Not at all.
Learning is defined as the process of acquiring new skills or knowledge. The conventional approach for a student to acquire new skills has always been to enroll in an offline centre and learn through the study materials. However, with changing times, there is a new and an unconventional approach to upskilling yourself — online learning.
Firstly, let us understand what is online learning?
Well in simple words, the learning acquired digitally is called online learning. All the content is available online and it offers the user an opportunity to learn anywhere and anytime through computers, laptops, or even mobile phones. Also, the primary mode of imparting knowledge to the user is with the help of audio-visual content and gamification.
Before we delve any further and talk about how online learning ensures a holistic growth, let us share the story of Dinesh Ranjan and his tryst with online learning.
In school, whenever I wanted to learn a new skill, I had to travel a minimum of 10-12 km to the nearest learning centre located in the main city to enquire for the classes. I used to enroll in the classes only when I was able to grasp what was being taught in the trial class. The entire process took quite some time and the joy of learning faded when I used to travel for almost 3 hours a day for an hour-long class. Initially, I was able to keep up with what was being taught but with time and a lot of travel, It used to feel more of a compulsion than a choice.
In contrast, 5 years later in college, while pursuing B.tech in computer science, I had a keen interest in developing applications and to further enhance my skills I enrolled for an online training in Android Development. I started my training with the commencement of 5th Semester and sailed through both the training and college classes with ease. The biggest perk was that I could complete the modules through my laptop and didn’t have to travel anywhere. Moreover, the tests and assignments helped me in getting an in-depth knowledge and realize the practical applications. After successfully completing the training, I developed an app for my college placement cell and the literature club.
The entire experience instilled a confidence in me that helped me get an internship and eventually a full-time job as an android developer.
Dinesh’s story is a prime example to draw the differences between online and offline classrooms. An online classroom is a comparatively new approach to learning and students have qualms about it and hence stay wary of it. So, to help get rid of your inhibitions and help you understand how it can help you with your development, we have listed a few of the perks it offers below.
The biggest advantage online learning has over offline learning is flexibility and convenience. In an offline classroom, if you miss a class it gets difficult to grasp the topic and understand what is being taught. Also, the classes have to be attended on fixed days and timings, offering no choice to mould the curriculum as per convenience. Whereas in online learning, the classes can be taken as per availability and the content can be accessed whenever required to get an in-depth understanding of the topics.
Questions might arise along the journey of acquiring new knowledge, but students usually hesitate in asking those questions in a classroom due to peer pressure. Whereas, in an online learning, you are an anonymous individual user to the teacher and fellow users, so you can ask your doubts without any hesitation.
Offline learning relies majorly on the conventional approach of reading and grasping knowledge with little or no practical applications. However, in online learning, the content is designed in such a manner that it is informative and involves practical applications. Moreover, the test and assignments are incorporated into the training so as to help the student gain an in-depth knowledge about the content.
While building the content for online learning, an organization spends their resources solely on developing the content as the students’ primary aim is to learn. This helps the organizations in saving money that they might have spent on other miscellaneous expenses in the case of offline learning and thereby lowering the fee structure and overall cost.
We have been part of conventional classrooms all our lives, why not opt for an online classroom for an unconventional experience?
This article is written by Sarvesh Agrawal.
