Do you think that virtual learning can eventually replace the traditional classroom learning? Sal Khan, the creator of Khan Academy, think that it can and it will even be better.
In an article published on Medium.com, Khan provides 3 different reasons why online education will end up being better than learning in the traditional classroom. Let us discuss them one by one.
It is easier to measure the behavior of every student.
This is necessary if you want the learning experience to be fruitful. By monitoring the behavior of the student, you get to gauge how they are responding to the materials and the concepts being discussed. Of course, a great teacher can spot this just by looking at the student in the eyes. They can analyze how the students are responding and adjust the lesson proper based on that experience. This ability, according to Khan, is also something that virtual learning can do. It is easier to analyze data when it is digital rather than analog. Since virtual classrooms happen in a digital platform, this could be more effective in measuring student behavior – at least compared to how a human teacher observes the whole class.
It is possible to personalize the learning experience.
In relation to the first, online learning can personalize the learning experience of students – in real-time. This is difficult to do when you are in a traditional classroom setting. The teacher can only do so much when it comes to adjusting the learning experience. When they see that some students are slow in learning, they need to decide whether they will slow down the whole class or keep the pace so they can cover more of the lesson plan. In an online classroom, it is possible for the course to take on a more personalized approach. For instance, student A may be slow in learning. The course can help this student refresh their memory of the lesson so they can go through with the activities easily. If student B does not have that problem, he or she can skip the refresher phase and thus breeze through the course faster.
It allows various online education tools to be used.
The final reason why Khan believes that virtual learning is more effective than the traditional learning is the fact that it can easily be improved. The advancements in technology, while it can also be applied in the classroom, will not be easily updated as an online course. Since a virtual classroom in online, you can easily get the updates or the sophisticated programs that will help improve the course. Not only will the online class benefit from program, there are marketing tools that can be used to promote the course. Email campaigns, gamification and even a/b testing can be used in elearning. Khan mentioned that teachers should treat their classes the way startup businesses treat their products. There is a lot of room for improvement and the tools can easily be accessed online.
As you can see, these are three strong points by Sal Khan. Virtual learning has the bigger advantage compared to the traditional classroom learning. But does that mean the latter should stop? Probably not. There are learning experiences that are best done in a classroom setting where the student is face to face with the instructor. However, we cannot erase the fact that online learning is still advancing much faster than the traditional learning methods. Bottom line is, there is more to be expected from this learning method.
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