online education advantages and disadvantages

The pros and cons of online learning

What to look for in an online course.

By: MIT xPRO

If you’re at a point in your life where you’re considering continuing your education, you may wonder if online learning is the right path for you.

Taking an online course requires a notable investment of time, effort, and money, so it’s important to feel confident about your decision before moving forward. While online learning works incredibly well for some people, it’s not for everyone.

We recently sat down with MIT xPRO Senior Instructional Designer and Program Manager Luke Hobson to explore the pros and cons of online learning and what to look for in an online course. If you’re waiting for a sign about whether or not to enroll in that course you’ve been eying, you just might find it here.

Pros of Online Learning

First, let’s take a look at the true value of online learning by examining some of the benefits:

1. Flexibility

Online learning’s most significant advantage is its flexibility. It’s the reason millions of adults have chosen to continue their education and pursue certificates and degrees.

Asynchronous courses allow learners to complete work at their own pace, empowering them to find the optimal time to consume the content and submit assignments.

Some people are more attentive, focused, and creative in the mornings compared to the evenings and vice versa. Whatever works best for the learners should be the priority of the learning experience.

2. Community

When Luke asks people about their main reason for enrolling in a course, a common answer is networking and community.

Learners crave finding like-minded individuals who are going through the same experiences and have the same questions. They want to find a place where they belong. Being in the company of others who understand what they’re going through can help online learners who are looking for support and motivation during challenging times and times that are worth celebrating.

Some learners have created study groups and book clubs that have carried on far beyond the end of the course-it’s amazing what can grow from a single post on a discussion board!

3. Latest information

“Speed is a massive benefit of online learning,” and according to Luke, it often doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

“When we say speed, we don’t mean being quick with learning. We mean actual speed to market. There are so many new ideas evolving within technical spaces that it’s impossible to keep courses the way they were originally designed for a long period of time.”

Luke notes that a program on Additive Manufacturing , Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality , or Nanotechnology must be checked and updated frequently. More formal learning modalities have difficulty changing content at this rapid pace. But within the online space, it’s expected that the course content will change as quickly as the world itself does.

Cons of Online Learning

Now that we’ve looked at some of the biggest pros of online learning, let’s examine a few of the drawbacks:

1. Learning environment

While many learners thrive in an asynchronous learning environment, others struggle. Some learners prefer live lessons and an instructor they can connect with multiple times a week. They need these interactions to feel supported and to persist.

Most learners within the online space identify themselves as self-directed learners, meaning they can learn on their own with the right environment, guidance, materials, and assignments. Learners should know themselves first and understand their preferences when it comes to what kind of environment will help them thrive.

2. Repetition

One drawback of online courses is that the structure can be repetitive: do a reading, respond to two discussion posts, submit an essay, repeat. After a while, some learners may feel disengaged from the learning experience.

There are online courses that break the mold and offer multiple kinds of learning activities, assessments, and content to make the learning experience come alive, but it may take some research to find them-more on what to look for in an online course later in this article! Luke and his colleagues at MIT xPRO are mindful of designing courses that genuinely engage learners from beginning to end.

3. Underestimation

Luke has noticed that some learners underestimate how much work is required in an online course. They may mistakenly believe that online learning is somehow “easier” compared to in-person learning.

For those learners who miscalculate how long they will need to spend online or how challenging the assignments can be, changing that mindset is a difficult process. It’s essential to set aside the right amount of time per week to contribute to the content, activities, and assignments. Creating personal deadlines and building a study routine are two best practices that successful online learners follow to hold themselves accountable.

Experience the Value of Online Learning: What to Look For in an Online Course

You’ve probably gathered by now that not all online courses are created equal. On one end of the spectrum, there are methods of online learning that leave learners stunned by what a great experience they had. On the other end of the spectrum, some online learning courses are so disappointing that learners regret their decision to enroll.

