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Negative side of online education
Pros and cons online education
An essay about online learning
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Today, more and more colleges are offering courses to students that are entirely online. Students who are drawn to online courses include students working full-time jobs, students who would prefer a private study environment or students who find that online courses are easier than traditional courses. Most people have very busy lives, thus not leaving much time for anything else. Many of these people would like to have the time to return to school for different reasons (i.e. earning a higher degree, taking a class on something they enjoy, etc.). What comes to mind when trying to fit schooling into a very busy schedule is online classes. Taking classes online has become very popular lately. Although popular, these classes have their advantages and disadvantages. I will examine the issues of online-based classes to give a better insight as to which one would prefer; online classes or face-to-face classes. Whereas before, formal academic qualifications could only be gained by participating in a full-time course on site, the internet has allowed institutions to expand their reach and offer recognized courses on a contact-partial, or virtual basis. Institutions can do so with few extra resources, and for paid courses this constitutes excellent value, and a student will benefit greater educational access and greater flexibility to learn and get qualified. Flexibility is one of the most important benefits of online learning. Online learning is very beneficial when it comes to flexibility and working your courses and your daily routine, online courses give you the advantage of planning when you can do homework and study around your daily
Online distance learning meets the needs of an ever-growing population of students who cannot or prefer not to participate in traditional classroom settings. These learners include those unable to attend traditional classes, who cannot find a particular class at their chosen institution, who live in remote locations, who work full-time and can only study at or after work, and those who simply prefer to learn independently. The minimum requirement for students to participate in an online course is access to a computer, the Internet, and the motivation to succeed in a non-traditional classroom. Online courses provide an excellent method of course delivery unbound by time or location allowing for accessibility to instruction at anytime from anywhere. Learners find the online environment a convenient way to fit education into their busy lives. The ability to access a course from any computer with Internet access, 24 hours a day, seven days a week is a tremendous incentive for many of today’s
Most online colleges allow students to create their own schedules and take courses at their own pace. This has huge implications for students who work full time, are parents and caregivers, or have other obligations. Being able to decide how many courses they will take within one semester and creating a less demanding schedule creates the flexibility that most busy students need in order to be able to successfully juggle multiple responsibilities. Traditional schools have more rigorous academic schedules and more permanent timelines of how many courses should be taken each semester, thus making online colleges more flexible.
In the world of education, modern society and technology have revamped our ideas of what might be considered a traditional way of gaining education. Face-to-face courses and online courses are both similar and different in relation to the content of courses, student-professor and peer relationships, class participation/interaction and effective methods of both teaching and learning. Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” This still is, and always will be an accurate statement because it does not matter how your education is obtained; in the end, knowledge is power.
With traditional face to face courses, course sections are defined based not only on instructional availability but also student schedule necessity. As students and faculty cannot be in two classes at once many sections of the same class must be offered to accommodate the many scheduling conflicts, even though class sizes may be small. With online courses, primarily due to their flexible time schedules, class sections can be made based only on enrollment numbers and faculty class load. This consolidation can allow institutions to keep costs low, and possibly offer a more diverse catalog of courses. Hybrid courses are an added benefit of colleges going online.
In today’s fast paced world of technology, the standard college classroom is branching out from large classrooms and professors, to online courses where a student can earn a degree from the comfort of their home. Advancements in technology have provided schools the ability to teach students the same course content provided to students in the classroom. Some students, such as me, lead very busy lives, and the idea of sitting in a classroom is out of reach when you must also work a full time job and care for a family. While moving my education to an online setting was a difficult transition, the availability of these courses had a profound effect on my education: allowing me to earn my Associates Degree on my time, in any place that had an internet connection, and using the learning style that best worked for me.
So it’s 9:00 am and your class has finally ended. As you are on your way out, you glance down at your watch to find out that you have approximately 15 minutes to get to work. As you practically sprint at full speed to your car, you come across a brief thought in your head, “I knew I should have just took that online class”. It is true that online classes do provide flexibility and convenience while traditional classes, typically, do not. And this isn’t the only difference, online and traditional classes are two helpful learning environments that differs in numerous ways.
