Nowadays, online learning is gradually becoming popular. However, making this learning suitable for all students is challenging. Here is a list of tools to help students have a great online learning experience.
Lessons will be more effective and attractive when we know how to use the right, sound, and most successful teaching tools and technologies, achieving effective results and innovations. Currently, there are many popular and common online educational tools. Still, depending on each subject’s characteristics, users must choose carefully. They must have different ways of exploitation to achieve the best results.
What are online or distance learning tools?
Online learning tools, such as collaborative communication, digital educational resources, and instant feedback, provide educational functionality. An online learning tool is a platform or application that can provide general or specific features that aid education. Some tools focus on learner-educators interaction, while others focus on fun activities.
Different types of online learning tools
There are many different online learning tools available. The following are well-known examples of these tools broken down by specific functions.
Virtual classroom communication tools
Communication tools allow users to converse with their professors, mentors, students, and coworkers. Since communication tools are primarily used for communication, they frequently include more features than educational tools for generating forums and discussion topics.
1. Zoom
Zoom is an online conferencing service that you can use to meet with everyone via audio or video calls, allowing you to record those calls. It has become more popular in the education industry due to the influence of the Covid-19 epidemic.
Zoom’s free plan has no time limits for one-on-one meetings, but with group calling sessions, you can only call for up to 40 minutes and 100 participants. Paid plans start at $15/month per user.
2. MS Teams
Microsoft Teams is a chat-based workspace in Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365). Teams are integrated with all Microsoft applications, including Skype and traditional Office applications like Outlook. You can easily set up meetings with calendars, create and share content, quickly call team members, and more.
Regarding online conferencing, Microsoft Teams can hold calls with up to 250 members. Microsoft Teams is included with all Microsoft 365 plans (starts at $5/month/per user). Microsoft allows unlimited search and chats messages if you have a free plan. You also get key features like searchable 10,000 messages, ten built-in apps, 5GB of storage, and 1:1 video chats.
3. Google Meet
Google Meet – an online conferencing solution integrated into Gmail, Youtube, and Google Voice. It’s a useful and cost-effective platform for small businesses and corporate customers. It has a very light, fast interface that allows you to manage meetings of up to 250 people easily.
Google Meet allows up to 250 participants per call and live streams for up to 100,000 viewers in a domain. He can record meetings on Google Drive for paid Google Workspace subscribers. With Google’s free version, you can initiate a basic call for up to 100 participants, with a 60-minute time limit.
Learning Management Systems
A Learning Management System (LMS) is an online learning tool with many features to review student performance and deliver online classes. Using an LMS, you can record assessment results, customize online courses, and select specific learning materials.
Educational institutions use these online tools more commonly than individual learners because of their complexity. LMS will provide you with a specific and in-depth online system that is highly effective.
However, individual users can create their own educational space using project management tools. As a broader definition of the LMS, project management tools allow you to strategize and manage your learning plans. Project management tools are in line with the current trend of personalization in education.
Some prominent project management tools include:
4. GSuite
G Suite is a suite of tools built on Google’s cloud platform that gives your Business a whole new way of working and collaborating anywhere, on any device. G Suite not only has email and chat but also video calls, schedule work, share data, create and edit documents together online, and much more with just a few simple steps to set up, use, and manage, allowing you to be more productive and focus more on what matters.
5. MS Office
Microsoft Office is a suite of office applications that support data entry management, presentation, and data statistics developed by Microsoft multinational corporation. It includes Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft OneNote, and Microsoft Outlook. It is almost similar to GSuite.
6. Notion
Notion is a note-taking application that helps users easily plan, take notes, and make a schedule. All the above data will be stored in the same space for you to search again when needed quickly. The arrangement structure of Notion’s note files is also quite memorable. Like storage on a computer or laptop, Notion allows storing files in different tiers. You can create many other subfolders within a large folder, and within those folders, you can also create more folders.
With this Notion structure, you can easily manage your notes and make them easier to find.
Educational - Digital Interaction Games
One thing that must be addressed is the tools that support interactive activities. The tests are hidden in the form of exciting games that will make students feel excited and absorb the lesson much faster than usual. Some platforms that support learning while playing include:
7. Duolingo
Duolingo language learning app is the most popular way to learn languages globally. Duolingo offers a fun learning experience and studies! With quick, compact lessons, you’ll practice useful communication skills while earning points and unlocking each new level.
8. Quizlet
Quizlet is a website and app to learn vocabulary, concepts, and terms through flashcards and fun games, making it easier for learners to remember and remember longer. It gives users an almost limitless opportunity to learn vocabulary.
9. Kahoot!
Kahoot! is a game-based online learning tool that helps educators design multiple-choice questions or learning games. Through games, learners easily absorb knowledge more actively and are more interested. Game on Kahoot software! It’s not just a multiple-choice question. Educators can use templates available on Kahoot or insert images, sounds or links into the game to increase creativity and liveliness, making monotonous lessons more attractive to students.
Other supporting tools and online resources
10. Canva
Canva is an online design software with simple and fast operations. You only need to know a few design skills or specialized software.
Coming to Canva, users enjoy discovering a vast data store, completely free, with a series of designs divided by categories such as Poster, CVs, Logos, Facebook posts, Instagram posts, posters, Videos, presentations, invitations, infographics, etc., that you can use at will. Canva’s design interface is also extremely simple, eye-catching, and suitable for most people, even amateur designers.
11. Grammarly
Grammarly is a real-time English grammar and spelling checker. That is, wherever you enter a text, Grammarly will immediately check it. You do not need to register for a premium account; just with a Grammarly Free account, you can use quite a few valuable features of this tool.
The cheapest fee is over 10 USD/month. But when you buy in groups, the cost is significantly reduced because Grammarly allows five devices to be used simultaneously.
Final Thoughts
Above are just some suggestions from EDU Passport to make your study easier. When you know how to use the RIGHT, SUFFICIENT, and SUCCESSFUL teaching tools and technology, you absorb the knowledge better and have a practical online learning experience. However, keep in mind that tools only play the role of assistance. The focus should be on pedagogy and learning rather than technology.
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