According to a recent survey, India has become the second-largest digital learning market after the United States. By the end of 2021, it is expected to reach $1.96 billion with an approximately 9.5 million user base. Though this is a result of rapid technology advancement, internet connectivity, and adoption, the necessity imposed by the COVID pandemic are considered as the primary reasons for the accelerated growth of the digital education sector. Well, digital learning has its set of benefits for both the students and teachers.
Advantages of digital learning
Here are some of the primary advantages of digital classroom setup over the traditional ones, making it popular among learners and educators alike.
Continuous learning with flexibility
Unlike traditional learning methods that mandate a student to study during a specific time in a day, digital learning lets you study at your convenient time and pace. As educational content and recorded lectures are available 24x7, you need not worry about the availability of your lecturer, library, or lab. You can learn at your own pace to get the most out of it. As long as you have good internet connectivity, you can learn from anywhere. Therefore, with digital education, learning never stops!
Connected learning
A digital classroom enables you to be a part of a connected community where you can access a lot of information and endure it according to your personal needs. Students and teachers can rapidly share knowledge, insights and coordinate with each other in real-time. Students can use online tools like Microsoft Teams and Zoom to connect with their classmates, seek help, and discuss their queries. They can also use instant messaging or email to communicate to their teachers instead of waiting till their next class. The teacher may revert back at their earliest convenience. This boosts students' learning, collaboration, and communication skills and permits educators to enjoy a level playing field.
Personalized assessment
Individual learning needs are unique and traditional learning methods fail to cater to them as a whole. Whereas, with digital education, teachers can track the progress of every student, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and take corrective measures to help them improve. Students can also track their progress. The process of monitoring and measuring competency-based learning in traditional methodology is challenging at an individual level. Digital learning offers the benefits of one-to-one learning with additional benefits of cost and time efficiency.
Higher engagement rate
Unlike the traditional classroom, digital classrooms provide students with a wide range of options including video content, images, interactive sessions, virtual reality, and more. It makes learning truly engaging and easy to understand for students. Furthermore, digital learning platforms allow educators to easily create and manage groups to address individual and smaller group needs. Such customized learning sequences for each student make online education more fun and productive. Also, parents can encourage their children’s interest in learning by using interactive activities.
Regularly updated and relevant content
Digital learning content can be updated quickly and easily, ensuring regular access to updated features and materials. It ensures that students have the latest and more accurate information at their disposal compared to the printed books as it takes an incredibly long time to reflect and circulate the changes.
Promotes self-motivation and accountability
Digital learning uses various engaging methods to impart education. Innovative techniques like teamwork, peer education, problem-solving, concept maps, reverse teaching, storytelling, role-playing, staging, and gamification help students better connect with the learning material. The real-time performance evaluation and autogenerated reports make an individual student assessment more informative and transparent. It enables them to measure their performance in-depth and come up with solutions by themselves. The self-directed nature of digital learning encourages children to browse and research, thus enhancing their accountability and motivation.
Makes students digitally smarter
Digital learning tools and technologies encourage students to develop self-directed learning skills. It gives them the ability to identify what they require to learn, search, use online resources, apply the information on the issue at hand, and evaluate feedback. It enhances their productivity and efficiency. Additionally, digital learning technologies and tools sharpen their critical thinking skills, leading to the development of analytical reasoning and enhancement of their decision-making capability. Some of the digital education techniques like interactive social skill games can help children develop valuable life skills like patience. This is done by making them follow the rules and guidelines in a fun way. Further, learning these skills boosts their confidence, igniting an urge to learn more.
Sharing economy
A vast pool of free tools and content available online has created an environment of sharing economy. Sharing of platforms and common standards has enabled millions of educators to share resources and tools. With content availability, schools can save money on educational resources and ensure equitable access to educational materials.
Next-generation learning for educators
Even educators can reap the benefits of digital learning. Educators can join digital professional learning communities to prepare and develop themselves based on a competency map, diverse opportunities to demonstrate learning, and multiple personalized ways to learn. It ultimately results in enhanced career opportunities and working conditions for educators.
Environment friendly
Besides offering multiple benefits to students and educators, digital education is helpful for the environment too! As digital classrooms save students and teachers from traveling to and from classes, it minimizes carbon footprint by reducing CO2 emissions harmful to the environment. Online education also reduces the need for paper for books and handouts, which is another excellent way to save the environment.
Conclusion
Digital education tools offer unmatched learning capabilities compared to physical classroom education. It provides a win-win situation for both students and teachers by providing unlimited learning possibilities, flexibility, and personalization at reduced costs and time. With the enormous benefits under its belt, digital learning is increasingly adopted by students and educators alike.
Teachmint is keen on changing the future of education with its advanced LMS and ERP tools. With more than 20+ modules for educational institutions like admission management, attendance management system, performance management, and more; it is changing the teaching-learning experience.
