How has social distance learning benefitted or detracted from education?
PRO
June 25, 2020
Although distance learning has become the norm because of the outbreak of coronavirus, there are a few positive outcomes that have resulted from it.
The first good thing that has resulted from distance learning is that it has forced us to adopt more environmentally friendly lifestyles. Because people now do not need to commute to work or school, they will not be emitting carbon from their vehicles. Forbes has estimated that 77,000 lives have been saved in China simply because there is less pollution being emitted into the air.
Also, distance learning cuts down tremendously on paper usage, which in turn saves trees. In an article from Colorado State University, it was estimated that up to 28,000 trees will be saved for every million paper books that are not used.
Another positive take away is that students are forced to mature. Skills like time management and independence have never been more important for students as they are learning to create a routine that helps them learn more effectively.
In college, students have to study and manage their free time in order to stay on top of classwork. In the workforce, employers will count on workers to complete tasks by deadlines, which requires good time management. Therefore, high schoolers need to start honing in these skills now.
Lastly, distance learning will likely encourage students to be more active in class once they return to a normal classroom environment. While learning online, students have largely driven their own education. As students take more responsibility for their education, classroom engagement and participation will improve, leading to deeper and more productive discussions.
When students become more independent outside the classroom, they only have to focus on learning when they are inside the classroom, which allows for more to be accomplished.
The transition to distance learning came abruptly, but it has brought lots of good, by helping students and the environment be better prepared for the future.
