Distance Learning settings have completely changed how teachers deliver student education in recent years. These resources help you save time in the classroom and encourage students to engage with one another.

With the fast development of Distance Learning technology, educators like yourself can improve the quality of their online lessons. With the right tools, you can easily maintain communication with your pupils, design engaging classes, and construct safe schools.

What is Distance Learning?

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There is no face-to-face communication between students and their teachers during distance learning. When students study independently at home, the learning is more individualized, and changes in pace and timetable are based on each student’s schedule.

Some people may confuse online education because both rely on similar instructional technology. Distance learning, which takes place over the Internet, is another education option. For this reason, we can classify remote learning as an aspect of internet education.

Moreover, it connects students to institutions globally, making it more available to international students. It’s also cheaper, making education more available to students worldwide.

Types of Distance Learning Tools

Several tools manage communication more effectively than others, while diversions enhance students’ comprehension of particular subjects. Each instrument makes learning simple and enjoyable.
Here are the four main types of online learning platforms:

Communication tools

Teachers can use digital resources, including email, discussion forums, conversations, school web pages, and video calling to engage students in meaningful learning. Many learning platforms, such as Zoom and Google Classroom, have most of these features.

Learning management systems (LMS)

It is a software application designed to create functional and engaging online courses. Create, manage, and distribute course materials while monitoring student performance. LMS is a consistent and cost-effective method of instructing pupils, regardless of class size.

Digital learning games

Why not offer instructional lessons to children who enjoy playing digital learning games to encourage their passion for learning? Youngsters can have fun learning with National Geographic Kids’ engaging science, travel, and adventure questions and activities. Funbrain has many resources for pupils to read novels online and play instructional activities. Do your pupils have issues with math? You can increase their math knowledge while providing fun math learning hours! Or do they like to play like a detective? Give them a chance to try Where in the World is Carmen San Diego wherein they need to find a treasure.

Online learning resources

Teachers began utilizing various online resources to keep children engaged and focused when the pandemic forced students to remain home. Among these resources are online courses and activities.

Tools for Boosting Virtual Distance Learning

So many excellent interactive tools are available online, seamlessly integrating with other apps. But how do you know which tools are best for your school setting?

We hope that this list will be useful to students in determining which tools are best suited for their great online programs.

1. Google Classroom

Google Classroom is an all-in-one utility designed for educators that allow students to view their courses from any device, anywhere in the world. Educators can save time on activities like making class plans, monitoring student progress, and using innovative tools to liven up dull subject matter.

Google Classroom can be used without cost right now. It will soon have a “premium” version with more features and easy integration with other classroom apps.

2. Canva

Teachers can use Canva, a web-based graphic design and publication tool, to make visually impressive and polished PowerPoint slideshows, flyers, infographics, social media ads, videos, Zoom virtual backdrops, and more. You can use the service for free or pay for one of their pricing tiers designed with educators and pupils in mind.

Canva can seamlessly integrate with any LMS, including Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams.

3. Microsoft Teams

With Microsoft Teams, you can have several different environments in one place. Video conferencing allows you to share your computer or notes, perform demonstrations, encourage conversing, and unite everyone simultaneously.

4. Prodigy Math Game

The Prodigy Math Game is an interactive educational game with fun activities that teach math concepts. It has games that more than one person can play so that students can compete with each other in a friendly way. It also has individual activities for students who want to play math games in a comfortable setting.

Using this online platform, you can make math games your own, change the challenges, give interactive tests, and look at student results. This online learning tool can be great for younger students who have trouble staying focused or interested in their learning.

5. Buncee

Buncee facilitates the creation of engaging, interactive course content. Create presentations, lessons, and numerous virtual school activities with the Ideas Lab template collection. Teachers can share links, downloadable files, and group projects with students.

Microsoft Teams provides access to the Buncee interface, making initiating discussions, working collaboratively, and communicating with kids and their parents simple.

6. Zoom

During the pandemic, students could continue their education online, thanks mainly to the widespread adoption of Zoom as a PowerPoint tool and teleconference platform. Zoom is a good platform for online education because of its safety features, live video class capabilities, and messaging feature for social interaction.

