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The change from in-person to distance education has been stressful for a lot of people, mainly because it had to be done so suddenly due to the pandemic. But did you know that there are actually quite a few advantages of distance learning, no matter a student’s age? From K-12 to college, learning remotely can be a positive alternative to learning in a traditional classroom full-time or part-time. Professionals working full-time can also benefit from online learning and the flexibility it provides. And online courses make life easier for instructors and administrators as well, so students aren’t the only potential beneficiaries.
The key to making the most of distance learning is to deliver it in a way that makes sense for students and teachers alike. The experts at Echo360 facilitate this with the Echosystem: a portfolio of learning engagement solutions architected by professional educators to drive superior educational outcomes. With high-quality digital tools such as EchoEngage (a learning experience platform), PointSolutions (a real-time polling solution), EchoVideo (video content management software), and EchoExam (an online test generation tool), your students will enjoy the maximum benefit of distance learning. The secret to our success is our e3 philosophy of equity, evidence, and engagement, which inspires everything we do.
In this article, we’ll first explore eight specific benefits of remote learning and how Echo360 helps students and teachers realize them. Next, we’ll discuss some of the downsides of online learning you might have experienced during the pandemic and explore how the Echosystem addresses them. We’re confident that you’ll be as excited about distance learning as we are by the end! Let’s get started.
Rather than carrying a heavy backpack full of books, distance learning allows students to access their learning materials online from anywhere. This promotes equity by making it easier for students to access their study materials. There will also be no more lost homework sheets — it’s all online and accessible from home, the rec center, or grandma’s house for maximum convenience.
All Echosystem content looks great and runs well on the smaller screens of mobile devices, allowing students to choose when and where they would like to engage with learning materials. Grades are also available online to identify strengths and areas of opportunity for improvement.
Not only do students have access to online learning materials from anywhere, but those learning materials can be much more dynamic than textbooks ever were. EchoEngage has a full asset manager that accepts all kinds of files from audio and video to PowerPoint presentations with embedded quizzes and polling as well as full-color PDFs. Content creators can design lessons that keep students’ attention like never before. Gamification elements like live leaderboards and badges incentivize paying attention as well.
While EchoEngage offers a variety of engagement tools, the rest of the Echosystem can be used to create even more dynamic presentations. EchoVideo is video content management software designed to unleash the true educational potential of video. Transcriptions can be made available to students, activating multimodal learning to boost information retention. Similarly, PointSolutions is a real-time polling solution allowing teachers to collect real-time evidence of student engagement and performance without disrupting their classroom.
There’s been a lot more awareness around mental health lately, and part of that is because of an increase in social anxiety in students of all ages. With the ability to communicate with their peers in monitored, academics-driven discussions through message boards and chat rooms, social anxiety can be greatly reduced or eliminated. Several studies have shown that distance learning can actually benefit those with social anxiety.
The ability to ask for help anonymously is one of the biggest advantages of distance learning. PointSolutions allows learners to send confusion alerts to their instructor, letting teachers know who needs help without raising their hands like they would need to do in a classroom. PointSolutions also allows instructors to embed comprehension questions into presentations to both stimulate classroom discussion and identify potential laggards. Students can respond on their favorite mobile device or via a web browser.
Some students are morning people, and some are not. By pairing synchronous lessons with asynchronous assignments, students can learn when they are the most awake and alert. This can lead to a greater understanding of the subject matter and better performance on assignments and tests. Not only that, but it can support students’ lives away from the classroom as they have greater flexibility as to when and where they learn.
True equity in education can only be achieved when everyone can access learning materials, and the Echosystem facilitates this. EchoEngage supports both synchronous and asynchronous learning modalities. Live classes can be scheduled at any time and take place in a virtual classroom equipped with features such as a virtual whiteboard to enhance the educational experience. If a student cannot attend a live meeting, the entire class can be made accessible on-demand once it’s completed.
Equity is the first “e” of our e³ philosophy, and it means that every student always has the ability to access every lesson. With distance learning, there are no physical barriers for students who are differently abled. This means that all of your students can have an equitable experience through online learning.
Online education may also make it easier to accommodate students with learning differences. For example, a student typing their answers on a test everyone else is writing could be distracting (for everyone involved). But if everyone is working remotely, the student who needs to type just looks like one of the group. This can cut down on student self-consciousness and encourage a stronger academic performance.
There are a number of ways EchoEngage supports self-paced learning. Instructors can provide a list of assignments for the week each Monday morning and allow students to finish them at their own pace, or they can introduce assignments each morning with the expectation they will be completed by the next morning. Either way, pupils can move quickly through assignments on topics they have already mastered and take more time to understand content they find more challenging. Having agency over the educational process promotes engagement by helping each student feel like they’re playing an active role.
Similarly, teachers can create multiple assignments on the same material to provide personalized support. For instance, video might be used to help aural learners with high school biology while visual learners might get more out of PowerPoint presentations. EchoExam includes a question bank filled with thousands of questions aligned to Common Core standards, so teachers will never run out of items written by trustworthy publishers. Alternatively, instructors can write their own questions to best meet their purposes.
Traditionally, teachers rely on unit-end assessments for evidence of how their classes are doing in school. Unfortunately, instructors don’t get that evidence until they reach the end of the unit, at which point there’s often no classroom time left to help any struggling students to catch up.
