Post the COVID era, online education has revolutionized the learning landscape, making it a new reality for several students around the world. Students no longer need to feel constricted within geographical boundaries to receive high-quality, rewarding education from the other side of the world.
Online education has allowed students to open their doors and minds to absorbing learning from any part of the globe. That said, education online advantages and disadvantages also need to be considered herein for students to be able to make informed choices for their future.
This blog aims to help you make that decision and embrace online education to its full potential.
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Advantages of Online Education
Learning online can offer several benefits to students, some of which are listed below:
Cost-effective
Virtual learning proves to be relatively more affordable than traditional campus degrees, which can sometimes burn a hole in your pocket. One of the biggest cost savers is the commutation expense, which is none in the case of online learning. Besides that, the cost of purchasing heavy books and other study materials/resources is also significantly saved. Moreover, the average tuition fee of a course pursued online is significantly lower than that of a program taken up at a physical school/university.
Flexibility in learning
Online education is one of the best choices for working professionals who choose to continue the learning curve while working alongside others. Online study programs provide these professionals with the perfect study-work balance, as they can choose to study from anywhere, anytime, at their own pace. This self-paced learning attracts numerous students who find immense gratification in upskilling or reskilling themselves while applying the new skills learned in their current job roles.
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Personalised learning
Choosing to study online can be a very personal experience as there are options for one-on-one learning. This is particularly helpful for those students who find it difficult to focus or be attentive in classrooms with large groups of students. One-on-one virtual classes or those with a smaller batch of students enable personalized attention and are generally more helpful as a learning exercise.
Customized student experience
Every student is a different learner with different learning patterns and behaviors. Some prefer visual learning, while some are only happy with audio recordings of lessons. Some others find recorded videos far better than having to engage in a live classroom. For all the variety of students that exist, online education provides customized learning experiences.
Wider accessibility to resources
In the case of classroom learning, there is prominently one single resource that is generally accessible to students - the library. However, online learning has opened up a huge repository of educational resources at easy access to students, most of them even free of charge. Today, you can gain easy and handy access to PDF files, videos, podcasts, and several other free online tools for learning about any subject under the sky.
Also Read: Why Online Education Is Better than Offline
Disadvantages of Online Education
Just like the two sides of a coin, online learning presents some drawbacks as well. While it does seem to be one of the best things that has happened to humanity bringing in the convenience of studying from the comfort of our homes to being able to study anytime, online learning has certain challenges for students. Some of these are highlighted below:
It isolates learning
While some may love the one-on-one classroom setup that virtual learning brings in, it cannot be completely denied that there is a sense of isolation that students may start feeling due to online education. Studying in the four walls of a room alone may not be an appealing idea to everyone, blocking face-to-face communication and physical human interaction.
It invites distractions
It can be very hard at times to stay focused on the screen, particularly given the multiple distractions that surround you at all times. Depending on the location you choose for your online classes - home, workplace, or a park - you are highly likely to be disturbed or distracted while the class is on by your immediate surroundings. This makes learning extremely difficult in the absence of continued concentration.
It presents technological problems
Login issues for virtual classrooms, slow internet speed, network problems, and many more such technology issues are likely to arise when opting for online education. This makes continuity in learning even more difficult owing to the multiple breaks in the flow.
Also Read: 10 Advantages of Online Education
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It facilitates exposure to cheating
It can be nearly impossible to keep tabs on student activities during virtual classrooms. This especially becomes challenging during times of examinations taken online. Students can easily cheat since they have easy access to online resources.
It lacks accountability
Sometimes online classes allow students much more freedom than they can handle! They end up lacking much responsibility or accountability for the tasks allocated to them since no physical teacher is hounding or nagging them. This may create a lack of self-discipline among the students which may eventually hamper their learning and overall career growth.
Online vs Offline Education: Which is Better?
We analyzed in detail the various advantages and disadvantages of online education in the sections above. While online education has indeed revolutionized the learning landscape for students in India and other parts of the world, the technological revolution is not devoid of challenges. This also means that the conventional offline method of learning has not completely disappeared or neglected.
However, as new changes emerge and the learning process evolves, it helps to understand better which of the two methods of learning is more beneficial in the long run. Let us take a quick look.
Online education brings easy accessibility, flexibility in learning, cost-efficiency, and a wide variety of courses to choose from.
However, one major drawback that it suffers from is the lack of personal human interaction and isolation, which can sometimes impact self-discipline and eventually overall learning.
Offline education, on the contrary, enables direct teacher-student interactions and a more structured method of learning, facilitating peer exchanges and social development, which is highly essential for overall personality growth.
However, it can be hugely expensive and even limiting in terms of geographical constraints. This means that students in one part of the world cannot physically access high-quality learning in the other part of the world without having to spend a fortune on education, something that online learning has addressed quite efficiently.
Also Read:- Better to Opt for Online Degree Courses
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Now that we know the pros and cons of online learning and have also taken a sneak peek at the advantages and challenges of learning the traditional way (offline), the choice is yours to make.
It may depend on a host of factors, such as personal preferences, budgetary considerations, ease of access, choice of flexibility, and the need for social interaction or solitude.
Whatever the choice you make, do remember that what matters at the end of the day is learning. And if you are a keen learner, focused on personal and professional growth, the medium of learning that you choose is only a means to an end.
Amity Online is one of the most popular platforms to access a wide variety of study courses for students at varied levels of learning. Visit the portal today and take your pick based on your interests, professional experience, and future career aspirations. There’s something for everyone on Amity Online.