If you want to experience the value of online learning, it’s essential to pick the right course. Here’s a quick list of what to look for:

• Feedback and connection to peers within the course platform. Interacting regularly with other learners makes a big difference. Luke and the MIT xPRO team use peer-reviewed feedback to give learners the opportunity to engage with each other’s work.
• Proof of hard work. In the online learning space, proof of hard work often comes in the form of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) or specific certifications. MIT xPRO course participants who successfully complete one or more courses are eligible to receive CEUs , which many employers, licensing agencies, and professional associations accept as evidence of a participant’s serious commitment to their professional development.

Online learning isn’t for everyone, but with the right approach, it can be a valuable experience for many people. Now that you know what to look for in an online course, see what Luke and the MIT xPRO instructional design team have to offer by checking out the latest MIT xPRO courses and programs .

Originally published at http://curve.mit.edu on August 8th, 2022.

The pros and cons of online learning was originally published in MIT Open Learning on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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20 Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Classes

Online learning has become more accessible in the past decade as potential students discover that they can find ways to obtain a preferred degree while handling their daily obligations. It is a way that encourages post-graduate learning while staying within life and career schedules. Most accredited colleges and universities are now offering programs that make it possible to take some, if not all, of the required courses on the Internet.

Public and private institutions offer online classes more today than ever before in history. This education format is a way to reach students who may have social or economic situations that don’t allow them to enjoy the traditional on-campus learning lifestyle.

As more people have access to high-speed Internet connections, online education opportunities have continued expanding. It has become acceptable in most circles to earn a degree at any level with these opportunities, allowing students to have legitimacy and more accessibility with what they earned.

The advantages and disadvantages of online classes continue to evolve, but these are the current key points to consider if you’re thinking about becoming a student.

List of the Advantages of Online Classes

1. Online classes provide more flexibility to incorporate multiple learning styles. Although you can earn a healthy salary without going to college in some trades, many employment opportunities require an undergraduate degree or higher to obtain a position. That means it can be challenging to get through classes when your learning style might be different than what a local institution offers. Taking an online class allows you to have more control over how you retain the available information.

You can listen to music while you are writing a paper. Online classes let you interact in forums while watching television. Instead of being stuck in a stuffy classroom listening to a lecture, you have the flexibility to learn using the style that works best for your needs.

2. Your classes can fit better into your schedule. Online classes are the perfect solution for anyone who works a full-time job, has a family to raise, is housebound for some reason, or lives in a rural area. These obstacles can make it challenging to enroll in a traditional institution. As long as you have an Internet or data connection, then you can access your study materials whenever you need them. Many professors are even uploading lectures or providing texts that supplement the learning process.

If you have a busy lifestyle and want to get ahead in your career, then learning at your own pace with an online class is an intelligent way to obtain your next college or university degree.

3. It takes advantage of technology innovations. Online classes at many institutions take advantage of the technological innovations that occur every year. These changes get applied in convenient and practical ways, such as the implementation of a rolling semester. Some colleges and universities make their courses dominant from an independent standpoint, making it possible for students to complete their curriculum based on a schedule they said instead of what the professor requires.

As more degree programs become 100% online opportunities, many colleges and universities are finding that the independent and innovative approach makes it easier for modern students to achieve their goals.

4. Online classes are typically cheaper than traditional enrollment. Students that take online classes find that the cost of their college degree is usually less expensive than it would be if they took courses on campus. There are usually fewer textbook purchases to consider, travel cost reductions, and room and board considerations that can cut the cost of a college or university degree by 50% or more. That means each person who uses this opportunity can start their career with lower debt levels.

5. It teaches students how to be disciplined and responsible. If you can access the Internet, then your online course work is immediately available. That means each student must have the discipline to maintain the continuity of their schedule while keeping themselves on track for a successful outcome. The freedom that comes with classes that you take online comes with the need to have higher levels of responsibility. Students must stay organized and adhere to a workable schedule.

Putting all of your time to the completion of an online degree can backfire if you neglect the other critical areas of your life. Take advantage of the flexibility that this option provides so that you can spend some time with your family members and friends.

6. You can receive a degree from an accredited institution. A degree that you earn online from an accredited institution has the same weight in today’s career marketplace as one earned from the traditional approach. That means your credentials and applications will get taken seriously when you are ready to pursue new career opportunities. This advantage also means that you can take the credits earned to other programs, pursue graduate-level courses, or go after that doctorate degree that you’ve always wanted.

