Virtual leaning- Impact on Students and effectiveness

1. What is virtual learning?

Ans: Virtual learning in layman language refers to learning over an online platform where internet connectivity is a must (ex: youtube). It’s just not restricted for regular learning i.e getting aware of what’s going around in the world, gathering information for some project or if bored of regular routine so that you try to learn something new for them it may be useful but for those who are in specific fields for them it might pose problems, these problems will be discussed later in the blog.

2.Emerging Virtual Learning?

Ans: In this world of internet gathering, information about anything is undoubtedly very easy and helps you to maintain efficiency in your work. With the help of the internet, you may be able to learn things at a very cheap cost which helps you to perform well and don’t let you think that only those who have huge wealth only they can afford internet but now due to emergence of the telecom sector the price of the internet has come down drastically so now, it’s affordable for everyone. So most of the school nowadays has shifted to virtual learning as it is the future of learning things and children find it very attractive as they are so adapted to virtual things from right they have been handed over mobile phones by their parents. So basically everything the children get at the tip of their hand. So did ever someone thought of how this will impact students brain growth, how effectively it will work?. Though people may not agree that virtual learning is ineffective answer to this is most of the people use youtube to learn new things by new things I mean various subjects some people may go for studying subjects which are related to producing physical goods such as craft, to repair certain things, etc and some people main go for academic learning. So here in this blog, I am more concerned with academic learning. Nowadays there is a trend of virtual classes going on which in turn getting huge income for the virtual classes as their investment is less because they just need to record the lectures once and just sell it getting them huge profits and access to a wide market by just sitting and doing business at one place. Definitely, people may think that its better to sit in one place and learn instead of going to the city where such classes are situated undoubtedly they are right but they ever think whether it will be effective, or the will get results out of it?. Today’s world education has become a business rather than being a source of imparting knowledge.

3. How is virtual learning effective for students?

Ans: Everyone likes the virtual world nowadays as all the students mostly those students who have passed the 10th standard have access to cellphones and the internet. Most of the students use it for social media purposes and very few students use it for academic purposes.

Cost effective:- Virtual learning may help students to get those courses which were if they join some college it may have a huge charge on their pockets or they have to shed a big amount of fee. But with the help of virtual learning the same courses which are charged more in colleges, they may get it by paying less. As virtual courses provider’s working cost is very less which provides them a competitive advantage over colleges.

No mobility:– as students are more connected to the virtual world everything nowadays is available at one click and you don’t require to move out of your comfort zone. As most of the  students enjoy studying in their comfort zone and doesn’t prefer to go out to some other city or state

or any country for them virtual classes or virtual is a far better option as everything is available at the tip where virtual classes provider provide such an effective interface in their software which attracts the students and helps them to learn in their comfort zone.

Access to large number of courses:- Most of the students do simultaneously so many degrees but at the same time they cant attend for so many classes though they have an option of doing things by joining or by connecting to those universities which provide an external program wherein self-learning is must and there is no one to teach you. But now this external program won’t sound effective for students who are passionate about learning but in an effective manner wherein they require someone to teach them in an effective way so virtual learning providers give you such a well-established platform where you can do multiple courses simultaneously in an effective manner at one place. Virtual learning providers also give you a certificate for your learning which may be an addon benefit of virtual learning.

No legal formalities or entry restrictions:- In schools/colleges/universities there are number of legal formalities to be performed in order to get admission, so many eligibility criteria are to be met by students, so many entrance exams need to be given, etc, virtual learning eliminates all these problems faced by students to learn new things. Virtual learning providers don’t ask the students about their eligibility, don’t ask them to give entrance exams here students are free from all these difficulties and are free to learn whatever they want to.

4. Impact of Virtual Learning on Students?

Ans: Students who take up virtual learning may think its very effective for them but yeah they need to understand its impact on them too.

Reduces  thinking ability – One of the major disadvantages for students, they just build up a picture of what is going on the screen and it is very natural to think that what the front person is teaching is what they need to intake and don’t think more on the topic. Even if they think more about the topic no one is there to guide them on it whether it is right or wrong at least in college if they go there are professors to help them but here in virtual they don’t have anyone to take up their doubts which make them think in another manner leave who will study this topic and discourage them from learning new things and the students lose the connectivity and they don’t further take up the remaining lectures which force them leaving the course in halfway, though some students may go ahead with the mentality that leave the topic lets not study this topic and go ahead with the rest. And parents need to understand to if they give students access to cell phones at early stage of life as everything is available on internet students won’t think personally about the topic they will just take the idea and copy-paste in their projects which will lead them to think less and thus learning for this matter won’t take place as readily available things are available on the internet. The students who go up for virtual classes don’t have any idea about how the professor is, how he will teach, whether he is capable enough or not. Some students may come in trap of the prices which the virtual learning platform quotes as they quote so attractive prices which the students think “yes it is available for less price lets to purchase it and try ” and that’s where they go wrong for every small problem they think virtual learning is there no it will help them and this stops or hinder their thinking ability.

Health problems:- Staying continuously in front of the laptop for long hours studying make damage your eyes and may get you specs too. One may come across numbness in private parts dude to lack of blood flow dude too long sitting hours. Sitting in one place and learning main reduce activeness in one’s body as there are no body movements and it will reduce your brain growth too as virtual learning affects your thinking ability.

Parents mindset:- Parents may think that as the course which their child wants isn’t available in their city and for that purpose, they have to send their child to other cities, they may hesitate for this matter with regard to their child safety, his/her bad habits, etc which is normal but eventually, this will prevent their children from exploring new cities, learning new things, interacting with new people, attend more seminars then webinars, etc. Parents think that as virtual classes are available for such purposes and are cheap too and provide certficates too so why not get this but they don’t what their child is going to lose by their decision. Some decisions should be left up to children what is good for them because they know their abilities better than their parents at least they should be free to choose in what they are interested in because due to an age gap convincing parents for choosing up what you want to learn they may not find it nice as they have some pre set up courses in their mind which will help the child to fetch more income this shouldn’t be the thing. The child may not have an interest in that field he may for parents take it up but won’t do it with passion. So one should do something which they enjoy doing and they don’t lose their interest in doing the same.

Certificates provided by the virtual learning platform:- The certificate provided by such platforms may be invalid in the real-world or it won’t fetch you that income or a level which the if you would have done the same course in college or any institution may fetch your more. So it is advisable to the students taking up virtual classes to check the validity of the certificate. These virtual platforms provide the students with those certificates without even checking the ability of the students, they don’t take up any exams and just on completion of the course provide students the certificate. Students feel yeah they have a certificate now which will open their doors for new fields and even for jobs but the reality they only know what they have learned, how effective it was for them what knowledge they have regarding the same. By this, those people will enter into who have certificates but no knowledge about for what they have received the certificate for and thus block the opportunities of those students who have a certificate from good college as he has given exam for the same as he have been tested whereas the student having a virtual certificate is not been tested for the same. Those students who think they will get a better job with this certificate most of the companies don’t accept these certificates they rely more on certificates been issued by reputed institutions.

So, here I have put forth some of my views about virtual learning based on personal experience and by interacting with some people who came across the same issues. At the end, I would like to say students should go for personal learning more than virtual learning. Though virtual learning isn’t bad but has disadvantages which students may or they should not face at their earlier stage of learning where their self-thinking ability should improve at a greater pace rather then slowing it by virtual learning. Choose wisely what is good for you and be passionate about learning new things.