Importance of Online Learning Apps
Online learning Apps have changed the face of education in India. By developing interest in the subjects through different audio-video aids about the concepts and giving the freedom of learning in a suitable time frame, the online learning apps have become a favourite of most students and even parents
Amidst the ongoing crisis due to COVID- 19 global pandemic that has engulfed all the countries of the world, the schools, colleges and other educational institutions have entered a new era of digitization and there is a new world of virtual learning through online learning apps in Indiaand across the globe. Smartphones have turned into virtual classrooms for students of all age groups. While the teachers and students are developing their skill sets to sail through the online teaching modes and technology, there has been a massive increase in the number of mobile learning apps in recent times that promise to give the best learning experience for students.
Off lately, everyone around us can be heard discussing the pros and cons of these online learning apps floating in the digital domain. There are innumerable topics that one can ponder over when we talk about online learning - from an array of courses available to the expertise of online teaching experts; from the cost of the App to being user-friendly; from being Android friendly to being bug-free; and many more aspects. These online learning apps provide the students the access to indispensable learning materials, e-books and other useful pieces of information on their smartphones, laptops and desktops.Why is Everyone Talking about Online Learning Apps?
According to a report, over 1.2 billion school students are out of their schools during the massive outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic that crippled the education sector in various countries. With schools shut for an indefinite period, the school administrations have suffered losses financially. But children are the ones who have suffered most at the hands of this dreadful pandemic. No classrooms, no teachers, no friends and with the strict directives of not stepping out of the houses, the children have found themselves in the middle of a new world within the boundaries of their homes whether big or small. Confined to their houses, many students were left with no choices but to be glued to screens – electronic gadgets or televisions. Lack of physical activity like playing outdoors, running or cycling was yielding adverse effects on the body as well as the mind of the little ones.
In India, April is the month to begin a new academic session in majority of the private and government-run schools. Lying in the lurch of an indefinite situation, the education sector successfully handled the situation with elan though not with much ease. Many schools, especially the private ones, went digital. Though online learning was not something new or peculiar in India but it definitely changed the perception of studying online for many. Now there was a paradigm shift in online education in India - from online learning to online schooling. Everyone was curious about how schools would function digitally and moreover; would their wards be able to cope up with the online challenges OR would the children be attentive as they are in class?
It is important to understand that adopting an online schooling system by India was not a new concept for the world. Many schools abroad had already switched to online schooling during the first month of the Coronavirus epidemic outbreak in India. As mentioned earlier, e-learning or online learning wasn't an unheard term in India but online schooling took many by surprise. One shouldn't have any qualms in accepting or agreeing that while technology is at a different pace in other countries (U.S/ U.K/ China, etc.), India still has a long way to go. We are moving and progressing rapidly, but a major population, even today, struggles with several basics of mobile phone usage. Therefore, operating online schools, which became popularized as 'online classes', was not a cakewalk. Roadblocks included - training the teachers, reaching out to the parents telephonically, convincing them, arranging for e-books and developing a mechanism that works. To begin with, many schools were (or had to be) generous to arrange laptops that could be used by the teachers. A major task for all the schools was to teach and train the teachers to use various video communication apps. Gradually, things fell into place and everyone has adapted to the online class mechanism during this crucial phase of the year 2020.
The lockdown phase also witnessed the establishment of many online learning apps and also helped many existing e-learning apps reach out to millions of users. The users or subscribers' graph of such e-learning apps in India and across showed a significant soar and it talks much about the revenue generated by these e-learning apps. Most parents wanted their child or children to get the best understanding of concepts of different subjects and therefore they wisely chose some teacher in disguise of an e-learning app considering them a blessing for their studies. Shifting from classroom to a virtual classroom, most children enjoyed the time exploring the salient features of the online learning apps of their choice. Online learning apps have now become the talk of the town as the parents are often seen/ heard discussing how efficient, hassle-free, user friendly and pocket-friendly many online learning apps are. Families where both parents are working have been singing praises of these online learning apps as they have been pivotal in taking the load off their shoulders of teaching, solving and explaining concepts of their children. How E-learning benefits?
As more and more students are relying on remote learning, there has been a boom in the number of e-learning apps or online learning apps available. These mobile apps that are making drastic changes in the education sector have made learning joyful and stress-free. The mundane look of some course books makes students apathetic towards the subject whereas the online learning apps with the colourful animations and soothing voice-overs usually attract even the least interested students.
Online educators are exploring new ways to make learning inclusive through innovative tools and teaching pedagogies. The technologies used in mobile apps and creative ways of introducing new concepts leads to a healthier-thought-process and students enjoy learning new things in every online class or in each video that they watch.
While most of us are aware of the regular scholarship given to meritorious students, there has been a steep rise in the number of online scholarships being offered by different app-based institutions/ platforms. These online learning apps encourage students to compete for online scholarships or micro scholarships that can make a difference in their educational career. Such scholarships become a boon for those who are outstandingly brilliant in studies yet are not financially sound and find it difficult to pursue a certain course. Choosing the Suitable Online Learning App - Some Tips
While each app promises to be the best in its one sense, it becomes difficult to decide which one is the best. There are a plethora of online learning apps available on the play store that one can download and use for learning varied subjects. Most of the online learning apps in India and even across the globe offer lucrative offers to grab attention and attract subscribers. Here are some of the things to keep in mind before zeroing in on any online learning app.
Speculate Over Your Objectives: It is important to have a realization of what is the purpose of downloading a certain educational app. Precisely, it means why do you need the app. Whether you want your child to remain engaged in studies rather than spending time on online games or other digital distractions; or your child needs an expert's help to understand a concept, or your child does not follow what is being taught in the regular classrooms.
Free or Paid? - Once your objective is clear, have a glance at your wallet. While some online learning apps are free of cost and just need permission of your smartphone, a larger number is that of paid apps. The charges of educational online apps in India range from one-time subscriptions to monthly ones.
Popularity of the App - It is like stating the obvious. The more popular the learning app, the more will be the knowledge seekers on the app. The quality of the content/ teaching module/ teaching techniques helps decide the popularity of the online learning app. If a concept is taught in an easy, joyful and interesting manner, it is sure to be conceived and retained for a longer period of time.
User-Friendly Interface - An online learning platform can be content-rich but its interface may not be possible to use with ease. A user-friendly interface is a must for any education-based application to keep the readers/ students or subscribers engaged.
Check for Trial Versions Availability - One may not want to spend a whopping amount and later realize that he or she does not like the app. Therefore, it is always advisable to check for trial versions of the online learning apps and if it suits one's preferences or requirements, one can proceed to the paid version.
As one mulls over the e-learning apps and decides one, it is important to understand that online learning apps are becoming a must-have for any child's academic growth.
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While online suitable learning apps has become the order of the day and many are looking our for user friendly and at the same time safe apps that can give the best results and not cumbersome enough to create problems later regarding hacking and so on. What the author suggested is good as we have to access the importance of the app before downloading and how far it can be effectively used to our needs so that the benefit should be full and not asking more. While paid apps have the edge over the free apps, its better to take advice of those who already used these apps and that would give us the right feed back to decide. First go through the review of the app and how it was rated by the users so that it should not be problematic to us. And the use of app must be easy and not cumbersome and difficult to understand. If the trail version is available , it is better to test the same for the compatibility and usage to us to decide on the paid or the free versions later.