1 . A single teacher can reach thousands of students in an online course, opening up a world of knowledge to anyone with an Internet connection. This limitless reach also offers opportunities to school districts that need to save money, by reducing the number of teachers. It can help high achievers in need of more advanced coursework than their districts provide. This is especially true in small districts that offer few traditional courses to students working ahead of their grades.

A study in Maine and Vermont examined the effect of online courses on eighth graders with strong math skills in schools that didn’t offer face-to-face math classes. Students were divided between online math and standard math offered in traditional classes. Both groups of students were tested at the end of the school year. The online students did better than those in standard classrooms. They were also twice as likely to complete advanced math later in high school.

But there is something wrong with it. In reality, students who complete these courses tend to do quite poorly on subsequent (随后的) tests of academic knowledge, suggesting that these online courses often give students an easy passing grade without teaching them very much.

Some researchers examined the performance of hundreds of thousands of students at DeVry University, which offers online and face-to-face versions of all its courses, using the same textbooks, assessments (评估), homework and teaching materials in each course. Even though the courses are seemingly the same, the students who attend online courses do worse. The effects are lasting, with online students more likely to drop out of college altogether. Hardest hit are those who entered the online class with low grades. Work by researchers in many other colleges is in line with the DeVry findings: The weakest students are hurt most by the online learning. For those with strong academic skills, by contrast, online learning can open up amazing opportunities.

Online education is still in its youth. Many ways of learning are possible, and some may benefit students with deep and various needs. As of now, however, the evidence is clear. For advanced learners, online classes are a good choice, but academically challenged students need a classroom with a teacher’s support.

2 . The best online language classes for kids

We’ve researched the best language classes for kids and provide a list of them below.

Preply

Languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Italian, Korean, Arabic, Chinese

Ages: No age limit

Preply is an online platform that connects children to over 140,000 tutors (私人教师) for 1-on-1 language classes. Because Preply tutors set their own prices, you can find someone to fit you with hourly rates starting from just $10.

Bilingual Bebe

Languages: English, French, Chinese and Spanish

Ages: 3-12 years old

Bilingual Bebe offers small group online language classes for kids. The instructors use various methods to attract students: playing games, singing songs, reading books and socializing with classmates. All classes are 45 minutes long, and pricing ranges from a monthly subscription of 1 class per week for $149 to5 classes a week for $745.

Language Workshop for Children

Languages: French, Italian and Spanish

Ages: 2+

The Language Workshop for Children provides 1-on-1 private language lessons to students either online or in person. For private lessons, parents can buy a set of 10, 20, 30, 45, or 60-minute classes. Tutoring ranges from $110 to $125 an hour.

Duolingo

Languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Italian, Korean, Chinese, Russian

Ages: 3+

Duolingo is a free app for language learning. It offers a wide variety of language courses broken down into bite-sized lessons focused on reading, listening, and vocabulary.

5 . Online education is transforming the way students learn. One 2016 survey found that offline learning students are an average of 29 years old and online learning students are an average of 33, reflecting both the popularity and effectiveness of online programmes to help adults meet educational and career goals.     1    

Here are THREE reasons online education works well for working adults.

Course flexibility

Most online courses are accessible 24/7, 365 days a year, so you can usually study around your work schedule from anywhere in the world. If you’re an older student juggling an education with other responsibilities, this flexibility is ideal. Often, you can study for a degree online at a pace that fits your lifestyle. You can take one or several courses per semester or enroll in an online programme with shorter terms that make it easier to concentrate on one course at a time.

Recognizing that many prospective online students have already earned some credits toward their bachelor’s degree, programmes might provide transfer credits or credits for life or work experience.     2    

Learning new skills and improving existing ones

Completing online courses from home or your desk at work can help you develop new skills to boost your earning potential.     3     Or you may simply want to improve or refresh the skills you already have, or learn job-specific skills to meet the changing needs of your profession.

Many companies will pay partial tuition for job-related courses that expand your knowledge base. If technology has been changing the way your industry functions, for instance, your employer might greatly value online courses that help you keep up with your field.

Instant relevance to your job

You may be surprised by how much more you enjoy your classes than you did when you were younger because in many online courses, you will find other working adults who you can network with and discuss recent experiences.

