2020 was the year that educators, students and parents all over the world transitioned to the new normal of education – virtual or online learning. The online learning phenomenon was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic as schools were instructed to temporarily stop physical classes in order to curb the spread of the virus. Therefore, they had to adapt quickly to online learning to ensure students’ education was not disrupted. This has also resulted in a massive growth in the educational technology industry. Various platforms, websites and apps, and other tools to facilitate online learning have been developed to meet the rising demands from schools.
Here are some of the popular platforms that made online learning possible in 2020.
1. Google Classroom
Google’s very own online learning platform integrates its existing list of tools such as Gmail, Docs, Slides and Sheets. These tools allow quick and efficient content sharing between teachers and students. In addition, teachers can upload and manage assignments, check student submissions and edit grades. On the other hand, students can track their homework, submit assignments and share resources with their classmates. Parents also have the opportunity to sign up for email summaries for an overview of their child’s schoolwork.
2. ClassDojo
ClassDojo is a school communication platform that brings teachers, students and families together by sharing snapshots of learning through photos, videos and messages. Teachers can customise lessons using the various features in the ClassDojo Toolkit. Besides that, teachers can connect with students and parents via the platform’s direct messaging system, share lessons and assign homework to students. In addition, students can also respond to activities posted by teachers in creative ways via videos, photos, journal entries and drawings.
3. Seesaw
Seesaw is a student engagement platform that encourages students to learn and saves teachers’ time. Not only can students’ work be stored on the Seesaw platform, teachers can also provide suggestions, constructive criticism and encouragement. In addition, Seesaw’s customisable features allow teachers to create unique activities and assignments. Students can make use of Seesaw’s creative tools to capture their learning experience by taking pictures, drawing and recording videos.
4. Edmodo
Edmodo is an online learning tool specialising in classroom management, content sharing and real-time feedback. Teachers, parents and students can use the platform to access learning materials, view announcements and engage in classroom discussions. Edmodo allows teachers to share class materials and send messages to students. In addition, students can organise their work with Edmodo’s built-in planner and access a number of mindfulness activities and games. Parents also have access to class updates, activities and direct communication with teachers on their child’s learning progress.
5. ABCMouse
ABCMouse offers a full online early years’ curriculum catering to children aged two to eight years old. The platform has over 10,000 learning activities and more than 850 lessons divided into 10 learning levels. Children can learn about mathematics, science, reading, art and social studies on ABCMouse. The platform conducts lessons via learning-through-play experiences such as games, animations, songs and puzzles. The platform also motivates children to participate in more lessons with its one-of-a-kind Tickets and Rewards system.
6. Schoology
Schoology is a learning management system that is designed for students from early years to secondary school to be fully engaged with their learning wherever they are. The platform allows teachers to cater to the learning needs of each student with personalised instruction and lesson plans. With over 200 tools to choose from, Schoology offers teachers everything they need for their classroom needs. Schoology also ensures parents, teachers and students stay connected and updated via the platforms internal messaging tool.
7. Sakai
Sakai is an online learning management system catering to higher education. The system is designed to support teaching, research and collaboration between lecturers and students. In addition to designing lessons, lecturers can record students’ grades, share resources, post announcements and upload assignments on Sakai. Students can also connect with their peers and lecturers easily by sending direct messages. In addition, lecturers and students can interact with one another by creating forums and discussions.
8. Moodle
Moodle is an integrated learning platform allowing educators and administrators to create personalised learning environments. The platform enables collaboration between teachers and students via forums, glossaries and database activities. Teachers can utilise Moodle’s calendar tool to keep track of course deadlines. Both teachers and students can also be on top of their work with an array of tracking options for individual activities and resources. In addition, Moodle allows users to receive notifications on new assignments, forum topics and send messages to one another.
9. BeEd
BeEd is a teacher-focused platform designed to meet each school’s academic needs. Teachers can grade students, check attendance, manage timetables, assign homework, communicate with parents and send notifications on the BeEd platform. The platform’s tool that exports automatic reports on students’ performance and attendance can help schools save time by cutting the need for paperwork and reducing administrative tasks.
10. Dugga
Dugga is an online learning platform that makes remote learning possible for secondary schools and higher education institutions. Teachers can create and schedule lessons, design assignments and administer examinations on the Dugga platform. In addition, teachers can create fun quizzes and tests to engage students and build an assessment library to share with their colleagues.
Click here to read how online learning is carried out in international schools in Malaysia that responded to our survey on online learning recently.
