The Impact of Online Learning on Education System Case Study

Introduction - Benefits and Drawbacks of E-Learning Post-COVID-19

Covid-19 has had an immersive impact on the economic growth in all over the world. At the time of pandemic, the government imposed the lockdown and closing the various educational institutions. This pandemic brought the extreme change in the system of education in the entire world. Universities across the world were move towards the virtual classes. Due to Covid-19 the system of education is working on various solutions to assist the students who face the challenges. The closure of schools and universities brings several difficulties for the teachers, learners and parents. Therefore, online learning is the best solution to continue the system of the education. Due to this pandemic, more than 1.2 billion children’s were affected in 186 countries because of closing the schools (World Economic forum, 2020). In response to higher demand, several digital platforms such as BYJU’s are providing free admittance to their service. Apart from this, the report will highlight the benefits and drawbacks of online learning due to Covid-19.

Main Body

Concept of online learning

The term virtual learning or e-learning is defined as one of the significant way of education where the students gain knowledge and improve the skills in a fully computer-generated environment. It is the most predominant in the higher education because it enables the learners form diverse geographical areas to involve with the academic institutions. It is internet based learning that helps students who belong from the different backgrounds with diverse opinions. In the institutions, which offer higher studies to the students, give more preference to the digital education systems (Hoi et al, 2021). An institution of higher education uses learning management system to enable e-learning which can take a form of asynchronous and synchronous. For the students, online learning is significant because it permits them to enjoy a resilient schedule, reduce cost of degree and provide the opportunity of developing the career alongside exploring the education.

In addition, e-learning facilitate the students and teachers to get their own learning pace. It also permits the learners to ensure proper balance between studies and work. Online education also facilitates the students or teachers to teach and study from anywhere in all over the world. In the current times, education is the costly process for the parents so online learning helps the students in saving their time and costs. In traditional education, the students are required to spend lots of money on book materials, textbooks etc. In the online learning the students are not required to spend money on study materials. Online learning is beneficial for the learners because it helps in providing the opportunity to them to collaborate with their colleagues through digital group work and meetings (Cahyani et al, 2021). Online learning also helps students in improving the time management skills. From this, the students are capable to complete the assignment or work within the particular time frame and manage their time effectively.

Covid-19 and adoption of virtual learning

Covid-19 immensely impacts the education system in the whole world. The pandemic forced the educators and students to speedily adapt the e-learning. This pandemic focused on teaching, reforming, strategies, learning model especially in learning tools and online teaching. The wide range of educational institution is placing more emphasis on solving several challenges with the help of virtual learning and teaching. The schools and universities were switch towards the computerized approach to learning and teaching. After pandemic, all the educational institution is likely to provide the education to their students remotely. Further, post-pandemic led more focus on providing education digitally and prefers to use numerous learning platforms. Video-based learning is one of the significant online platforms that are used by the teachers or professors to provide education to the students digitally. This leaning platform is beneficial for the learners because it assist in enhancing their performance by offering them with visual examples (Wijaya et al, 2021). Video-based learning aids in making course more engaging and effective for the students and reduce time as well as learning costs.

Along with this, one-to-one learning is another digital platform that helps the educational institutions to provide education to their students remotely. Adoption of this, digital platform to provide education is beneficial because it enables personalized and high quality interaction among the professors and students. Most of the schools and universities are also using online group learning to provide education to the learners remotely. Online group learning is beneficial for the students because it allows them to learn from the skills sets, ideas and experience of others. This e-learning platform also encourages learners for the group analysis and builds collaborative team-building skills.

Figure 1: Size of the global virtual learning market

Figure 1 depicts that, after pandemic the market size of virtual learning at the global level is rapidly increases. At the time of Covid-19, the market size of virtual learning was 200 billion U.S dollars and it will directly reach 400 billion U.S dollars by 2026. In 2019, system of learning management generated approximately 18 billion U.S dollars and it will forecast to reach 36 billion U.S dollars (Statista Research Department, 2022).

