- Should you enroll yourself in online learning? What is an online learning and how can it add value to your life? Find out more!
Online learning is simply education taking place via the internet. It is also known as e-learning among other terms used.
Read also: Online Learning: Top 10 Benefits of Learning Online
How does online learning work?
(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_open_online_course)
Taking massive open online courses (MOOC)
Taking or enrolling in online courses is a form of online learning. For instance, there is Skillshare, Coursera, edX, Udemy, and more, offer different types of courses. Depending on what type of courses you are looking for, these platforms offer different categories of courses. Skillshare has thousands of classes for design, technology, and even business! Coursera is a platform that partnered with leading universities to create courses to offer a broad catalog of content and credentials, including courses, Specializations, Professional Certificates, Guided Projects, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Completing online assessments
Within these online courses, there may be mini quizzes or simple assignments for you to try out. Some of these quizzes may require you to pass at a certain percentage before moving forward. Whereas, there are some assessments that you are required to complete and submit for peer evaluation. You will also be required to grade and evaluate your peers’ assignments as a requirement for the completion of the course. These activities are to keep learners engaged and interested.
Online quiz sites
For students, there are many platforms that offer curated practice questions for IGCSE or IB. For instance, Quiztopiya by Tutopiya is an online quiz bank that offers over 30,000 practice questions for students to practice and attempt. These questions are designed and curated by IGCSE experts and follow the guidelines and assessment criteria of IGCSE. The quiz bank aims to help students to have access to more resources that are relevant and related to their exams. These online quiz sites are also a form of online learning as they are designed to be completed on the site and will require a user to log on to attempt the questions. These are also known as online resources.
Free Youtube lessons
Have you ever tried learning a language or a musical instrument from Youtube Tutorials? They are also a form of online learning. Lessons are presented in a form of a video and visual to aid learners. The benefit of these videos is that they are free for all and you are entitled to endless repeats. Though of course, these lessons will not include a quiz or assessment! They are mainly for entertainment purposes and
What can you expect from online education?
Ability to get rewarded with certified certificates
Online courses such as Coursera offers learners a downloadable certificate after the completion of their course at a price. For those who are looking to take up courses to build up their resume, having a certificate can help to serve this purpose.
Self-paced and flexible
The art of online learning is that it does not require you to finish it within a period of time. Online courses usually are self-paced and flexible. Learners can log on when they have extra time on hand to complete the session. It is also up to the learner how often they wish to take the lesson or if they are ready to move on to the next lesson. It caters to everybody’s schedule, how convenient!
Convenient and easily accessible
Online education offers everybody an opportunity to learn outside of work. Online education is convenient for those who are looking to develop a new skill or gain a new set of knowledge. It is also easily accessible with a laptop and internet connection. Learners can simply log on after work or class to attend the course they take interest in. Learning has become much more accessible than before. It surely offers plenty of opportunities for everybody now.
Quizzes and assignments embedded in courses
The majority of online courses will have quizzes and or assignments embedded within the course. It serves as a checkpoint for learners and helps learners to make sure that they are reaping the rewards of learning the course. Additionally, there may be assignments that learners are required to do and submit. These quizzes and assignments also aim to keep learners engaged and practicing the skills and knowledge learned.
Little connection with peers
Depending on the type of online course you enrolled yourself in, you may or may not be required to connect and interact with your peers in your course. For instance, in Skillshare, learners take the course individually by themselves. Whereas for Coursera, there may be a chance for you to interact with your peers. You will be engaged in activities like peer evaluation and group discussions. Hence, depending on your preference, you can choose to enroll in courses that require participation or an individual closed lesson.
Tutopiya is an online live tuition platform that offers online tuition for many curriculums like IGCSE, IB, SAT, Singapore National Curriculum, and more. We also offer language lessons for beginners who are looking to develop their language skills. Tutopiya has a pool of experienced tutors in their respective fields of study. Learning with Tutopiya is also flexible, learners can schedule lessons according to their schedules easily on our platform. New learners and students are entitled to a free trial lesson with Tutopiya! Come reach out to our experts today!
Eleen Tan
I am currently a full-time student studying at a local university in Singapore while freelancing as a writer. I enjoy writing and sharing useful education-related tips with my fellow studying peers. During my leisure time, I enjoy doing creative arts and volunteering work. I am passionate about sharing my experience as a student! ☺