Online Learning in Early Childhood - Essay Example

Online Learning in Early Childhood Online learning is referred to as learning without attending and with the aid of computers connected to the internet (Olsen, Donaldson & Hudson, 2010, p. 13). In early childhood education, the learners are getting the opportunity to embrace technology and they can take studied everywhere around the world without need to attend the classes. Therefore, for one to take studies, the access of the learning materials requires a computer or any other electronic gadget with the help of an internet.

The learner can access these materials at any time anywhere and this makes the learning very flexible for the students because they can do other businesses alongside learning. There have been an increasing number of childhood professionals engaging in skill training online. Many childhood educators are increasingly getting access to online learning as tertiary institutions embraced this mode of learning and offer their program to learners (Whitehead, Rudick & South, 2011, p.52). The rise of online learning in early childhood is seen to increase because many professionals in the early childhood sector who engage in this mode of learning are not ready to leave their jobs and families and travel to distance programs (Olsen, Donaldson & Hudson, 2010, p. 12). Therefore, they tend to take opportunity of any free time they have during work to study.

The rising in technology has also escalated the popularity of this form of learning because the early childhood professionals are able to access computers and the internet (Whitehead, Rudick & South, 2011, p.49). Online learning has several advantages. Early childhood professionals prefer online learning because it enables them to take their studies at their own time and their own place (Olsen, Donaldson & Hudson 2010, p. 13). Olsen et al. (2010) explain further that learners are not restricted of time and place, so they can study at free will (p.13). This makes them even reduce their cost of learning that are related to travel and time as well.

It also gives the childhood professional an opportunity to engage other students, tutors, and scholars in other parts of the world in discussions and idea sharing. Pohio & Lee (2012) confirms that the online learning gives early childhood educators an opportunity to collaborate with others, forming a community and a link with other learners and discussing in forums hence promoting diversity (p.102). For online learning to be successful in the early childhood sector, there are certain factors that are very important that needs to be considered.

The absence of these factors becomes the barrier to this mode of learning due to challenges involved. Stone-MacDonald & Douglass, (2015) explains that majority of early childhood professionals are not computer literate and, therefore, it deprive them the opportunity to learn especially when it involves sophisticated technology (p.241). Stone-MacDonald & Douglass (2015) explains further that even though online learning tends to cut some expenses, it is still considered expensive as compared to other learning modes.

This is because certain expenses are involved such as purchasing the electronics and the internet fee (p.246). Another challenge is lack of access to online learning facilities like computer and internet which also exclude otherwise eligible early childhood learners from the course (Stone-MacDonald & Douglass, 2015, p.246). Wang, Kinzie, McGuire & Pan (2010) also explains another challenge as the level of development of children that vary and this makes the educators having a challenge to guide children of different levels of development (p.386). ReferencesOlsen, H.

, Donaldson, A. J., & Hudson, S. D. (2010). Online professional development: Choices for early childhood educators. Dimensions of Early Childhood, 38(1), 12-18.Pohio, L., & Lee, M. (2012). Re-visualising innovative online learning spaces in an early childhood teacher education programme. Journal of Open, Flexible and Distance Learning, 16(1), 99-107.Stone-MacDonald, A., & Douglass, A. (2015). Introducing online training in an early childhood professional development system: Lessons learned in one state.

 Early Childhood Education Journal, 43(3), 241-248.Wang, F., Kinzie, M. B., McGuire, P., & Pan, E. (2010). Applying technology to inquiry-based learning in early childhood education. Early Childhood Education Journal, 37(5), 381-389.Whitehead, L. C., Rudick, S., & South, K. (2011). High Tech, High Touch: An Innovative Approach to Professional Development for CDA Candidates. YC: Young Children, 66(3), 48-52.