7. Kahoot

Teachers and students alike took to Kahoottests during the pandemic, which was played as an online game. Children can play any of the hundreds of games already available on Kahoot! or design their own.

Teachers may also assign Kahoot! Tasks for students to complete in their spare time. Kahoot! Tasks can be easily tracked through Google Classroom, allowing teachers to see where their students may need additional support based on the questions they’ve overlooked and the overall total.

8. Pear Deck

Pear Deck is a plugin for Google Slides that allows lecturers to make interactive presentations and encourage student participation. Both new and current lectures can be enhanced with engaging queries for the classroom.

Some of the most excellent features of Pear Deck are its mobile-friendly interface, the option to display or conceal student replies, the ability to send customized notes to individual students, and the inclusion of entertaining music files in slideshows.

9. Edmodo

Edmodo is a platform that can be used on mobile devices and brings together many of the complex tasks that teachers have to do today. One nice-looking platform can now be used to send messages, share assignments, keep track of grades, and even make quizzes.

Also, parents can log in to see what their child has been doing and fill in any learning gaps.

Edmodo also has an excellent community part to it. Teachers often share lessons on Twitter by using hashtags that other teachers can use to find ideas for their classrooms. It also works with a lot of popular apps from the outside.

10. Flipgrid

Flipgrid is a new social media-based platform for education. The website allows students and instructors to engage in online video-based discourse on various subjects. This online resource may not have a lot of pedagogical bells and whistles, but it’s a fantastic way to get students involved and keep them focused on their growth. An instructional video query can be posted on Flipgrid and shared with pupils. Afterward, students can capture their responses via Flipgrid and submit them for review. Students nervous about presenting to their peers may benefit from this resource.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Distance Learning

The advantages of distance education are numerous, and understanding them can help teachers and learning institutions deliver more effective remote learning experiences while also convincing students to participate in these activities. It can also help students make more informed decisions about how and where to study.

Flexible learning

Learning at a distance gives students a great deal of independence. Today’s distance education is typically delivered online, giving students more flexibility regarding when and where they study.

With today’s available educational technologies, classrooms, and universities can choose between regular and remote instruction. Video conferencing and electronic whiteboarding are synchronous techniques, while a learning resource center can use postponed techniques.

People who already have a full schedule or would instead study at their own pace will benefit significantly from distance learning. Even in asynchronous learning, there can be structure and purpose.

Breaking Down Barriers

Distance schooling eliminates physical hurdles, which is another benefit. With the newest EdTech, academic schools can teach anyone with a stable internet link, regardless of location. Thus, they can expand and diversify the learning group.

Breaking regional hurdles opens up more learning possibilities for pupils. Students can now take online learning classes from foreign universities. It allows more classes and better instruction.

Distance learning can also remove handicap hurdles. Students with trouble hearing can have captions added to a video lesson, and students who have trouble reading can use text-to-speech technology. The freedom and lack of travel can benefit people with certain illnesses.

Reducing Costs

Distance education removes the physical hurdles of in-person training. Academic schools can now teach anyone with a stable internet link using the newest EdTech. Therefore, they can create a more significant and varied learning group.

Students can learn more by cutting down on these physical hurdles. For instance, students can now enlist in online learning classes from big academic institutions in other nations. It could increase school offerings and training quality.

Disabilities can also be overcome through remote learning. For instance, text-to-speech technology can be used to read written content, and captions can be added to videos for deaf students. For people with certain illnesses, freedom and no travel can be beneficial.

Transferable Skills

Distance learning offers applicable skills which should be addressed. Remote learning technology helps students learn and transfer skills to jobs and other areas. 

Transferable skills include:

• Self-employed
• Scheduling
• Self-motivation
• Investigations
• Telephony

Telecommuting is becoming more common, so these skills are important. Distance learners’ self-discipline impresses employers.

Final Thoughts

More options exist than ever before, whether you’ve been using digital tools for years or are just now adopting the pattern because of a problem.

The good news is that each tool we’ve included on this page is specifically created to assist teachers like you who are already stretched thin. They are designed to quickly get you and your pupils up to speed so everyone can start learning. Given the speed at which educational technology is developing, there hasn’t been a better time to use online learning tools.

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