Advantages of online learning

• Flexibility: Online learning is advantageous for the students and teachers because it provides flexibility. According to my opinion, e-learning provides teachers an effective method to deliver the lessons to the learners. E-learning has wide range of tools such as podcasts, PDFs and videos and professors can use all these tools as portion of their lesson plans. Having the element of flexibility plays a vital role in the decisions of the learner decisions to obligate the e-learning.
• Accessibility of time and space: Another biggest advantage of online learning is accessibility of place and time. Virtual learning helps the learners to be present at the class from everywhere and anywhere regardless of their locations. It also permits the schools or universities to reach out more extensive network of learners rather than being limited by the geographical locations (Widodo, Wibowo and Wagiran, 2020). Along with this, the learners can easily record, share and archive the online lectures for future reference. E-learning facilitates learners to admittance the learning material during their comfort. It provides learners the convenience of place and time in the education.
• Affordability: Affordability is another one of the significant advantage of online learning. E-education helps the students in minimizing the costs. It is more reasonable as compared to out-dated or physical learning. This helps in reducing the financial cost by avoiding the learners cost in relation to meals, transportation and real estate. Furthermore, all the learning materials or course are available digitally so it creates an environment of paperless which is affordable and also helps in protecting the environment.
• Wide range of programs and courses: Online learning helps the students in providing admittance to several programs and courses without high costs of continuing the physical class room. For example, many colleges and universities are offers online degree programs to the learners such as bachelor’s and master’s degrees in various fields (Baber, 2020).
• Enhanced student attendance: In current times, the students are not likely to attend the class physically which directly impacts their attendance. Due to updated and advanced technologies the educational institutions easily conducts the online classes and students can attend the class from anywhere which enhance the attendance as well as minimize the chances of skip the classes.
• More free time: With the help of online learning the students are easily maintaining and managing their study schedules so they can spend more time in the other things such as family, friends etc. Additionally, learners can save lot of time from online learning because they are not required to travel for reaching to the campus (Paudel, 2021).
• Opportunities of career advancement: E-learning provides wide range of career advancement opportunities to the learners in order to improve their personal as well as professional lives. By saving the time from e-learning students can search better job prospects.
• Increase collaboration: From the online learning the students have chance to work together with their colleagues through meetings and online group work. One of the key advantages of digital courses is to grouping the tools as well as messages that permit the learners to share their feedback on the projects and readings. With the help of digital learning, the students can easily interact with the professors and upload the projects for the response.
• Improved time management skills: Another benefit of online learning is that it provides elasticity to the learners for completing the projects within the given period of time (Alamri, 2023). Online courses assist the students in managing their time effectively and give more time to significant topics & weekly details in order to achieve the success.

Disadvantages of online learning

• E-learning create a sense of isolation: Every learner has their own method of learning. Some students have the capability to work independently. On the other hand, some students are find comfort in their society on campus with easy admittance to the professors. Virtual learning platforms helps in bridging the gaps and recreating the feelings of society in the digital space by offering various tools that influence the students to actively contribution in the live sessions.
• It needs additional training for instructors: E-learning indicates an extra efforts and initial learning curve on the professor’s behalf in order to make efficient and successful virtual course. In digital learning, professors need to gets a profound empathetic of the different teaching and learning approaches to eliminate the repetition of physical class environment (Hoi et al, 2021). In digital learning, the instructors are required to take proper training regarding technical aspects such as learning management software, audio recording equipment and lecture capture software.
• Lack of face-to-face interaction: Major disadvantage of online learning is the lack of live communication with the students. It can be lack of physical interaction among teachers and students which is more difficult for the communication.
• Incompetent to focus on screens: Majority of learners are facing the challenges from e-learning is with concentrating on the display for long period. With the digital education, there is also greater probability for learners to easily unclear by the social media and other sites (Cahyani et al, 2021). It is authoritative for the professors to preserve their online classes influencing, interactive and engaging to assist the learners in relation to keep concentrated on the lesson.
• Technology issue: Another key disadvantage of online learning is internet connectivity. Without reliable internet connection for learners or teachers there can be lack of continuity in learning and it negatively impacts the entire process of education.
• Health issue: From online learning the students are facing several challenges related to their health because they spend lot of time on screens. Many learners cam also experience the back pain and other health problems when they continuously sit in front of screens for long period of time. Along with physical health challenges, the students are also face mental health challenges like depression etc. (Wijaya, et al. 2021).
• Lack of development of communication skill: In current technical environment, online learning is one of the vital learning mode but I think it still lack some areas. One of the biggest reasons behind this challenge is lack of face-to-face interaction between the teachers and students.