By embedding quiz questions throughout presentations in EchoEngage, instructors can be aware of the smallest detail when the class isn’t understanding something. This allows them to reach out to anyone who needs further guidance and provide remedial instruction, and even adjust their original presentation for better comprehension. PointSolutions takes this idea one step further, allowing instructors to adapt presentations according to the needs of the group in real time.
Taking notes is one of the defining characteristics of the school experience because there was no other way for a student to get something to reference later. Unfortunately, taking notes also means that students cannot devote their full attention to the instructor. Distance learning solves this problem by reassuring pupils that everything they’re discussing in class will be made available online. They can focus on the teacher during meetings and take notes after class by watching the presentation back.
Notes can also prove difficult to decipher without context, and EchoVideo can help with that. With EchoVideo, you can take notes and attach them to the specific timestamp of the video that inspired them. When you go back to review, all of the context you need is right there in front of you. Paradoxically, not having to write notes in class can make them more effective.
With so many people being forced into distance learning and seeing subpar learning outcomes during the pandemic, some skepticism of digital learning is expected. Luckily, the experts at Echo360 understand the challenges of distance learning and offer helpful tools for learners of all ages and ability levels.
For example, one of the biggest problems associated with distance learning is feelings of isolation. If a student cannot see their instructor or their peers, they feel lonely and disconnected. EchoEngage addresses this issue through a variety of integrations with video conferencing services such as Zoom, allowing everyone to see their teachers and classmates just as easily as they could in school. Better yet, classes can be broken into smaller groups using virtual breakout rooms to facilitate collaboration. EchoEngage facilitates frequent two-way communication as well, ensuring that every student has an opportunity to develop a personal rapport with their instructor.
Similarly, some struggle with distance learning because they have a hard time with complex technology. Fortunately, the entire Echosystem was built with an intuitive interface to promote accessibility. Teachers can create courses with a drag-and-drop interface and enroll groups in classes by typing an email address. Features such as pausing a video and answering poll questions work as they should, and outstanding customer support is available if any questions arise.
One of the biggest challenges of distance learning is perception: people didn’t like it during the pandemic, so they assume they won’t like it now. This is especially prevalent in the business community where employers have been eager to get workers back into the office. The difference is that online education was an unplanned necessity in 2020 that nobody felt prepared for. Everyone was winging it during unprecedented times, and it wasn’t a surprise that the results were mixed.
In contrast, the Echosystem was developed by professional educators who are passionate about the possibilities of distance learning. Every digital tool is designed to address one or more specific needs, removing the ad hoc nature associated with online learning during the pandemic. Furthermore, organizations can use the Echosystem for blended learning: a combination of online study and in-person instruction. That wasn’t an option for most during the pandemic, but it’s the best way to approach education and employee training.
Students may not adjust to distance learning right away, but the benefits of distance education more than make up for any adjustment period. Education doesn’t have to be difficult.
If your first experience with digital education was during the pandemic, don’t make the mistake of assuming that was the best online learning has to offer. K-12 instruction and employee training becomes more accessible online because all of the materials are accessible on devices instead of bulky textbooks. Course management is easier with online tools as well, and course creators can add multimedia elements such as video to presentations to make content more engaging.
The possibilities of online education are endless, but choosing the right software to deliver it is essential. If you choose a package with an outdated, clunky interface or a platform lacking key functionality, you won’t get the results you’re hoping for. You might even sour learners on the value of remote education. Instead, look for solutions engineered from the ground up to take education to a new level by taking advantage of everything the internet can offer.
With the Echosystem, remote learning presents many benefits to students of all ages. Our e3 philosophy of equity, evidence, and engagement ensures an excellent educational experience for everyone. We’re excited about our learning engagement platform and we invite you to request more information about the Echosystem and its components today.
Instructors, administrators, and learners everywhere can now experience the most comprehensive suite of learning engagement, assessment, and authoring solutions.
Let’s talk more to find the right solution for you.
Instructors, administrators, and learners everywhere can now experience the most comprehensive suite of learning engagement, assessment, and authoring solutions.
Let’s talk more to find the right solution for you.
Effortlessly create assignments, launch assessment questions and collect real-time responses to evaluate performance. Build on outcomes to create continuous improvement with learners at all levels.
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With over 14 different question types, you can match the assessment to the material at hand. Use traditional test question types such as true/false, multiple-choice, multiple response, numeric response, matching, completion, short answer and essay to review, re-teach and reinforce learning.
Ensuring that learners understand the information presented and how it can impact their success is key. Assess, track and analyze learner performance. Get results immediately and view valuable reports at the individual level, or for the class or group as a whole. Provide results in real-time, or at a later time as preferred.
With dynamic content, generate multiple iterations of exam questions to test the same concept. Use bimodal to toggle between multiple-choice and short answer question types, immediately changing the item difficulty level.
To learn more about how Echo360’s Echosystem can help you conduct more interactive lectures that truly engage each student’s attention, contact us today. We’re excited to share all the features of the Echosystem that can help.
Echo360 is driven to enable inspired learning experiences for everyone, anywhere through the high quality of solutions, tools, and standards we set for our work and ourselves.
Ensuring our solutions and tools are effective in all kinds of learning environments.
Unleashing the end-to-end learning potential of video, from creation to administration.
Designing and delivering effective engagement tools that produce results.
Providing empirical evidence of engagement, progress, and opportunity areas through easy-to-use dashboards.
Integrating seamlessly with the most widely used Learning Management Systems in education and business.
Echo360 delivers an innovative model for engaged learning in the post-Covid age. We offer coherent and compelling learner-centered experiences regardless of place and time, so all learners have the opportunities to learn.
