Online Education

Online Education

For this task I am going to research all the methods used on different education sites, to compare them to each other and see which one is best for students studying; a-level, as level , GCSE and SAT’s.

The 5 sites I am going to compare are the science museum, revision link, Sam learning, virtual classroom + BBC bite size.

Science Museum
The science museum is a good site to revise from, but it’s very specific and as it is based on science unless you’re looking for science it is pretty useless with the exception of art. The site is complicated to find what you are looking for. Each subject has a variety of different topics to chose from so if you are looking for anything in particular, you can quickly find the link you want and get to it easily.

Revision Link
Is excellent on its choices of subjects as it varies all the way from accountancy to politics. When you click on the subject you want for example I chose Spanish to click on to view the next batch of options.
Revision Aid Directory – lists the different key stages for you to chose what one you are revising for.
GCSE Spanish Revision Notes – useful notes that usually appear in the exam. Easy for students that don’t like to read long paragraphs.
Coursework Help – helps you with the things you can’t do and as your teacher is not there to help, this is the next best thing. I think it’s very reliable as I tested it out to see if it would correctly work or not and I believe it worked fine.

There is a downfall to this site though and that is that they have posted previous coursework’s online which could be used as plagiarism as the students could take an easy option and copy and paste it as their own work and get the marks they do not deserve.

Sam Learning
This site is very safe as it is the only one I have come across that is password protected to stop others getting into your account. The A-level link lacks a lot of important subjects such as, English, media, psychology, sociology, art + history etc. which I think they are key components a student would need and would make the site a huge improvement if they were to alter this fact. Another downfall is that when you click on the subject you want it goes straight onto test papers, without giving you a chance to look at any notes on the subject. So it is testing you well on your knowledge but it does not help you revise. As some students prefer the notes rather than the papers as they find them difficult.

Virtual Classroom
I find the site very confusing and I am quite a regular computer user, so for students that are first timers in this category, I believe they will be very confused as the site is not clear at all, and after 10 minutes on this site I gave up as I could not find what I was looking for. I cannot comment on the links and the choices of revision as I could not locate it, but it my opinion if I cannot find my way around the site and it does not have a clear layout I wouldn’t waste my time on it. Therefore I wouldn’t rate this site very high.

BBC Bite size
The site is very useful for GCSE students as it has all the subjects needed to revise for, and once you click on the subject it includes revision for all the different departments that will be included in the exam and then gives you the option of various amounts of exercises to complete so you can work on your stronger points and mainly your weaker ones. As if the site isn’t helpful enough it then even gives you a chance to complete a mock exam to help prepare yourself for the big exam that is coming up. I used this site a lot when I was doing my GCSE’s and it really helped me. I find the site very easy to find my way around it has a good lay out and I am able to locate everything I need to help me achieve the best grade possible. However if you are an A-Level or AS level student there is nothing to help you with your studies. I did search the web, I know there is a site, but for someone who didn’t I put myself in their position and just search in Google BBC bite size A-Level.

This is what I found the top site is where I have already visited which helped me with the GCSE side of things. I could not find anything to help me with my higher courses, which I find also another unclear site and I believe it should be included on the main site as that is where most people will look for it.

Conclusion
I think that in conclusion taking all the five different sites I have visited into account, the vast majority of them are difficult to find your way around which I don’t think is fair. This could cause a major downfall in the child’s grade. However I also think the sites I could find my way around had a great selection of subjects to choose from and even the subjects I would never think of were included. All in all I believe the sites are helpful and they are useful to children when they do not have any notes or they need an extra bit of help.

ADVANTAGES
· Accessibility: you can go on it anywhere that is able to connect to the internet.
· Choices: there is a variety of subjects to choose from.
· Cost: An online education is not as expensive as a traditional education.
· Time: you can revise when it suits you, and make your own schedule you do not have a time limit which helps some students perform better as they know they are not being rushed.
· Students don't have to take notes. Some students find it hard to write notes and they dislike writing it because it doesn’t actually sink in to their brains. With the online learning the page is there for you to just read, and even print of if you need it. And even if you lose concentration for a few moments all you have to do is click the back button and your page is back up to where it should be.
· No dress code. Come to class in your pajamas, or whatever you feel comfortable in to help you learn better.
· Shy students may feel more comfortable. Some students hate to participate in live class discussions. For many students, the online environment can be less intimidating.
· Reduces travel time and travel costs for off-campus students
· Self-paced learning modules allow students to work at their own pace
· Flexibility to join discussions in the bulletin board threaded discussion areas at any hour
· Develops knowledge of the Internet and computers skills that will help learners throughout their lives and careers
· Successfully completing online or computer-based courses builds self-knowledge and self-confidence and encourages students to take responsibility for their learning
DISADVANTAGES
· Courses: Not all courses are available online.
· Discipline and time management skills are mandatory. Online students are using their own schedule and could miss deadline, If you are someone who and has trouble managing your time, an online course may be a disaster for you. Without the routine structures of a traditional class, students may get lost or confused about course activities and deadlines
· Lack of direct interaction with the instructor. Some students prefer this, or don't find it to be a problem. But many students thrive from face-to-face interaction and attention from teachers and may not do well without that interaction.
· Isolation from fellow students. Some students don't miss the classroom setting at all. Others find this environment to be very lonely. Ideally, classroom settings can become welcoming communities, and it's harder (although not impossible) to replicate that online. If this sounds unpleasant, though, you might be better off in a traditional classroom.
· Learners with low motivation or bad study habits may fall behind
· Instructor may not always be available when students are studying or need help
· Slow Internet connections or older computers may make accessing course materials frustrating
· Managing computer files and online learning software can sometimes seem complex for students with beginner-level computer skills
· Hands-on or lab work is difficult to simulate in a virtual classroom .