    4     You will also be able to make classes more interesting for other students by sharing relevant work-related examples in online discussion boards, for example.

7 . As with most teaching methods, online learning also has its own negatives. Understanding them will help create strategies for more efficiently delivering the lessons, ensuring a good learning journey for students. So, what are the disadvantages of online learning?

    1    

For many students, one of the biggest challenges of online learning is the struggle with focusing on the screen for long periods of time. There’s a great chance for students to be easily attracted by social media or other sites. Therefore, it is vital for the teachers to keep their online classes interesting and interactive. It will help students stay focused on the lesson.

Technology issues

    2     While Internet coverage has grown over the past few years, in smaller cities and towns, a consistent connection with great speed is a problem. Without a consistent Internet connection for students or teachers, there can be a lack of continuity in learning for the child. This is harmful to the education process.

Sense of isolation

Students can learn a lot from being in the company of their peers.     3     This often results in a sense of isolation for the students. In this situation, it is important that the school should allow for other forms of communication between students and teachers.     4    

Teacher training

Online learning requires teachers to have a basic understanding of using digital forms of learning.     5     Very often, teachers have a very basic understanding of technology. Sometimes, they don’t even have the necessary resources or tools to conduct online classes. To solve this, it is important for schools to invest in training teachers with the latest technology updates.

8 . After schools moved online a year ago because of COVID-19, Jonte Lee, a teacher in Washington, DC. was determined to make his chemistry labs interactive and accessible. He figured the way to do so was to connect to the students on social platforms.

As a result, Lee has been livestreaming (网络直播) his lessons on Instagram and Facebook, inspiring students to follow along at home. Lee’s principal suggested he livestream a lab last April. “Our thought behind it was students know how to use Instagram and Facebook,” Lee said,

Realizing that most of his students would not have access to lab equipment when they had online lessons, Lee largely uses items that can be found in most kitchens. “And if there’s something a student doesn’t have, I don’t mind shipping it to the student,” he said.

Since beginning his lessons, Lee has heard from viewers across the country about how his classes have improved their experience of attending online school. One woman told Lee she had been worried about supervising her grandchildren’s classes at home. “She was like, ‘I know nothing about science, what’s going to happen?’ and then she came across my page,” said Lee. “Stories like that really touch my heart.”

Lee also has bought and delivered backpacks, school supplies, and even Amazon Fire tablets to each of his students. Lee poured his summer school teaching salary into the endeavor, calling is an “incredible experience”. Lee’s favorite lesson described how to make ice cream in three different ways, because of how engaged his students were even after the livestream ended.

Lee plans to continue posting videos even after students go back to school in person. “As a public school teacher, I have no intention to be famous or make money. I simply want to give back to all the taxpayers that fund my salary,” said Lee. “This allowed me to be a community teacher, and not a teacher that is bound by the four walls in my classroom.”

10 . Online classes began to be popularized just a few decades ago. They are advertised as a way for adults to finish their education and students to learn the material at their own pace—it is far more suitable for people with busy schedules.

But after being enrolled in an online course last fall semester, I came to realize online classes were merely a means to fulfil course requirements.

First of all, students lack the desire to learn, and they simply complete their assignments to receive credit for a passing grade rather than genuinely engage with the course material.

As online courses tend to have more than 100 students, most of the assignments are short and simple. They are not designed for students to interact with the material in depth but designed to be graded easily to accommodate such a large number of students.

Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of taking an online class is the absence of face-to-face interaction between the teacher and their students. Live sessions are infrequent and are often scheduled during the middle of the day when students have to attend other classes or work. The office hours of the professor may also be during inconvenient times for many students as well. Most interaction with the professor has to be through email which is often impersonal. It is nearly impossible for students to build a relationship with their professor.

There is also little interaction among students. It can be harder for students to create study groups and form relationships with their peers.

Online classes also require either a computer or laptop and a reliable Internet connection. Not all students have access to these types of resources, whether it is for financial or other reasons, and some students can be put at a disadvantage. Offering online classes certainly helps students who would otherwise not be able to attend classroom sessions. However, they fail to provide a true education with an emphasis on convenience rather than critical thinking. We need restructure online classes in which students can have a learning experience that will actually provide quality education.