Health concerns relating to the spread of COVID-19 have forced most academic institutions to abandon traditional tuition practices. All over the world, both schoolyards and campuses alike remain empty as students await the end of lockdown.
As a result, academic institutions are now racing to adopt advanced educational solutions to keep students and scholars engaged from home.
According to UNESCO, over 160 million students are dealing with the direct impact of closed schools. Consequently, this unprecedented change requires an adaptation to alternative online learning methods.
Top 10 Learn from Home Educational Solutions for Students
This article discusses the most impactful educational solutions for remote learning, currently available on the market.
1 — Google Classroom
When it comes to e-learning in education, Google provides several student-oriented resources. Even before the pandemic hit, the tech giant had already made massive strides to incorporate remote learning strategies into on-campus learning.
Google Classroom provides a virtual classroom environment that eliminates the stress of handing out and grading tasks. This academic tool also helps teachers monitor student activity irrespective of their location.
For students, Google Classroom offers a fast-paced learning environment. They can also share and store files with their teachers throughout the entire Google Apps ecosystem.
Users can also access Google Classroom from any Android or iOS device, making it highly versatile. The web version is also available for use.
2 — Global Digital Library (GDL)
The Global Digital Library is an e-learning online education tool that belongs to UNESCO and the United States Library of Congress. The project came into existence to bridge the literacy gap between young people from all over the world.
Furthermore, the GDL prioritizes the promotion of academic resources in underserved languages. To this effect, GDL services recreate popular educational resources in targeted underserved languages, making them accessible to the entire population.
Currently, the Global Digital Library provides books in over 100 languages — which is still far from the 300-language benchmark. Still, the future looks promising for this progressive project.
You can access this library on the web and via mobile devices. Institutions can also request print versions for use, post-pandemic.
3 — Lumin PDF
Some students struggle to maintain their creativity as they adjust to the ‘new normal.’ To address this decline in creativity, Lumin PDF has burst onto the academic scene.
Lumin PDF is an e-learning creative education platform that provides multiple tools for reading and processes online documentation. Students and teachers may use Lumin PDF to store PDF files online and access them remotely.
In addition, Lumin PDF is also compatible with Google Drive. You can connect your Lumin account to Google for a seamless file-sharing experience. The tool also connects with Dropbox.
Most importantly, Lumin PDF allows you to compress and convert PDFs to any document format with zero frustration or data loss. Furthermore, with the Premium version, you can access a comprehensive set of advanced PDF editing tools.
4 — eKitabu
The name “eKitabu” comes from the Swahili word “Kitabu,” which means “book.” As its name implies, this platform is an e-learning and education service that affords users access to books for quality education worldwide.
eKitabu even provides customized software solutions for school children. In addition, Institutions can also access academic content for light reading exercises in online classes.
Moreover, the educational resource platform is available for download. You can get the Windows app for desktop computers, or simply download it to your Android device.
eKitabu is also equipped with a Cloud Reader that provides scholars with access to a massive cloud-based library.
5 — National Geographic Education
National Geographic launched this remote educational project to teach young scholars about the environment. This multi-language platform offers an extensive database complete with hands-on, online learning activities for students and educators.
Due to the pandemic, National Geographic now offers students the opportunity to participate in teamwork challenges with peers from all around the world.
The events are free and accessible to both students and educators. You can join the Explore Classroom and interact with other participants on the National Geographic website.
6 — Duolingo
Sometimes, educators focus on remote teaching and traditional subjects so much that they forget about language classes. As the lockdown continues, students have limited access to opportunities to practice their language skills and gain more knowledge.
To counteract this, language-learning apps like Duolingo for Schools are available to fill the void. This language-learning website provides interactive lessons for students. Users can select a target language, set personal goals, and battle with friends for positions on leaderboards.
Duolingo also features an app that offers practical applications for any language. Students can even simulate conversations with strangers to test their proficiency.
Most importantly, users can take a Duolingo test for any language, which is now a valid certificate in some parts of the world.
7 — Headspace for Kids
The Headspace app is an excellent tool for e-learning in medical education. The online platform focuses on students’ mental well-being — a vital area of focus during the pandemic.
With Headspace for Kids, young scholars can explore the following themes:
• Kindness
• Concentration
• Sleep
• Waking up
• Calmness
To master these crucial aspects of life, Headspace has added a lot of activities to gear students towards mindfulness. Kids can also master breathing exercises and meditation techniques from a young age.
The Headspace app is available for free, but you can enjoy the best this service has to offer by subscribing to the premium plan.
8 — Scratch
When it comes to implementing creative change educational solutions, Scratch is an industry leader. The app allows students to practice coding within an online community.
When working with Scratch, scholars of all ages can edit their favorite animations and games with help from expert instructors.
This platform is even available offline in over 50 languages, allowing students to benefit from its services from various parts of the world, all without having to worry about connectivity issues.
The app’s latest version, Scratch 3.0, utilizes Augmented Reality and Internet of things technologies to enhance the overall remote education experience.
9 — Khan Academy
Khan Academy is one of the pioneers of remote education. This platform offers top-notch academic resources for students worldwide.
Students can take courses in the sciences, humanities, and other fields at the virtual Khan Academy. College prospects can even prepare for their SATs using this platform.
Khan’s courses are available in over 40 languages across 190 countries. Khan Academy for Kids is also included and can be used to create a fun, remote learning atmosphere for young scholars.
10 — Bloom
Bloom is a remote learning platform that offers diverse learning options for students. The platform provides manuals to help students with disabilities stay in pace with their peers.
Bloom’s manual contains visualizers for the visually impaired and other sign language tools. With the Bloom Reader, students can gain access to multiple genres of books from across the world.
What does the future of remote learning hold?
As it stands, remote learning will play a significant role in the future of education. Even after the pandemic subsides, most students will prefer to eliminate the stress of daily commutes by taking online classes.
In preparation, teachers need to acquaint themselves with modern technological trends to match student performance. In the same vein, schools need to provide extensive training programs for their staff.
To meet the demand, the tech industry will focus on more robust AI-powered solutions to improve the quality of remote education. These tools will include platforms with offline access to limit the reliance on connectivity to study.
Let’s hope that things get back to normal when the pandemic ends, but regardless of what happens, rest assured, our education system will continue to thrive thanks to e-learning.
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