7. Online classes offer location independence. Some students may not have access to the program that best fits their needs. It might be across town from them, in another state, or even on the other side of the world. The availability of online classes makes it possible for students to participate in and graduate from their preferred program with less difficulty. These programs do not generally have the same geographic restrictions that you’d find with a traditional institution.

Since moving isn’t an option for many of today’s students, especially adult learners who have career and family responsibilities, online classes allow each person to enroll in the program that’s right for them regardless of where they live.

8. It provides students with real-life career preparation opportunities. When students go to college, then it can feel like you’re living in a bubble. You receive the necessary and valuable information that will let you establish a career one day, but it is not always easy to start developing the practical skills necessary to become good at your future job. Online classes require the same skill sets that many people use every day when working, which means you can enter a job market better prepared for what to expect.

An online class is quite similar to a desk job at almost any company. You must stay in touch through email, manage software solutions, and keep track of your time to ensure that you’re fulfilling all of your obligations. You get tasked with remote work while still engaging with a team to complete projects before a deadline.

9. You form social connections with your classmates. Although it is more difficult to make social connections with an online class, it isn’t an impossible circumstance. Today’s technology makes it possible to form relationships that go beyond sitting behind a computer. Your digital classmates could organize a group video hangout, facilitate conversations, and even do icebreakers that help everyone get to know each other better.

It may not be exactly the same as a face-to-face connection, but technology makes it very close. Video calls and other tools can help you to see each other even if you live on the other side of the planet.

10. It eliminates the need for verbal expression in a classroom environment. Many online students find that it is easier for them to express their opinions in this structure because there isn’t a public speaking component to the education process. You don’t need to worry about a professor calling you up to the front of the classroom to explain a concept or create a diagram. You can express yourself through writing instead, which means if something can get fixed if it doesn’t sound right in the first draft.

This advantage often leads to high-quality dialogs where each learner can carefully reflect the quality of their thinking on each comment, chapter, or project. Then you can move on to the next one whenever you feel like you’re ready.

11. Online classes create more opportunities for a varied learning experience. An online course makes it easier to include guest experts or past students in the classroom environment. Even people from other institutions can get involved in the conversations that take place to facilitate the learning process. Students can receive exposure to a worldwide perspective in their preferred subject instead of being limited to the local point of view. That means the experience has more value to potential employers in the future.

List of the Disadvantages of Online Classes

1. It can take longer to earn a degree when using online classes. If a student is not thoroughly committed to earning their degree, then it can take several years for that person to complete their online classes. Everything that the course requires is up to you. That means you must complete your assignments, read the required materials, interact with your professor, talk with your peers, and take exams according to the rules presented upon enrollment. It can be tempting to ignore your obligations when there isn’t a direct line of accountability as there is when you attend a physical classroom.

2. Some of your required course work might require in-person activities. If you are taking online classes, then there may be some stipulations where you must attend classes or take tests in a proctored environment. If a third-party observer is necessary, then it is up to each student to find an organization that will monitor this process. That means the cost of your classes each semester will go up based on the number of exams you must take.

Some institutions will even require a specific amount of on-campus time before they will award a degree. This requirement can last anywhere from two weeks to two months for U.S.-based colleges and universities.

3. You still need to take the time to fulfill your classroom requirements. Online classes can help students save a lot of time on their learning obligations, but the structure will not eliminate the need to put in some work. If you do not have a lot of free time during the day, then it may be impossible to fulfill the obligations of your enrollment. That’s why the flexibility of this arrangement can be an advantage since you only need to take one class at a time – but that can still be problematic for some people.

It is possible to avoid some of this disadvantage by taking independent learning courses online. When you can complete the work at your own pace, then the pressure of deadlines can disappear. You must still have trust in the program and remain dedicated to a result to turn this education opportunity into a real investment for you.

4. Online classes don’t provide the same face-to-face connections. Colleges and universities provide numerous opportunities for in-person social networking. When you can have face-to-face conversations with your professors and peers, then it can enhance the educational foundations that you receive. Networking functions can serve as essential connections for future career opportunities. The structure of online classes negates many of those potential advantages.

