Online Education
Online education has shaped the way we learn. Whereas twenty years ago, the only way to learn would have been through, sometimes, dull and tedious lectures and writing based lessons, now we are able to learn through a number of ways making work a lot more fun and in most cases easier. Most people are very supportive of online education, as it really an innovation.
VLE’S
VLE’s are great! It stands for “ Virtual learning environment’. They allow you to access the work from your school, work place and any other place where you learn through the internet. You are able to sign on to the site with a special password and username, then you can access all the resources of your school/company through this site. They are extremely helpful and are great to ensure you get your work done. VLE’s do cost a lot to install though, so they’re only good if you use them frequently and well. Many schools have now incorporated them into their learning systems, and it seems to be working well.
Advantages:
- They’re easy ways to set work and receive it.
- You’re able to access work wherever you are, if you have an account.
- You can gain more resources.
- Saves paper/other resources as it is done online.
Disadvantages
- They can be quite expensive to install.
- You have to have a basic understanding of computers to use them.
- Some people may forget passwords/usernames causing hassle.
- Some people may find it difficult to learn this way, does not cater for all learning styles.
I personally find the VLE in my school very good as I am able to access work at home if I forget to save it to my memory stick or send it home via email, so it is handy to have the resource there to retract my work from. I think it is great and would advise many people to get it.
Learning and revision sites
The rise in the number of people beginning to use online websites to revise from is substantial in the past few years. Many GCSE/A-Level students find that revising from the internet on sites such as bitesize and Sam Learning was easier that constantly staring at a text book. The internet allows you to make revision and learning more fun by giving you targets or a competition with your friends.
Sam Learning is a big site for revision, you’re giving your login and once you’re logged in you’re able to make an avatar and earn points for revising, you can also compete with people in your school. Sites like these are great because at an ages in which your attention is likely to wander with textbooks, you’re more drawn in with a website which allows you to compete but learn at the same time. BBC bitesize is also a huge site for revision as you can revise, do tests and play games to revise which caters for many people, and you’re less likely to get bored revising this way.
Advantages of revision sites
- You’re able to revise in a more fun environment than textbooks
- It is cheaper than going out a buying the textbook as it is free
- You can use a wider range of resources
Disadvantages of revision sites
- Some websites may require a joining fee
- You may get distracted by other things on the website
- You may not be able to find the topic you need
You can also get online learning sites which are good because you can get online lessons in your subject, and then get set homework. Essentially they are like online teachers, they will take you through the process and teach you it, just as a teacher would. The main site for online learning is probably www.mymaths.com. Many schools now use this because you’re able to use it to teach your students, and they understand it. It offers a wide range of ways to entertain the students too.
Advantages of learning sites
- They are easy to access if you know the right place to go
- You are able to access a range of topics
- You learn in a more entertaining environment
Disadvantages of learning sites
- Some websites require a joining fee.
- Some students may learn better from a book
- You have to have a few logins for security which may be tedious, or you could forget them.
I personally am a big fan of online revision sites and used them a lot throughout my GCSE process and I think it helped me a lot. I found the fact that there was many different ways for me to learn was good and it kept me entertained. However I was not a fan of learning sites like my maths, as sometimes because it was online you had to be too exact which was annoying in some cases.
Access to resources online
The internet is great for education in this way, because you’re able to access information and resources throughout the web. Now, due to the internet, you can type something into Google and most likely get a lot of results for the piece of work you’re doing. With sites like wikipedia you’re more or less likely to find what you need to find, it is really that easy. You can also access statistics etc online because you’re able to just find them straight away, i.e. 96% of under thirties have a social media account. You can find statistics like this throughout the internet, and they’re so easy to find!
Advantages of online resources
- Quick and easy to find
- Don’t have to search very far
- You can access them whenever
Disadvantages of online resources
- Could be unreliable
- You don’t know who is posting them
- It is secondary data so could be out of date, or in different context.
I personally think that online resources are really helpful and often use them when I am doing background research into subjects, or I want to find something out. I find them really quick and easy.
Online multimedia for education
Online multimedia for education is great because you are able to get videos, audios or pictures teaching you how to do something such as cooking, playing a game, etc. They’re great for if you do not have enough time or money to take real lessons in the topic that you wish to learn. With YouTube most likely having over 500 million videos, you’re highly likely to find what you want. In recent years, there has been a higher demand in people using the internet for things such as information videos.
Advantages of online multimedia
- It is easy to access
- Easy to find
- Could be quite helpful
Disadvantages of online multimedia
- Could be unreliable
- Might not be clear enough
- Could be time consuming to find the right one
I personally do not use online educational videos frequently, but I have used them before and they were quite helpful. I have seen people make a living out of giving tutorials online on YouTube, it is good for some people, but not for others.
Self help forums
Self help forums are good because you can find one on anything you need to really. They allow you to talk to other people, and find out things. You can learn a lot from people on these forums and if you need to find out something quick, they’re good. Sometimes the information may not be as educational as you may hope, but generally it is how you would like it. Many people use these, and find them helpful. They’re good for education because not only do they offer you a vast range of information, but they offer you personal inputs on the subject too.
Advantages of self help forums
- They are able to offer a vast range of information
- You can find out the information you want
- You don’t have to give any personal information out
Disadvantages of self help forums
- You may get inaccurate information
- Could mistake something for something else
- Can sometimes get quite abusive
I personally don’t use self help forums, but friends have done and found them reasonably good but prefer other methods of getting information.
Copyright
Copyright is a set of rights that you’re given if you pay for it and create an original piece of work, .i.e. the iPod is copyrighted. Copyright used to just apply to books, however you can copyright almost anything these days, and many people do. The act came into force in 1989, and this meant that people could not copy your work under any circumstances without permission. They would have to ask the owner of it for permission, and if they declined, you would not be able to use the image/logo, etc. You could be sued a lot if you break this law, and it is more common now, you don’t even have to know you’re doing it.