Conclusion

It has been summarized that, Covid-19 has had an immersive influence on the economic growth and education system in all over the world due to lockdowns. E-learning is one of the crucial ways of education where the students gain knowledge and improve the skills in a fully computer-generated environment. This pandemic focused on teaching, reforming, strategies and learning model especially in learning tools and online teaching. After pandemic the market size of e-learning at the global level is rapidly increased. Online learning is advantageous for the students and teachers because it is flexible, affordable, accessible, provide several course & programs, improve attendance of students, opportunity of career advancement, increase collaboration and enhance the time management skills. On the other hand, it is disadvantageous for learners and teachers because it creates sense of isolation, require further training for instructors, lack of face-to-face communication and incapable to focus on screens that negatively impacts their education.

Task: 2 Essay

Reflecting own learning by using the Gibb’s model of reflection

• Description: In conducted the research on the online learning that was begins in the world due to Covid-19. During conducting this research I learned lot of things and gain vast knowledge which is beneficial for me in order to develop my personal and professional career. Before conducting the research I did not have little knowledge about the online learning and its importance in student’s lives. Before conducting the knowledge I did not know it is the significant way of education where the students gain knowledge and improve the skills in a fully computer-generated environment. At the time of conducting the research I learned that in current times online learning is significant for the students. The rationale behind this, it ensures reduction in the cost of degree, enjoy a resilient schedule and offers an opportunity of building a career to discover the education. In current technological environment, online learning is important for the learners because it helps in improving their time management skills from which they are capable to complete the projects or assignments within the targeted time-frame (Widodo, Wibowo and Wagiran, 2020). Conducting the research was beneficial for me in order to gain the knowledge and improve the skills relevant to the online learning. I learned that, e-learning is advantageous for the students because it helps them to provide the chances to work together with their groups regarding meetings and online projects.
• Feelings: Before conducting the research, I felt nervous and anxiety because I didn’t have little knowledge about the impact of pandemic on education system, benefits and challenges of online learning for the students. After conducting the research, I feel confident because I gained lot of knowledge and improve my academic skills. Due to my effective time management skill, I was capable to complete the research on this particular topic within the time limit. Apart from this, sometime I faced various academic challenges at the time of conducting the research in high quality. Along with this, due to lack of critical thinking skill, I was unable to integrate unique and different content in my research as compare to other study. While conducting the research it is crucial for the researchers to have critical thinking skill which helps them to improve their language skills, make potential decisions, evaluating the information in effective way and develop the research skills (Saiful, 2020). During conducting the research I also gained the knowledge about that in the future the popularity of online learning will increases at higher rate. Along with this, I did not have knowledge about the several learning platforms that are widely used by the professors and teachers.
• Evaluation: It has been evaluated that, I conducted the research about this particular topic in an efficient and systematic way due to my effective research skill. However, I need to work more on improving my research skill from which I become competent to collect more information about the topics. During research I learnt several aspects about video based, one-to-one and online group learning are the significant platforms that are widely used by the teachers to provide education to their students. However, due to the lack of problem- solving skill I was unable to solve the problems that faced by me at the time of conducting research. I also recognized that online learning is beneficial for the students like me because it is flexible, affordable, improving attendance of students, offer several course & programs and provide the opportunities for career advancement. At the present time, due to the updated and advanced technologies educational institutions can easily conduct the online classes and students can attend the class from anywhere which enhance the attendance and minimize the chances of skip the classes (Paudel, 2021).
• Analysis: It has been analyzed that, before conducting the research I did not have knowledge about the online learning which also has disadvantageous for the students. I learnt that, conducting the online classes in not an easy task for the learners because it requires taking additional training. In online learning, the instructors are required to take proper training regarding technical aspects such as learning management software, audio recording equipment and lecture capture software (Alamri, 2023). Further, I also found that, from online learning the teachers are also facing the issue related to technology. I also gained the knowledge that, from online learning the students are face various physical and mental health issues because they have to spend more time on the screen. From conducting the research I gained lot of knowledge about the online learning which will be valuable for me in order to improve my skills. From this research I was enhanced my academic writing, academic reading and decisions making skills.

