student is less likely to get bored during lectures and participate in class discussions actively. This also helps in building his self-confidence and makes him/her feel like a part of the group.
This kind of environment is equally important in virtual and traditional classes. While traditionally, teachers used to organize group discussions, debates, and other such activities to engage students in the learning process, now teachers are starting to use various gamified and web-based tools like LMS WordPress, etc to keep them from losing interest.
2. Assignments and Homeworks
For developing a better understanding of a concept, just listening to your lecturer is not enough. Students should be able to implement whatever they have been taught in their real-life effectively and homework helps us achieve the same. Various scientific researches have proved that assignments and homework tend to boost a student’s creativity as they force them to use their brain to solve the given problems. Plus, it is natural to learn something better when you read or solve it in your own way and pace of learning.
Now, achieving this objective is crucial for every teacher, irrespective of the mode of learning being used. Hence, virtual and traditional classes, both, include assignments and homework as an important part of their curriculum.
3. Feedback and Evaluation
Regular feedback and evaluations are not only beneficial for students but also for their teachers. It helps in identifying the gaps that may be present in the teaching methodology being followed. Negative feedback or low scores during evaluations are signs that the teacher is not able to communicate well with the class. In addition to this, it also allows teachers to let their students know what they are doing right and what they may be doing wrong.
Thus, feedback and evaluations are indispensable in every mode of learning.
4. Rewards And Recognition
Everyone likes to be rewarded and it’s the same with students. When a student performs well in class, being rewarded for this achievement motivates not only him but the whole class to score better next time. This recognition also boosts their self-confidence and breeds health competition among students. Teachers had various methods to do this in traditional classrooms but with the online mode of learning, teachers have started to integrate different features like leaderboard, rank charts, etc into their virtual classrooms to keep the learners motivated.
5. Parents- Teacher Interaction
Whether online or offline, teachers must develop a strong and effective communication system with the parents of their students. It can extraordinarily profit students if their parents and teachers work collectively. It not only allows teachers to discuss the academic performance of the student but also helps parents in sharing their problems and concerns with the school management.
Conclusion
While the online mode of learning has now been embraced by almost every education system around the globe, it is only fair to say that the goals of our teachers and students remain the same. The pandemic has only forced us to change the way we achieve these goals.