Social Networking a Boon for Education

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The software developed in the present decade enables the 21st century learners to collaborate, interact and share ideas in a new way that also parallels the ethos of open access movement in academia. While the scholarly content is becoming more readily accessible in present times it is the openness of with regards to personal information that is still in question. The evolution of internet changed the life of a common man to a socially active being. There are many aspects of living that the internet changed. Social networking allowed the individuals to stay connected to his near and dear ones or the ones who are important in one way or the other. Not only did social networking made the life of the tech savvy generation easier but it also open new avenues for them to pursue.

Being tech savvy no longer entailed trained in specific technical know-how’s rather it gospels a new era of simple technologies that made individual addicted towards it. Technology made the life of individuals easier. Now they could access information they wish in a simple click. As the popularity of social Facebook and other social networking sites continue to grow, educators are also eyeing for the potential opportunities for the use of social networking for education purposes. Research reveals that students are socially more engaged and spending more time in building their own communities of shared interests. So if students are already actively engaged in social networking sites it presents a great opportunity for the educators to form educational communities of knowledge.

Enumerable ways to integrate the tenets of social networking are increasingly being researched by social media proponents. The idea is to actively call for student participation in the educational communities. Creating and designing a private group page for establishing discussion forums on various correlated topics. Building such group activities initiate active response from the students. They generally love to stay socially more active and respond proactively with respect to any interesting discussion forum.

Again teachers can also maintain their personal account in these social networking sites and to promote teacher student interaction. It often becomes difficult to interact individually with all the students the teacher is responsible for. Lack of communication can often lead to lack of interest. Teachers maintaining a social networking site to them and sharing their views and information can initiate teacher – student interaction along with allowing the student to participate in presenting their views in important issues.

Therefore, if the time engaged in social networking sites by the student is utilized wisely for different interesting topics and creating discussion forums, it can very well attribute to the knowledge base of the students.

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Benefits of E-Learning Education Program

E Learning is the hot favorite of the market today and it is all for good reasons. If the procedures laid down in e learning programs are taken care of correctly then they can produce great results by decreasing the cost and improving the performance. One of the most interesting aspects about virtual learning or e learning programs is that unlike the traditional methods of imparting education the e learning course followed are available for others as well.

It is interesting to note here that the traditional learning theories have evolved from the psychological theories like Cognitivism, Behaviorism and Constructivism. However with the evolution of time and methods of living many training designers have developed the view that the education system designed in coherence to the ‘industrial age’ are no longer suitable for what is now called the ‘information age’. The traditional methods of learning followed a linear method wherein it delivered training in a set format of tutorial, knowledge checks and final assessment. All these were most often delivered from the point of view of the trainer and not the learner. This is where the Elearning Education Programs focuses on.

It is important to note here in this regard that the traditional theories of learning still forms of the basis of the very modern E-learning Education Programs. Only a few changes are made wherein entertainment and more engaging modules are integrated into the method to keep the attention of the learners hooked. Special focus is also given towards the constructivist principle of learning. Under this module the learner creates the scheme for his learning himself. E Learning therefore, is a modern approach that uses entertainment heavily as a method of engaging learners.

There are a lot of advantages that can be linked with promoting E-learning Education Program in the recent times:

Improved cost of training: producing course material is always an expensive affair whether it is for the traditional modes of learning or whether it is for the e learning module. With E-learning the only difference is that each time a learner access the course you earn return on your investment.

Decreased cost of Material: For any course to be delivered it takes a lot of investment to arrange for the tools necessary. However in case of E-learning can do away with the physical expense associated with arranging the training set up.

Increased Productivity: Given the fact that E-learning is not bound by the frames of geography or time, it gives you the opportunity to control the impact on production by training people during the down times.

E-learning Education Programs therefore, facilitates the learner in more than single ways.

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Benefits of Collaborative Learning

Technology has helped many different streams in life but its greatest impact has been on education. In the good old days, people had to walk miles to reach a learned person who had information or knowledge on a topic. They would spend time with their teacher and live with him so as to gain wisdom. However, now people don’t go out seeking education and information but instead it reaches them while they are in the comfort of their homes. The Internet has changed the way education works and now, online lectures and sessions are proving to be a huge benefit for students all over the world, as collaborative learning is slowly changing the very face of education.

There are many different benefits of collaborative learning. This is a system wherein like minded students can attend lectures hosted by teachers on certain topics. Studying text books is not enough nowadays and students have to work to ensure that they get a holistic view of the topic at hand. Thus, collaborative learning helps to establish a platform wherein students can not only exchange ideas but can also discuss doubts and explore the topic fully.

This is also an excellent medium for students that are relatively weaker in studies as this allows students to understand the topic better and at their own pace, with the help of audio visual aids and by attending repeated lectures. Thus, rather than confining the learning scope of students by limiting their source of information to books, collaborative learning provides them with a platform where they can gain as much information as desired. This has also proven to be an excellent tool for teaching special needs children as it allows teachers to specifically teach and guide them using various mediums.

Thus, collaborative learning may just be the very future of education, as the idea of classrooms is expanding to include a global student base and teachers teaching from any and every location on the globe.

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