There is good reason for the growth in online learning in college environments. Student populations have diversified since the introduction of the personal computer and internet (O’Malley and McCraw). Students with geographic, job, or other constraints are now able to benefit from a college education because advances in technology have enabled learning for those for whom higher education was previously not within the realm of possibility.
Furthermore, some may suggest that online learning is benefiting our students in society. There has been a breakthrough in time and geographical limitations of education via online courses (Ho, 2009). Online education is cost-effective, efficient, and easily accessible (Schmeeckle, 2003). Online classes are used for individual and independent learning in which the student can learn at their own pace (Gonzalez, 2009). Not only is online education beneficial for breaking down barriers, online education has the potential to help students learn material more efficiently. Students are more likely to seek help from their instructors when the material is taught online (Whipp & Lorentz, 2009). Computer use in statistical classes could help decrease math anxiety (Gundy, Morton, Liu, & Kline, 2006). In a study that measured online students’ ability to achieve the same efficiency of course material as face-to-face students, at least 98% of students reported that they had, so one may be lead to believe that online learning is just as efficient as face-to-face courses (Liebowitz, 2003). With all of the positive aspects of online education, one may wonder why there is any debate as to whether or not online education is beneficial for
Because of the flexibility, the course load seems to be all the more intense. The course load is more rigorous being that work is graded on a stricter scale than traditional colleges, and also entails a greater work load. In the article, Study Looks at Online Learning vs. Traditional Instruction, Angiello states,” Many instructors and understudies of online colleges, while lauding the accessibility of online education, will typically recognize that the cost paid for this adaptability is investing extra effort (Angiello 2010).” So, although the convenience is there, according to the schedules of many, the overall grind is much more intense. This provides reasoning for why students taking online courses are perhaps more prepared and properly adequate candidates for employment positions, versus a traditional student with the same degree. In the same article previously listed, Angiello writes, “understudies who participated in online courses performed better than students receiving the same material through conventional lectures (Angiello 2010). It is evident through the article that, because of the more rigorous work load, students are adhering to the concepts further in an online environment than a traditional setting, thus presenting online learning beneficial in terms of knowledge and qualifications.
A main concern that many students have while attending college is time. Trying to find the time to work, spend time with their family, and go to school can be very stressful for some students. Someone who does not work, or doesn’t have kids might not have an issue with fitting time into their schedule for traditional classes. For the students who do have a busy life might find it harder to attend a traditional classroom, so they have the option of taking online classes and making the classes fit around their time schedule.
Those who disagree with me think that online learning allows a student to learn at their own pace. Students are able to take the time to understand and figure out problems with the resources that are provided. The convenience of learning in an environment that is conducive to that particular students learning is provided by the student. If the student feels comfortable they are more apt
All in all, taking online courses has many advantages for a person who may want to spend more time with their families. Online learning allows you to have flexibility in order to keep things going the way it should go. Online learning has become one of the better ways to obtain an higher education.
Many students say online courses are convenient. Online courses allow students to plan according to their schedule, and the time and location that best works for them. Although online education may seem more “easier,” students should look at the cons of online education. In the feature article "Face-Face or Online Instruction? Face-Face is Better," the author, Arleen R. Bejerano, claims online courses take the students away from the college community and confines them to their home. The students no longer have interaction with the college community, which may cause them to miss out on some important opportunities. This may affect their possibility of succeeding to achieve a degree. The author suggests some students may become discouraged from learning independently, from facing challenges in academics, and fall behind or
There are many advantages to online learning, it affects the way people can learn. According to “Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students”, “students have a greater willingness to write or work on computational skills”. “They say student like the immediate results of having online learning.” Another advantage is that students can learn at their own pace. With learning at their own pace they will be able to actually know the information well. If, they are in a regular classroom setting they may no...
There are some students who find it easier to work in internet classrooms and some others that find it easier to stay with traditional classrooms. I think someone may choose internet classrooms if they have difficulty interacting with teachers and other students. Some people do not like being in the classroom because they do not feel at ease around certain people especially those who treat others with disrespect. It is hard for a student to concentrate and learn a lesson when they have that kind of pressure.