Published on 15th February 2022.
How Virtual Education Opportunities Promote Education on a Global Scale
Take a moment and think back 30 years ago. It was the early 90s and technology, via the internet, was just beginning to take hold of the world. Asking a question online was new and many thought the internet was just a passing fad. Now, take a look at how we live our lives today. Everyone seems to have a smart device in their pocket and can get information in an instant at any time. Guess what? The internet is here to stay and it is impacting how we learn on a daily basis. Where would we be without it?
Breaking Down Boundaries
Educating the world is not easy. Each and every person is different. It is our unique qualities that make us who we are and the traditional education system of teacher vs. a group of children does not work for everyone. Some students may become restless in a traditional classroom. In the past, many restless children were simply passed on to the next teacher and moved through the system with no one accounting for their learning needs.
Today’s classrooms are an enjoyable mix of traditional learning environments and virtual opportunities. Teachers are instructed on pinpointing certain attributes in their student that may require an altered learning style. Students who do not respond to the traditional teacher/student narrative are often provided with tools to allow them to enhance learning through visualization or even games. Fewer children are simply passed through the system making it possible for every student to have an opportunity to learn in their own way.
Education for the Poor
Traditional education systems often leave the most vulnerable individuals without the ability to learn. It is currently estimated that over 600 million children are behind in their proposed education level. The primary reason is simply due to their family’s financial situation. Poor children often feel obligated to get a job earlier than they should to help support the family. Additionally, older children may be required to look after younger ones, thereby neglecting their personal need for proper educations.
Technology has enhanced the ability for education to continue even if the student is unable to attend traditional classes. As we learned during the COVID-19 lockdowns, virtual classrooms can be a vital resource when one or more family members are sick and need attention. Older children can receive the same level of education without falling behind when they have to take care of younger ones. Students that help support their family can even have virtual learning opportunities without sacrificing time spent inside a traditional classroom.
Empowering Young Minds
Education happens in more than just a classroom environment. As humans, we learn in a variety of different ways and take in information with every activity we do. One of the more impressive attributes to virtual education is the ability to play games while learning. Teachers have always used various games as a means of teaching students, but now, the with ability to log into virtual gaming portals, education is endless.
STEM education is a hot button topic these days. The acronym meaning Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics is providing students from all walks of life the ability to learn about these essential careers. STEM projects such as coding have been integrated into both traditional and virtual classrooms with great success. This is especially important in poor nations where students would, normally not have access to this knowledge. STEM programs across the globe have empowered young minds to think outside the box and imagine the possibilities of a bright future.
Transportation No Longer An Issue
In America, we rarely give any thought to the need for proper transportation to education facilities. Big yellow busses pick up and drop off children throughout the US, but this is not the standard globally. In underdeveloped countries, for example, students walk, sometimes many miles to school in any weather conditions. This puts the student at great risk, but thankfully, virtual education opportunities are making transportation needs a non-issue. In a virtual classroom, students need only a viable internet connection and a workable internet capable device.
The virtual classroom is still evolving. There remains many mountains to climb, but we have already seen phenomenal success in virtual classrooms from preschool all the way up to college level. Online education opportunities are available for more people than ever before. Research shows that education inequality is dropping faster than ever before. Education is a right for all and should not be dependent upon someone’s income level. Virtual learning is finally providing an opportunity for even the poorest of individuals to have a high quality education. We still have a long way to go, but it is encouraging to notice a substantial uptick in the number of nations that are finally providing virtual education opportunities for everyone, including the poor