Even though you might have an institution that focuses on small class sizes and curriculum requirements that mandate interaction, a forum conversation or online chat isn’t the same as sharing coffee or lunch with someone.

5. Some online institutions don’t have full accreditation. You must verify that the college or university providing the online classes you want has full accreditation. Many facilities are not accredited even with the expansion of Internet access. That means your degree and qualifications might not receive the recognition you expect from potential employers. It may not receive serious consideration from other professionals in your preferred industry. This disadvantage also means that any credits earned might not be transferable to another institution.

The outcome of this disadvantage can be a costly mistake in terms of time and money. You’ll want to make sure to verify the specific accreditation of any school you’re considering before you even turn in an application.

6. You must have access to the Internet to complete your work. Online classes require you to have access to the Internet so that you can complete your assignments on time. If you don’t have the equipment at home to do the work or a connection that is fast enough to handle your course work, then it may be challenging to have a successful experience with this learning option. You’ll need a computer or tablet PC, a home-based ISP, and any peripherals necessary for your degree program.

Some public libraries and other institutions may offer computer access, but it may come with limited time or additional costs. You would also need to access that equipment during their regular working hours, which may not be possible with your specific schedule.

7. Many online classes require students to complete more work. The average online course in the United States requires a greater amount of reading and student interaction than a traditional class. Students must prove remotely that they have mastery over the material in question, which means your curriculum will involve a lot of independent study and Internet-based group work. Although the average amount of time one needs to dedicate to their course work is about 10 hours per week for each class, it is not unusual for individual courses at accredited colleges and universities to require 15-20 hours per week of work.

8. Technology scheduling issues can limit learning opportunities. Students must ensure that their computer is updated frequently with the latest operating system and software components to facilitate their learning. Some people may need to learn new or enhanced troubleshooting skills to manage their boot-up time, Internet connection, or software platforms that a professor requires. If you are a person who considers themselves to be technically challenged, then the tasks of this disadvantage could be a significant barrier to your current and future learning opportunities.

9. Time variations could be problematic for some students. Students who take online classes must plan and adjust their schedules to meet the deadlines set by their professors. American institutions often base deadlines on the time zone of the institution, so a West Coast student would need to account for the three-hour difference for an East Coast deadline. If international students are taking online courses, then this disadvantage could be significant.

This issue becomes problematic for students with opposite schedules. If you study at night and your partner works during the day, then there will be significant lag time between each response.

If you have a hectic schedule or zero access to a college or university, then online classes are a way to pursue your academic goals. It only requires Internet access or a data connection, and then you can begin fulfilling the requirements of your course work. The modern structure of this learning opportunity does an excellent job of simulating the traditional classroom experience.

This option may not be a first-choice selection for someone who struggles with their organization or focus. If you’re already putting in 40 hours each week with your job, then it may be unreasonable to put in another 20-40 hours after you get home to fulfill your learning obligations.

These advantages and disadvantages of online classes must receive individualized consideration. If you live at home full-time and want a self-directed education, then this innovation can be a positive experience. When you prefer social interactions and a traditional classroom, then it may not be the best choice to pursue.

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The Pros and Cons of Online Learning: 10 Advantages & Disadvantages

Last Updated: 10/25/2023

By Anneda Nettleton

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‘Online learning’ is a phrase that has taken on new meaning over the past couple of years. When traditional learning shifted to online learning at the start of the pandemic, the pros and cons of online learning gained much discussion and debate.

As a seasoned educator, I specialize in using technology in the classroom to keep students engaged, but also realize that online learning comes with some distinct challenges. While the ability to utilize technology, like screen sharing software , for maximizing instruction has greatly enhanced the process, it’s not without some disadvantages.

After a few years of online education becoming more prevalent in our culture, we now have plenty of data and experiences to understand the good things and the bad things about learning in an online environment.

Let’s take an in-depth look at the pros and cons of online learning so we can better create strategies to improve the eLearning experience for all.

