By Azard Jaleel (Representing Tamil Vibes)

For a consumer in the late ’90s internet was unthinkable as a choice of medium for his or her procuring needs. It wasn’t much different for sellers either until, in the 2000s, The e-commerce wave kicked into the market following the relentless efforts by the companies like e-bay and Amazon with internet security protocols that ensured the consumer safety measures. Today’s E-commerce’s global market size is almost 20% and has far sprawled deep into the rural villages on the earth. Even a teenage girl or boy does his online purchase with his smartphones without any hesitation. 

The parable is not much different from countless contemporary improvements we enjoy today, such as, in the field of communication, filmography, transportation, education, mass media and any field you can name.  This reminds me of how true that old cliché which says – the change is the only constant. Today the developments in the technology and its mounting impacts in our day to day life seldom leave us with a choice but to embrace. However, the orthodox mentality is in no favor of these improvements, the young generation, and as well as the people with adapting mindset earn the colossal advantages from what it has to offer. 

Today, technology in the field of education is completely taking control of the transformation through online learning.  Comparing to those old days in 2000’s, when the distance learning was unappealing and barely recognized as a course of study with the recorded tape lessons and printed notes; today, The e-learning has become the best alternative for traditional classrooms and the trend has socially and widely been accepted, allowing so many service providers in the market whose credentials are well recognized by the market leaders.  In South Asia, in countries like India and Sri Lanka; eLearning is fairly new and yet a rapidly growing industry with affordable internet prices these days. In India, there are service providers who have very much simplified the school curriculum with the advanced learning tools using top-notch technology. In Sri Lanka, Lanka Virtual Academy is the premier to take the lead.

Why should we pick eLearning as a choice when we still have plenty of access to traditional tuition classes which people still believe as an ideal form of learning?  What are the possible benefits you will acquire as an online learner? As a parent, what can you gain while allowing your children to study online? Let’s see some explanations why should this be the choice?

1 – All the fingers are not the same. When it comes to cognitive strength and aptitude, children (also adults) differ from each other. Benjamin Samuel Bloom, the American educational psychologist said – ‘It makes no sense to expect all the students to take the same amount of time to achieve the same objectives’. One of the major hitches of the traditional classroom is, it operates with ‘take or leave’ time frame. When a student has the swift ability to grasp the idea; he or she learns. But, the problem is, this percentage of students is a narrow margin’ comparing to those of the majority is slow learners. This is one of the reasons, we have so many failing student populations. What eLearning does is, it gives complete control to students to learn their lessons in countless repetitions. There’s no need to have the worry of missing the lessons too, as you can always have access to your lessons at your convenience. The smarter students still have the possibility to go with their learning at their own speed or to skip the lessons they already know. 

2-  The new finding in terms of memory emphasizes that we remember things with repetitions. Don’t you think eLearning is the best medium for this reason as access to lessons always at your comfortable reach? E-learners greatly benefit from revisions in this case comparing to the students who attend traditional classes.

3 – The new generation of students are technologically evolved. Parents in their 40’s or 50’s or above should never expect their children to acquire the education as they did in the past. The latest education is well advanced to the extent it uses so much multimedia, cloud-based technologies, webinars, and smartboards, etc., in its composition that is well synchronized with the latest trends,   which seems yet far reach in the traditional classes. By using such sophisticated learning tools, a student’s learning process is made much easier and likable.

4- If you consider the time as one of your most precious commodities; one of the prime advantages of online learning is the less time investment. Students are able to learn in their own time of ease in a place that’s they think fitting to them. They save a big portion of their travel time in their constrained learning schedules. It isn’t just that. They are safe from travel distractions and weariness. 

5- Most parents around the world appreciate the online learning for its cost-effectiveness. Online courses charge much lesser than traditional tuitions and for parents, it’s another relief considering the skyrocketing expenses. Parents do save travel expenses of their children and the cost of the learning materials as these courses provide free study materials to their subscribers.  

Online learning is the latest trend and many students around the world have already embraced it in their success journey.  Many of the service providers in the industry are committed to providing visually appealing lessons for student’s easy grasp. Contradicting many made-up critiques, it’s relatively interactive in the process and the teachers are ever ready to answer your doubts and queries. It’s not a bad idea to give it a try if you are new to eLearning.