At the end of 2019, the world was shaken by the news of a novel threat in the name of “Coronavirus”, abbreviated as Covid-19. Epicentered at China, the disease began spreading rapidly throughout the world and the number of infected people increasing exponentially day by day, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it as a pandemic (a disease that spreads across a large region, or worldwide) and a‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern’ (PHEIC) (Coronavirus disease 2019; COVID-19, 2020).
Due to such crisis, nations all over the world have asked their citizens to isolate themselves from public places and stay at home until further notice. Prior to this, many events (either major or minor) were called off, schools have been shut down and countries such as Italy and France were put into lockdown to avoid people gathering and risking more cases of Covid-19. These safety measures are indeed necessary for the sake of people’s wellbeing. The learning process joins the list of numerous other affairs that were incapacitated due to this circumstance. Fortunately, this is the modern-tech era and when we cannot meet physically, we use technology to communicate. And, in this situation, teaching and learning processes can still continue by attending virtual classrooms – ‘Online Learning’.
What is Online Learning?
Online learning – a.k.a ‘e-Learning’ – is the learning process that takes place over the Internet. It is a virtual classroom where the students can attend (synchronously and/or asynchronously) (Stern, n.d.) no matter where they are; home, restaurant, shopping mall, anywhere! Most business organizations and higher education institutions apply online learning/training courses in their schedule as it enables students to interact with technology better as well as give them the opportunity to manage their own time and learning setting properly. This modern-type classroom only needs the teacher and students to have Internet connection (which is a must in this modern era) and an online learning/training course application (which is usually provided by the school, institution or company) to initiate the learning process.
How can Online Learning help amidst the Covid-19 outbreak?
Online learning has been by far the most popular type of distance learning today (Stern, n.d.) based on the conveniences it brings amidst its efficacy. Despite some doubts concerning the authenticity of the teaching and learning environment, it is a wise approach to take especially with the current Covid-19 crisis. Here is a list of benefits online learning/training provides
No Face-to-Face Teaching and Learning Process
Throughout this concerning and pandemic situation, people need to avoid crowded areas and limit physical interactions with one another. Hence, resorting to an online learning/training course is a wise approach to elude the risk of infection, yet still fulfilling the need for social interactions during the process and continuing with lessons at the comfort of their own homes (Norman, 2020).
More Focus, Less Concern
Recently, because of the outbreak, people have been more concerned and less focused on their task or activity when they are in a crowded area. For example, learning in a classroom setting. This can lead to a decline of their academic performance, attention rate let alone their comprehension. Yet, through online learning which does not need to be in a classroom setting, students can experience a worry-free learning environment and also focus more on the educational content (Teo, 2020).
Lower Travel Cost and Time
It is not surprising when a person’s daily commute to school/work to and fro costs a lot, even if they travel via public transport. The travel duration and the hassle of waking up early to adhere to punctuality is a struggle by itself. However, by attending online learning/training courses, people do not need to think about transportation cost and the long commute anymore since they will attend it from home and attend it at their own pace (Axelsson, 2017). On top of that, cost saving becomes a by-product to this as they can use that extra money for other necessities such as food stock in response to staying at home due to Covid-19.
Flexible schedule
Nowadays, people prefer to work at their own pace without being restricted to a fixed schedule. This is where online learning/training comes in. Online learning, as mentioned above, can be done synchronously/asynchronously depending on the participants which can help loosen their strict schedule. Now, with many employees and students required to study and work from home, they can apply online learning/training and fulfil their duty as student/employees according to their own pace (Norman, 2020).
Get Our Six Sigma Online Training Course Now!
We, at Lean Sigma Expert Australia / Six Sigma Malaysia, provide Lean Six Sigma Online Training Courses to all with promotional discounts! During this pandemic outbreak, we are encouraging those interested to obtain Lean Six Sigma Belt Certifications to join our online training courses as we understand and value all participants’ concerns and well-being. We assure that our online training courses are 100% online and your chosen certification can be achieved at your own pace. Additionally, it is comprised of professionally narrated e-Learning modules; interactive quizzes, tests and exams. All delivered through a system that you will have access to 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. To further cater your convenience, access for all programmes is 12 months from date of registration.[/vc_column_text%�D
Date: 17/3/2020 (Tuesday)
Bibliography
Axelsson, J. (2017, November 15). 6 reasons why elearning development costs less than traditional training. Retrieved from elearning industry: https://elearningindustry.com/elearning-development-costs-less-than-traditional-training-6-reasons
Coronavirus disease 2019; COVID-19. (2020, March 15). Retrieved from CDC.gov: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/summary.html
Iwai, Y. (2020, March 13). Online learning during the covid-19 pandemic. Retrieved from Scientific American: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/online-learning-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/
Norman, S. (2020). 5 advantages of learning online; Education without leaving home. Retrieved from elearning industry: https://www.google.com/amp/s/elearningindustry.com/5-advantages-of-online-learning-education-without-leaving-home/amp
Stern, J. (n.d.). Introduction to online teaching and learning. Retrieved from wlac.edu: http://www.wlac.edu/online/documents/otl.pdf
Teo, G. (2020, March 1). Online learning platforms see increased demand amidst COVID-19 concerns | Video. Retrieved from channel news asia: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/online-learning-platforms-see-increased-demand-amidst-covid-19-12488726
