How Online Assistance Helps Students in Making Academic Projects And Assignments
Schools nowadays have realized that evaluation of students cannot take place through traditional tests and examinations. Evaluation of different kinds of skills and behavioural skills need different evaluation techniques. These can be evaluated by assigning tasks and projects to students. Assignments can be in the form of worksheets consisting of a variety of objective type questions like multiple choice questions, filing in blanks, marking statements as true or false and choosing correct alternatives. Projects can be individual projects or group projects. Examples of individual projects are preparing models, charts, gathering information about a given topic, collecting objects, making files or manuscripts. Group projects are more or less similar but on a bigger scale where the project is broken up into smaller parts which are distributed among the members in the group. Group projects help teacher to assess values like cooperation, team spirit, sharing and collaborative strength of the group.
Although the idea behind giving assignments and projects is good, there is a doubt whether the aim is achieved. Sometimes, the projects and assignments are beyond the capacities of students. All students do not possess skills necessary to carry out the projects. More often than not, the time given for completing the projects is not enough. Students have other regular routine to follow like daily homework, preparation for tests/examinations, competitions etc. Hence, the assignments and projects become an extra burden. Because of time constraint, students may not be able to do justice to the projects in spite of having the ability to complete them. At times, they are compelled to compromise with the quality and meet the deadline hurriedly. Assessment cannot be done properly on the basis of such hastily carried out tasks. Very often, we find that parents do the projects on behalf of the children. The aim of the assessment procedure is completely destroyed. Parents nowadays are mostly working parents; they too have little time, patience and competence to do projects in all academic subjects. Computers and internet have proved to be a boon to students and parents who really need some kind of help with school projects and assignments. "Generation Z students are immersed in digital technology, which has a profound impact on their personalities, including their attitudes and approach to learning."( Howe and Strauss)
Generally, teachers just give a topic to the students for project work; they do not specify what the student should do and how to do it, but leave it entirely for the students to decide. For example, a teacher may give a topic like 'Pythagoras theorem' for a maths project and a topic 'Volcanic mountains' for a Geography project. No ideas or suggestions are provided; in fact, the marks for the project are based on the genuineness and resourcefulness of students. It is here that online help plays an important role. Online project guides suggest a number of options for every topic. There can be charts or models explaining the Pythagoras theorem. Working model can be prepared for demonstrating the formation of volcanic mountains. The project guide provides a list of materials that would be required for making each project. The student and parents can check whether they can make the material available and whether they can afford it. Accordingly, they will inform the project guide who can either go ahead with the selected project or suggest an alternative. When the project is finalized, the students procure the necessary material and the guide explains the procedure step-by-step. If the student has to wait for paint or gum to dry, he can wait and go online when he is ready again.
The online guides have sample charts and models which they can show to the students. Viewing something tangible helps the students to get a clear idea of what they are going to do. Otherwise, they would be groping in the darkness, without the least idea about what their project is going to look like in the end.
In the same way, the guides can help with assignments. They can provide clues or answers to the questions which students find difficult. This helps the students to complete the assignments quickly and in time. Different guides and tutors can be engaged for different subjects, to ensure that the questions are answered correctly.
By hiring online assistance for completing projects and assignments, students get a number of benefits, directly and indirectly. In the first place, they do not have to trouble their parents. Secondly, they get a chance to do something with their own hands. It gives them first-hand experience and the joy of creation. There is nothing else in the world that can give the kind of satisfaction and sense of fulfilment gained from doing a task with your own hands. Students feel proud of their project. They get fully involved in it. They begin with confidence because they are sure that they will get the necessary help whenever required. They never feel as if they are alone: they get a feeling that they are working in cooperation with the guide. They can choose any time during 24 hours of the day, hence they do not have to compromise with their other routine work. "Online drives and communication tools are useful for matters such as time-saving, flexible access, and ease of sharing" (Siegle 41-45).
In case students are required to gather information, the guides tell them the sources. For gathering objects also the guides give suggestions.
Since the guidance comes from experts in the subject, the projects are outstanding and of best quality. They have a sound base of knowledge and expertise. Students get good scores and grades on account of the projects as well as assignments. The greatest benefit is the experience that students get while working on the projects and assignments; it makes them wiser and smarter, widens their horizons and enables them to think beyond the subject.