Online Education: Pros and Cons of Online Learning

Online learning is becoming increasingly popular in today’s times. It has solved the dilemma of people who are unable to pursue their further studies due to several personal obligations. With the help of online learning and virtual classroom, many students are receiving education at several times lesser cost within the vicinity of their homes. There was a time when courses taken from online education were never considered adequate. However, things are changing nowadays. According to a study taken conducted by SRI International, on average students in online learning conditions performed better than ones who receive face-to-face education. Although there are online education pros and cons to take into consideration.

This has sparked a debate about whether one should take up online classes rather than the conventional college-based courses. To be entirely frank, there are upsides and downsides to everything. There are pros and cons of online education as well. If there are several benefits of virtual classrooms there are certain downsides too. The onus lies in the hands of a student to decide if he wants to opt for online education for its benefits or want to bail out for its shortcomings.

Read More: Online Education: Is it a boon or bane?

In this blog post, we have summed up the online education pros and cons to let you make a conscious decision.

Online Education: Pros and Cons

Pros of Online Education

Flexibility

Unlike real-time classes, students don’t have to reach their college in a certain time. If someone is also working side by side or has to look after the family, online education provides the kind of flexibility they need. Online classes are convenient and flexible. Students can log in through their computer anytime and anywhere and begin learning. However, there still are due dates for assignments that have to comply.

Fast

Online classes allow you a room to be independent. You can set the pace of your learning yourself. You don’t have to rush just because the rest of the class has grasped everything. You can work as quickly as you want. Many programs also offer early degree completion if you already a certificate or significant coursework in your hand. You can move towards an advanced degree if you have enough credits.

Multiple Options to Choose From

There is a plethora of options to explore from in case of online learning. There is a diverse and complete offer of online programs to opt from. More than 5 million people take online courses today to take a leap in their career or to hone their skills. They can choose from programs in business, healthcare, information technology, waste management, soft skills, foreign languages, etc.

Gamified Learning

The teachers online are innovating and creating engaging content to educate their students. With the help of digital technology like interactive software, the course content can be integrated with games to make it more engaging. Games not only make learning fun but also lets you retain the information for longer.

Save a Lot of Time

No more getting stuck in a traffic jam. You can start an online class within 30 seconds of switching on your desktop or laptop. You can sit within the comforts of your room in your favourite pyajamas with a cup of hot chocolate in your hand while attending classes online. You will save a lot of time which you would have otherwise spent travelling to the college, waiting for the teachers to arrive, gossiping with colleagues and so on.

No More Leaves

Imagine having to urgently leave for somewhere for some personal work. In case of conventional education methods, you would have needed to ask for leaves which can result in loss of studies. However, in case of online education, you can leave with your laptop or iPad and open it to access to continue with your lessons.

Cons of Online Learning

Lack of Interaction

Those who have attended college must miss the charms of making new friends at college. This is a drawback in case of online learning. However, you can still make new connections on the online discussion forums with the people who have enrolled in the same course as you. You can meet them up in real life if they live in the same city and discuss their studies.

You Have to Check Time Zones

In courses where the online instructor belongs to someplace in a different time zone, the students will have to match their time according to theirs. You have to recalibrate your watch according to their time if you don’t want to miss your classes.

You Need to Be More Disciplined

There are chances of students to be laid-back in case of online classes. You have to force yourself to set your schedule aside for online classes. You should dedicate some time from your day to study the course material and watch the online lectures. Self-discipline is a must in case of online education.

Lack of Training and Practical Experiences

You will miss out on the laboratory and field trip experience in case of online education. If you want to get a degree where there are practical and hands-on as a core requirement, then you might get out of luck. If the course you want to pursue has a lot of hands-on and laboratory sessions, then you might as well want to enroll in a full-time college-based course.