VIRTUAL CLASSES

• During coronavirus outbreak, many countries implemented lockdown to contain the spread of infection.
• Many universities started to plan virtual classes via softwares.
• Even before the pandemic, virtual classes were there in online degree programs. Now majority education institutions are offering virtual classes for the safety of students and teachers.
• The benefits of online classes explored in this article include flexible timing, cost saving, better time management, sharp digital skills and more.

During the lockdown implemented in many countries to prevent the spread of infection originating from China in 2019 during coronavirus pandemic, many universities planned their academic year with focus on online classroom lectures.

Students found online learning comfortable as they could save commuting time. Hence, the virtual classes emerged as a successful phenomenon. In late 2020 and in early 2021, all over the world, especially in countries with good internet connectivity, the number of students studying everything in virtual classes increased significantly.

In the healthcare sector, online consultations can be useful for doctors as by saving commuting time, doctors can attend more patients by logging into virtual platforms like HelloDr.

Virtual classes are helpful to students in all kinds of educational institutions. Online degree programs and virtual classes existed even in pre-pandemic era. Only difference is that earlier online education programs were offered by institutions unable to afford big buildings with spacious classrooms. However, today, all education institutions are offering virtual classes in order to save students and teachers from infection. Being an online wellness platform, HelloDr covers medical healthcare and thus, enables doctors to meet their patients online and provide medical consultation to their patients. When a patient requires medicine, with online meeting, doctor can accept an online money transfer from patient and send medicines to him/her.

Now we will discuss the benefits of virtual classes.

1. Possibility of flexible timing:

In virtual classes, both teachers and students can have flexible timings. Teachers can host multiple batches on different times of the day to teach maximum students. Students can attend any batch as per their ease. If a teacher or student needs to travel to a different city, then he can conduct/attend class, sitting in a hotel room. Students can simply log in to the student portal on online university’s website and enter the virtual classroom. They can access assignments online and submit homework by uploading documents.

HelloDr allows doctors to have flexible timing and to see their patients at any time. After running tests, doctors can share the results with patients by uploading medical reports online and send passwords to patients to access and download their medical reports.

2. Better time management:

With online education, it is possible for adults to work and earn a living while doing an online course to acquire new knowledge or new skills. If employers of virtual class students encourage their employees to acquire new skills, then employees can attend online classes sitting at their workplaces. Online classes help people to improve their time management skills.

If a doctor is providing training to medical interns, both parties can connect on HelloDr and attend an online educational session where doctor can give instructions to patients.  

3. Immediate feedback on tests:

Online tests can bring quick results for students. The use of software or online platform to conduct the tests helps teachers to check the documents uploaded as answer sheets by students in short time and give grades to students accordingly. On private “drop box”, teacher can access the assignments confidentially and provide feedback to the student.

To share test results with patients, doctors can use similar features offered by HelloDr.

4. Sharpened digital skills:

Participating in online classes not only educates students, it also increases their digital skills and online learning technology makes them tech-savvy. Tech-savvy teachers can earn money from private tuitions that they can conduct for students in different city or country.

Tech savvy doctors can consult patients in other cities without leaving their home or clinic.

5. Good option for shy students:

Often, shy students are more comfortable with virtual classes. Attending virtual classes saves them from anxiety attacks. This also boosts their confidence in participating in group discussion involving teachers and classmates.

For people who require counselling from psychologists, meeting psychologists on HelloDr is a good idea in case they feel shy from opening up to unfamiliar people. By meeting online, patients are likely to open up to psychologists they consult, more quickly which helps psychologists to understand the psyche of patient and prepare report accordingly in lesser time.

6. Cost savings

Apart from time, virtual classes help to save costs. Saving fuel by reducing the use of vehicles, virtual classes lead to carbon footprint reduction. Hence, they contribute to global efforts being made for reducing air pollution. By conducting virtual classes, teachers and educational institutions can save money meant for paying rent for traditional establishment such as a building being used as college.

Doctors operating on HelloDr can save rent money on places which they would have had to hire/buy on lease to set up their clinics.

According to a 2011 research, virtual classes were more productive with regards to students studying and grasping subjects much faster, compared to traditional classes. Similarly, when a doctor does not need to visit any patient in his house, he/she can connect with higher number of patients through HelloDr platform and provide guidance to those patients as working online saves time on commuting.