The 4As of E-Learning

Our motivation for creating Achevas TV (online.achevas.com) was to give JC students a comprehensive suite of H2 Math resources that would be the perfect complement to their study routine.

Let’s discuss the four main advantages of Education Technology, and how you can make it work for you in this digital age.

ANYTIME you need

Contrary to the prediction of famed economist John Maynard Keynes, we are living even busier, fast-paced lives than ever before. In a world where the “perennial time-scarcity problem” is all too real, the round-the-clock availability of online resources allows busy students to customize study plans that fit into their schedules perfectly. The flexibility of a web-based platform also accommodates sudden changes in timings of classes or co-curricular activities.

The true value of on-demand learning becomes most apparent during revision and exam preparation. With access to entire syllabuses at the click of a mouse, students are empowered by their ability to get the academic support they need, when they need it.

ANYWHERE you want

Nowadays, it’s rare to see anyone without a smartphone glued to their hand. The more mobile devices shrink in size, the more our world of possibilities grows. With the development of E-learning, education has broken out of the confines of the brick-and-mortar classroom, allowing students to learn right in their own homes.

Mobile learning, or m-learning, has enhanced e-learning by taking it a step further, allowing students to learn virtually anywhere a mobile signal is available. What this means is that what was once “dead” time—hours spent on public transport or waiting in line can now be made valuable and productive.

No longer chained to a desk, students are presented with a myriad of alternative study environments. In a 2009 study, learning in an informal setting was found to be significantly more time efficient compared to learning in a controlled environment. A change of scene often helps to refresh a tired mind and allow it to regain lost focus, thereby maintaining productivity at peak levels.

AT your own pace

By being mostly self-paced, technology-based learning makes allowances for individual differences in learning speed. Students can choose a pace that is just right for them, instead of struggling to keep up with faster classmates, or being held up by slower ones.

When learning at their own pace, students are able to pause if they encounter any difficulty, and take the time they need to fully grasp the idea before continuing. With the time pressure off, students are also able to revisit a concept over and over until it clicks. This flexibility creates a low-stress environment that encourages critical thinking and ensures thorough understanding.

ACCORDING to your specific needs

The modular nature of online programs and web-based resources allows students to fully personalize their learning experience according to their individual learning style and level of proficiency,

With the option to skim over the concepts they have already mastered, and focus their attention on weaker areas, students can allocate their limited time and energy resources more efficiently and in turn, learn more effectively. Studies show that compared to instructor-led learning, personalized learning can potentially increase the speed of a student’s learning curve by as much as 60%.

In addition to the above, delivering study material in smaller, bite-sized modules makes it easier for students to internalize knowledge and retain learned information. Statistically speaking, the average retention rate for a typical instructor-led class typically hovers around the 58% mark, but when the content is broken down into modular sessions, a retention rate of 83% or higher can be achieved.