Conclusion

From the above reflection, it have been concluded that, conducting the research on one of the significant topic i.e. online learning was beneficial for me because I gained lot of knowledge and develop my academic skills. From this research I learned about the benefits and drawbacks of online learning for the students. I also gained knowledge about the various e-learning platforms which are used by the professors and teachers to provide the education to the students in colleges and universities. Conducting the research was beneficial for me because it helps me providing the opportunity of enhancing the academic writing, academic reading and decision-making skills. However, due to lack of critical thinking skill, problem solving skill and research skill I faced various challenges in order to conduct the research in effective and proper way.

Action plan

I will need to take corrective actions to improve my academic skills from which I faced challenges to conduct the research in effective way.

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References

Books and Journals

Alamri, H., 2023. Instructors’ self-efficacy, perceived benefits, and challenges in transitioning to online learning. Education and Information Technologies, pp.1-36.

Baber, H., 2020. Determinants of students’ perceived learning outcome and satisfaction in online learning during the pandemic of COVID-19. Journal of Education and e-learning Research, 7(3), pp.285-292.

Cahyani, N.M.W.S., Suwastini, N.K.A., Dantes, G.R., Jayantini, I.G.A.S.R. and Susanthi, I.G.A.A.D., 2021. Blended online learning: Combining the strengths of Synchronous and Asynchronous Online learning in EFL context. Jurnal Pendidikan Teknologi Dan Kejuruan, 18(2), pp.174-184.

Hoi, S.C., Sahoo, D., Lu, J. and Zhao, P., 2021. Online learning: A comprehensive survey. Neurocomputing, 459, pp.249-289.

Paudel, P., 2021. Online education: Benefits, challenges and strategies during and after COVID-19 in higher education. International Journal on Studies in Education (IJonSE), 3(2).

Saiful, A.M.?.N., Utaya, S., Bachri, S., Sumarmi, S. and Susilo, S., 2020. Effect of problem based learning on critical thinking skill and enviromental attitude. Journal for the Education of Gifted Young Scientists, 8(2), pp.743-755.

Widodo, S.F.A., Wibowo, Y.E. and Wagiran, W., 2020, December. Online learning readiness during the Covid-19 pandemic. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series (Vol. 1700, No. 1, p. 012033). IOP Publishing.

Wijaya, H., Sumule, L., Weismann, I.T.J., Supartini, T. and Tari, E., 2021. Online learning evaluation in higher education: Study survey method. Journal of Education Technology, 5(3), pp.401-408.

Online

Statista Research Department,2022. Size of the global e-learning market. Online]. Accessed through:< https://www.statista.com/statistics/1130331/e-learning-market-size-segment-worldwide/ >. Accessed On: 4th January,2024].

World Economic forum, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed education forever. This is how. [Online]. Accessed through:< https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education-global-covid19-online-digital-learning/ >. Accessed On: 4th January,2024].