At 3pm every afternoon, Bo switches on her computer and waits for her English tutor to join her. At 8am every morning, Jen logs on to her computer and says ‘Good Afternoon’ to Bo before beginning their lesson. Bo is in Hong Kong and Jen is in Manchester but the lesson plan goes smoothly and consists of several flexible educational methods from face to face (via a screen), online coursework, quizzes and interactive games to facilitate memory, and finally, homework which Bo returns online to Jen once she has completed the assignment.
This is an example of Distance Learning across the globe with blended activities, yet Bo and Jen are very unlikely to ever meet in person owing to their geographical locations. This in no way reduces the efficiency of Bo’s learning or the standard of Jen’s teaching and occasionally, Bo’s parents can check in on how the lesson is progressing at any point. In fact, the learning experience for Bo is enriched by the relaxed atmosphere of the online classroom and the fact that she is receiving teaching instruction directly from the UK.
The Open University is an example of Online Learning and Blended Learning. Students abroad will interact wholly online whereas, students in the UK can benefit from both online and classroom activities. Online, a mixture of coursework, video, audio and quizzes will test the subject matter, and face to face lectures are held at specific physical locations around the country.
The plethora of teaching methods that we have today allow for most educational needs to be met, from traditional on-campus learning to exclusively online, either one-to-one or in a Zoom class where students can see and interact with each other.
The physical classroom is not completely obsolete and there is still much to be gained for students and teachers who meet in person; the structural environment based around knowledge and creativity which is shared by a group is also an excellent opportunity to encourage social skills.
Web-enhanced learning delivers a mix of online and classroom instruction so that students gain from physical as well as virtual contact with their tutors, whereas, exclusive online tutoring may provide the privacy and opportunity to focus on a topic without judgement from peers, which may benefit other personality types.
As we move further into this New Virtual World we can see how what was once a singular style of learning has now branched into many opportunities which consider everyone’s educational needs, both geographical, mental and emotional, bringing us all virtually closer together which can only enhance our experience of learning for all ages, in all locations, worldwide.
In our next blog on online education we will look at the impact that Covid-19 has had on education across Africa, and the positive responses taken by African leaders to ensure their children do not miss out on online educational opportunities.