Question

- Summarize the benefits of virtual classrooms over conventional web-based learning

Answer 1

• Increased Convenience. Without the location or time limitations of a traditional classroom setting, learners have the freedom to absorb content and engage with peers, at a time and location that they will learn best. The professional world is realizing that not every learner is the same and sitting in a classroom for hours to learn about a topic is not effective for everyone. A virtual classroom allows learners to comprehend topics on their own terms, on many different devices, anywhere there is internet.
• Schedule Flexibility. The ease of accessibility of an online learning platform gives learners the opportunity to take a break at certain times of the work day to take a class. This allows employees to learn at various times of the day, such as during a lunch break, or on the bus to and from work. This type of flexibility is not possible with physical classrooms.
• Knowledge Retention. For many, online instruction delivers a more effective learning experience because of the ability to have short, interactive modules that can be repeated if needed. These short modules also referred to as microlearning, help learners find what they need quickly, and help break up learning to make it more manageable and memorable.
• Immediate Feedback. If the virtual classroom is being used for compliance, or another type of learning topic that requires a test of knowledge, learners can get immediate feedback on how well they comprehended the information. In traditional classrooms, feedback could take weeks to disperse, and by that time, the feedback won’t be as potent to the learner. In a virtual classroom, administrators also see an added advantage of being able to track these knowledge tests for their records.
• Increased Participation & Engagement. It may seem like there would be more opportunities for participation and engagement in traditional classrooms setting, but this is not necessarily true. There are many ways to interact in virtual classrooms through chat and rating features, as well as social learning. The interactive comment and share features help learners engage and connect. It also allows learners who may not be as comfortable with interacting in-person an opportunity to contribute. Features like the rating and comment features also allows administrators to determine the quality of their content and adjust accordingly to ensure the most effective learning experience.