Computers are used for thousands of things daily and one of them is online learning. If you want to do an online degree, want to work on an assignment, want to chat, want to create and upload notes and want to collaborate with other students you need some basic computer skills. Computer skills make a big difference in career development and growth.
If you’re good at basic computer skills then online learning will not be difficult for you. Not only for you but also it becomes easy and effective for teachers to take online classes.
Let’s understand in detail with examples, why computer skills are important in online learning and how they make a positive difference in your career growth.
Before even thinking about online learning, you have to know that what is computer and what are uses. While many students know that a computer is used in almost all the offices and in business. But they can’t define its uses in detail.
As you know the computer is not about playing games and to use Microsoft Office application. It’s more than this, even my imagination. If students don’t know how big it is, and what are the uses of computers in business, in education, schools, learning, and many other things then it’s tough for them to get the benefits of computers in their career development.
So, to start online learning. The first thing is important that students know what is a computer and how it works. And after that, they know how to turn it on, how to run the internet, what is internet, what is on the other side of the web application, online learning sources and how this whole ecosystem works.
When students know about computers and the internet, then they can get ideas about online courses. There are thousands of students in villages who don’t know that they can learn computer programming, graphics designing, they can do online degrees, they can do online courses. Especially when such educational facilities are not available in their village or small city. Even if available they are more costly then online courses.
So, when first students interact with the computer and learn from the teachers, they will start getting ideas about information technology, computers, and the internet then they will start, focus and research on online learning platforms and methods.
At least they have to sign up for the online course. They have to pay fees for the course, and after that, they have to follow the instructions and guidelines.
They will need various applications and tools to buy, download and install on a computer, but if they don’t know these basics things, then how they will complete their online courses successfully. That’s why I think that a basic computer and internet knowledge is a must and very important for students. At least one month offline or online basic computer course can be helpful to learn all these things, that I am sharing in this post.
Almost all colleges are transforming their administrative and student management operations online. And many are focused on taking students’ classes online, especially related to distance learning.
Now students have to do lots of works, such as filling admission forms and submitting, Fees, uploading assignments and getting results. All these things need basic computer internet skills even if they are doing it in the cyber cafe.
Such as they have to turn on the computer.
After that they have to open the internet browser (Google Chrome), then they will search on Google for the college website.
After that, they have to find out the admission menu on the website.
Then they have to enter information and submit.
Now in all this process, many things come that can make it difficult for them such as:
The internet is not connected and giving an error. Now how to resolve it? They don’t know.
They search on google, but there is a bug in the chrome and now they don’t know how to solve it.
But after that, they find the message on the college website “load website on internet explorer”. Now many of them don’t know what is this internet explorer.
They will get payment error, in which they don’t familiar to select a payment method.
Not only this, but they also have to be clear that the website in which they are paying fees or using debit/credit cards is a college website or not?
And many more such small things that matter.
Now if students don’t know these basic computer things, that is important for them to start and do online learning, then how they will start to learn online and how they will take online classes each day.
There are many websites that provide online degree courses. To degree courses, there are many formalities. Such as genuine email account, personal identification, and payment methods.
Now first students have to find out which business management or a computer science degree is accredited, valuable and certified. They need the knowledge to compare these degree courses.
Not only that they need a computer/laptop and high-speed internet connection to do online learning.
If they have basic computer knowledge, they can understand what it means of 4 GB Ram, 1 TB Hard Disk, 4 GB Data Pack and many technical terms.
Else, they have to buy what the find in the store. Later, when a laptop or computer gets shut down, due to heavy operations then it will stop their live class, or even distract them from learning.
That’s why students must know, which computer/laptop and internet connection are good for online learning. There is a difference in 20,000 laptops and 50000 laptops. And also, will 4 GB JIO data pack for a month or BSNL broadband with unlimited monthly usages in 700 is good.
Such things and thinking can make them tech-savvy and it will help in their online learning.
When they download and upload notes, they will be in PDF file format.
Now when they download notes, it will by default saved on “computer/downloads folder in windows 10 operating system. But now they are searching for those files on the desktop screen. While they are in the downloads folder.
After this, if they have an older windows version, they are not able to open those files. It’s because they don’t have installed PDF reader/editor such as adobe reader or acrobat reader. While there are many other solutions. But can they do it on their own?
