Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Learning

Online learning represents an easy and comfortable method to achieve knowledge. Online learning is a great alternative to traditional universities to enroll in a course or mastering their skills, in almost every field, from law and accounting to sciences, such as psychology and sociology or history especially for learners who can’t afford the time and money to take offline traditional courses. Students worldwide are given opportunities to learn from competent educators and interact with other students from different cultures and cities, which also helps them to learn about other cultures. Students can now access all kinds of courses online without leaving the comfort of their homes.

But learning also has its share of advantages and disadvantages. 

A few of them are listed below:

BENEFITS OF ONLINE EDUCATION

• Save’s time and money:

The Prime benefit of e-learning is that one can save effort, time, and money. The advantage is to take online professional courses is taking classes at the most convenient time, keeping in mind your comfort. Further saving on transportation costs also motivates learners to opt for online education.

• Flexibility: Extendibility, Accessibility, and Suitability

Enrolment for an online course is growing every day due to the flexibility and benefits of virtual learning. It’s difficult for professionals to take time off from work to commit to a full-time on-campus program, and while traveling. But online learning offers you flexibility and provides an opportunity to learn while still working and growing professionally. Online education also provides you access to past material or stops the lecture to perform additional research or organize your notes. Professionals can learn at their own pace to ensure clearing all doubts before moving on to the next section.

• Documentation:

Another important benefit of online education is a cloud-based system where all documentation needed for learning will be stored and easily accessible anytime anywhere. All internal communication, discussions, exams, and training materials will be stored in a database allowing you easier access. In a traditional setting, you are required to attend class and take notes for class or meetings with the professor to obtain the information you may be missing.

• Technical Skills:

Online learning helps you achieve and fulfill your educational goals but also helps you gain new skills to enhance an existing career or embark on a new career. Online studies give you access to use different online tools and content management systems and basic technical troubleshooting. You will be familiar with remote communication programs, such as Skype, Dropbox, Slack, Trello, and Basecamp. All these programs provide all the necessary tools for a successful virtual workspace.

• Networking Opportunities:

Online education provides students a network with peers and it often leads to other opportunities in terms of collaboration with other students in the implementation of a project. At the same time, it makes them culturally sensitive and able to fit into other environments easily given their exposure to other cultures.

• Access to Expertise:

An online college education provides you the availability of the best experts from across the world to share expertise that helps more people have access to education that is not readily available in certain geographic locations. Sometimes due to financial constraints, students are not able to access the expensive courses at traditional universities along with the commute and other material expenses.

• Customized Learning Environment:

Online professional teaching program facilitates you to learn and study in an environment that is comfortable for you. You can create your own unique learning environment, having a comfortable workspace at the comfort of your home, and all the tools and materials required are in one place without a need to commute to a classroom.

Online education has experienced mainstream acceptance in the last decade. With an online class, a learning environment helps you develop a deeper understanding of your degree course. The future of online degree education looks promising and opens education to a larger section of the population than ever before.

Disadvantages of Online learning

• Inability to Focus on Screens:

The biggest challenge students face due to online learning is poor focus on the screen for a longer duration. With online learning, there is also a greater chance for students to be easily distracted by social media or other sites. Hence it is imperative for instructors to keep their online classes intellectual, engaging, and interactive to help students stay focused on the sessions.

• Must be Tech-Friendly:

Another key challenge of online classes is internet connectivity. In smaller cities and towns, a consistent connection with decent speed is a problem sometimes. Without a stable internet connection for students or teachers, it hampers the process of learning and eventually lowers down interest in online learning. This is detrimental to the education process.

• Sense of Isolation:

Learning can be interesting and fun for the students among the company of their peers. However, in an online class, no physical presence is required so often results in a sense of isolation for the students. But online learning can include online messages, emails, and video conferencing that will allow for face-to-face interaction and reduce the isolated feeling.

• Teacher Training:

Online learning requires instructors and tutors to have a deep understanding of using digital forms of learning. Sometimes, they don’t even have the necessary resources and tools to conduct online classes. To combat this, teachers should learn the latest technology updates to execute their classes seamlessly.

• Manage Screen Time:

Many parents are concerned about the health hazards due to excessive staring at a screen. This increase in screen time is one of the biggest concerns and disadvantages of online learning. Bad posture and neck pain are the other problems reported due to joining online classes and sitting in front of a screen. Rest and breaks are necessary for students to spend less time on screen to refresh the mind and their body and to break the continuity.