The growth of distance learning is significant, with COVID-19 consequences and an increase in remote work and hybrid models at the workplace. Like the ambiguous shifts in work schedules, eLearning for kids has advantages and disadvantages. Its effects range from greater convenience of studying to mental health complications that may even include anxiety and depression.
In this guide, Brighterly math help for kids will discuss all the ups and downs of virtual learning and the exact impact of remote learning on students.
Benefit #1: Greater Accessibility
The most significant perk of children’s remote learning is its accessibility. The remote studying model lets kids get high-quality education from almost anywhere in the world. All they need is a computer with an Internet connection and the curiosity to learn something new.
Important note: To make this advantage work, a child should know which courses to look for and enroll in. Thus, help from a tutor and parents is crucial. Given that the Internet has opened the doors to anyone to become a student and a mentor, it’s easy to encounter a poorly structured course and waste time and money on it.
Benefit #2: High Convenience
Online learning for kids eliminates the need to commute to physical schools. Parents can save on transportation and free themselves from trying to merge several schedules in a child’s life. This time can be dedicated to homework—or just rest and play more.
Important note: Flexible scheduling perk works if you live far from a physical school. Alternatively, a child may study at several schools and need to switch between them during the day. If it takes 5-15 minutes to get to school, the high convenience advantage of distance learning for kids won’t be felt that strongly.
Benefit #3: Less Stress
Remote learning is less stressful, meaning that it’s helping your child to deal with social anxiety. Also, the absence of classroom pressure encourages kids to study at their own pace. Given numerous techniques and tools eLearning offers, children can easily switch between different study materials. In case of technical problems, they can reach the help desk to get the solution and don’t risk being bullied by classmates.
Important note: eLearning can cause different kinds of stress, though. Indeed, under virtual learning, kids can deal with mental health problems they couldn’t handle in the classroom. However, the remote model can deepen other issues, cause depression, and make it hard for kids to communicate with other people in real life.
Benefit #4: It’s Easier for Parents
Greater parental control is also among the not-that-obvious advantages of children’s remote learning. In online classrooms, parents can instantly see what their child is learning, what their progress is, and who their classmates are. This opportunity to provide timely support can be significant in future academic success.
Important note: This virtual learning benefit works for families who want to be involved in their child’s education only. If a child grows up with parents who don’t care much, the only advantage distance learning might bring is the lower overall cost of studying. However, it will cause much more stress and pressure in child-parent relations.
Disadvantage #1: Too Many Distractions
Coming to distance learning drawbacks, the absence of a physical classroom makes it hard to control and limit distractions. That’s why strong self-motivation is a must for high-quality distance learning, and being able to disregard distractors is a separate skill your child will need to develop.
Important note: If parents stay with their child to control the quality of studying, it’s possible to eliminate this disadvantage and cope well with remote learning and development. Moreover, it would be helpful if parents served as a decent example of self-motivation and hard work.
Disadvantage #2: Lack of Social Interaction
Lack of social skills and practical experience is another potential drawback that can damage self-motivation and cause severe mental disorders, among other problems. Suppose a child already has any learning disabilities and/or struggles to build healthy relations with peers. In that case, the risk of experiencing the negative effects of virtual learning on students is pretty high.
Important note: If your child has access to communities other than a remote classroom, the risks of social skills deterioration can be minimized. However, if physical school is the only place where a child can learn social interaction, distance learning can cause an inability to survive in the real world. It may be hard for them to face real-life challenges in the future.
Disadvantage #3: Mental Health Complications
According to research findings, social isolation during the COVID pandemic has increased depressive symptoms by almost 40%. Since distance learning can feel like social isolation for some children, their risk of facing depressive episodes is high. Other mental health complications a child can experience include increased anxiety, abuse, mental stress, and fatigue.
Important note: A healthy home environment is critical for a child’s well-being, both in and out of the online classroom. Suppose parents decide their child doesn’t need to visit a physical school. In that case, providing a healthy studying environment at home takes extra responsibility so a kid feels happy and self-motivated.
Disadvantage #4: Social Disparities Remain
Unfortunately, online classrooms don’t eliminate the negative effects of social disparities for children, meaning gender inequality, racial prejudices, low income, and food insecurity. If a family cannot support child’s online learning with relevant technology, control, motivation, and encouragement, its effectiveness is highly questionable.
Important note: Distance learning provides greater accessibility, but only for families who have enough resources to provide their children with the necessary technology and Internet access. Once a child can pass this threshold, it becomes possible to broaden their learning horizons.
Distance Learning: The Debate Continues
The learning process, both remote and in a physical school, includes many challenges related to academic, physical, and mental well-being. But is the remote learning effective? This guide aimed to show that the distance learning model has its strengths and weaknesses in this regard.
By making studying more accessible and affordable, distance learning increases the risks of depression. It also puts extra responsibility on parents to boost self-motivation and provide a healthy studying environment at home. So, the decision to switch to eLearning should be informed and take into consideration all the possible positive and negative factors to ensure it is effective for your kid.
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