Do they know what to do when you got any kind of error in computers and the internet while learning online and using a computer at home, school and cyber cafe?
No, most of them try to call their friends, ask parents, relatives and many of them search on YouTube and Google.
But even after doing all that, they are getting such problems once a week. Now tell me?
Do they will be able to learn with focus online.
No.
There are many advantages and disadvantages of online learning.
But if they have basic computer skills then it will help them to learn online without any tension.
Many times, in online learning students, have to collaborate with other students, teachers online. It can be an assignment and notes. Can all students know about cloud computing collaboration tools and methods?
Even many students don’t know, that there are google docs similar to Microsoft Word application. They can use it for free and access documents anytime and anywhere.
And also, they can work on the same document with other students. It means collaboration.
Even they can also do all this in Microsoft Word. But if someone told them to let’s open google docs. Do they know where it is and what is this and how to use it?
Not all of them know that.
But then why is this important, even they can learn online and do that.
Because this is important to speed up the learning process.
In offline education, it takes 4-5 years to become skilled in management, computer science, and many other things and the cost is higher.
Even many students are 25 to 30 years old in offline colleges and institutes, it’s because the study has taken too much time. Now it’s not all because of them.
It’s also because of our education system.
When they will start doing jobs/business and work on income sources?
When they will get married?
When they will become financially, socially and logically stable? If they are spending 5 to 10 years in the colleges.
So, what do I mean?
I mean focus, consistency, speed of implementing thoughts. It’s very important for students. I don’t want that students waste their time. Time is money, time is valuable for all including students.
Warriors prepare their mind, body, and skills before entering into the battlefield for many months and plan everything as a backup.
Now in these days, as per the competition, to become successful in a career is not less than the battlefield.
Not only online learning and in career development students need computer skills but they also need a positive mindset and time management skills.
That’s why to collaborate with other students and to do things fast, at least they know what to do when they get any problem or new technology in front of them.
I just mean that they can operate any educational software, application without any problem. At least they will be able to learn.
So that’s why I think basic computer skills for online learning is essential.
It looks easy to send and receive emails. But it’s not like chatting. Email is more professional communication than relaxed chats. Students have to write emails to teachers, administrators, and principals. They have to attach documents, links, they have to use CC/BCC functions and also reply and forward facilities in the email application.
But even before that, they need an email account to sign up for courses/degrees and also to communicate with support staff.
If you ask 12th pass out students, how to send an email or how forward the emails then they don’t know. They haven’t studied anything about computers. It’s obvious that they don’t know about such things. Then tell me, how you can admit them directly into your 3 years computer science degree. If they haven’t done any basic computer course and they don’t what is the computer and what are its disadvantages as a career field.
And these are the things that students learn during basic computer courses.
Students need a good and working computer or laptop to be consistent in online learning. Many times, it’s possible that computers and installed software get problems and errors. In this case, if students know some basic features such as disk clean up, antivirus installation and scanning, system restore, windows recovery, ram installation, mic and camera installation, and many basic things then it will be good for online learning. At least they how to install and access educational software and programs.
Students must know how to type. It means they need basic typing skills to improve the learning speed. It can be English/Hindi. As per the course they have to use bold, italic, formatting and editing options in Microsoft Word and they also have to print those documents. To do it professionally the basic knowledge of Microsoft word will help them to type, create, edit, print and share documents with other teachers and examiners.
Research is the most important part of any kind of education. I can say that the synonyms of education and learning are research. So, if students know how to conduct research offline and online and how to manage and analyze the data then it’s good. If they are doing a management degree online then they have to do research. They have to research the other business. For example, if they are learning about business models, then they need to research on Amazon and Google Business Model and many others.
They can use google trends, keyword planner, data analysis applications, news media, and many reports. They can use social media for research on people’s habits and behaviors. There are lots of things involved in the research parts. If they have the basic knowledge of these tools and platforms it will be good for them in the long run.
It’s because an online available teacher or recorded video tutorials can’t help students teaching them how to open certain links or websites on their computers.
I think you got many important points in the above details, now I am sharing some points in shorts:
Computer skills important for online learning for the following things:
What you can do to learn basic computer skills and improve information technology knowledge:
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