The Advantages Of A Virtual Classroom

Online learning is a necessity in the age of COVID-19. Students and employees are experiencing the advantages of a virtual classroom during social distancing.

Students from elementary age through graduate programs must now adapt to online education.  While most schools offer some kind of online learning platform, these have been supplementary to live classroom instruction. Employees in various industries have long been familiar with modular, self-directed computer-based training programs, but workers typically completed those kinds of programs by themselves, on breaks, or during scheduled training hours. Now, however, with stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders affecting almost everyone in the country, the advantages of a virtual classroom stand out for students and employees alike.

Interactivity

Intuitively, it would seem that live classroom instruction offers more opportunities for interaction with faculty, trainers, and other learners. This isn’t always the case. Virtual classrooms offer students the chance to work together in chats, to share documents, and to address the instructor directly without having to raise a hand and wait to be “called on.” Students who are less comfortable addressing others face-to-face come out of their shells when offered the chance to submit and share comments in real-time, or to take some time to formulate their response instead of responding immediately, and uncomfortably, in front of everyone in the class.

Flexibility

Virtual classrooms offer the flexibility to complete assignments any time within a defined range of dates, so long as students submit work by a fixed deadline. Student portals offer the chance to submit comments and questions to peers in the class and return later to check on responses. Students can read assignments, complete quizzes, and receive feedback on their work whenever and wherever they have the chance to log in.

Easier Access to Faculty and Resources

No more “office hours” or hanging around after class to try to catch a moment of the instructor’s time. In a virtual classroom, students can post questions to instructors one-on-one or share their questions with both the teacher and the group. Everyone benefits when the instructor realizes that students have similar questions or could benefit from reviewing some of the course materials.

Virtual classrooms exist on the internet, which means that students have immediate access to supplementary resources like video, animated, and interactive diagrams, simulations, and research. Employers in highly technical fields can offer their employees training about things like hazardous materials, laboratory safety, and compliance without putting inexperienced workers or equipment at risk. Virtual classrooms save on travel costs. Workers who access training at the workplace are immediately available to return to their responsibilities and will never be stranded due to flight delays or cancellations.

The advantages of a virtual classroom are evident in the virtual classroom’s combination of the best of live group instruction and asynchronous, self-directed learning.