Online Learning Pros and Cons at a Glance

Advantages:.

• Flexibility: Learn anywhere, anytime.
• Pace: Review content and learn at your own speed.
• Quality Dialogue: Enhanced discussions and peer reviews.
• Resources: Access to a plethora of online materials.
• Innovation: Encourages creative teaching methods.

Disadvantages:

• Tech Access: Not all students have equal access to devices or the internet.
• Discipline: Requires self-motivation and time management.
• Social Growth: Limited face-to-face interactions.
• Distractions: Home environments can be less conducive to focus.
• Immediate Help: Delays in feedback or assistance.

Advantages of Online Learning

Online learning offers many advantages, and its potential to change the landscape of education in the future is undoubtedly incredibly exciting to many of us.

To better understand the strengths associated with learning using online mediums, let’s take a closer look at what I consider 10 advantages of online learning.

The benefits of online learning are varied and can certainly equate to a successful experience.

1. Anywhere, anytime.

Today’s families are busier than ever before.

College students are trying to balance working, studying, and attending classes.

Asynchronous learning or online learning makes it possible for students to attend classes and participate in high-quality learning situations on a schedule that meets their needs. This advantage is also applicable to high school students who may be trying to balance a heavy workload too.

The statement ‘anywhere, anytime’ applies to younger students too.

Technology has made it possible for participants to access online classes via Learning Management Systems (LMS) from anywhere they have an internet connection.

Going to class can happen at home, on the bus, on vacation, in the office, or just about anywhere else you can imagine with the ease of access of online programs.

2. Work at your own pace.

In a traditional class, a student hears an educator teach the lesson one time.

When online lectures are recorded and/or hosted via Google Meet or some other video presentation software , learners can go back and review lectures in a way that in-person learning does not provide.

In many ways, online classes make it easier for students to review content, gain a greater understanding of tough areas, and access resources multiple times as needed.

Continuous access to lectures, online course materials, and other reference materials can make online learning very beneficial.

3. High-quality dialogue.

The ability to discuss and reflect on learning takes on a different perspective and design via online learning.

Replying to discussion boards, commenting on classmates’ work, and other dialogue-driven tasks can improve the synergy in a classroom.

Imagine the synergy that comes from having a student review their classmates´ projects and reviews them using an evaluation rubric. Following peer reviews such as this one the type of conversation that can occur is a benefit of online learning.

This is only one example of how much the discussion process can be improved with online classes.

4. Greater focus on learning.

The distractions that occur on a day-to-day basis in person can be greatly reduced when using online learning correctly.

For example, students are no longer concerned with other students’ clothing, physical appearances, etc. My years working in a middle school setting have shown me that many of these focuses can divert attention away from learning and cause instructional time to be lost dealing with conflicts.

When students are free to focus on lectures, assignments, and other learning tasks, everyone will feel that their knowledge is improving.

5. Access to more resources.

Online learning provides access to resources that may be overlooked or not utilized in a physical classroom setting.

Educators can work to compile a resource section online with links to a variety of useful materials. Having in-depth resources available can allow students to explore content in a new and meaningful way.

6. Creative teaching.

Online learning encourages educators to try something new.

Rather than teaching that unit about Colonial America in the same way they have done it for the past ten years, an online learning approach encourages a more interactive learning environment.

Educators can find the best LMS that works for them to deliver online classes.

Furthermore, they can find a wide variety of resources that can transform units of study. Teachers may even be reenergized to restructure their curriculum with an online platform.

7. More communication options.

Online learning provides a way for students to communicate with their teachers using multiple methods.

To be specific, students can reach out to their instructors via text, audio, video, and LMS commenting options.

Some students may not be comfortable asking questions in class, so these online options will generate participation from the shyest students.

The flip side of that is also that more outspoken students may not monopolize class discussions, since more reserved students will feel ´able to speak up´ using online methods.

8. Working from home can reduce anxiety.

Attending classes in public can prompt a lot of anxiety.

When students can complete learning in the comfort of their homes (or some other location), they may feel more comfortable and less anxious about what other people may say and/or how they may react to them.

Since anxiety is a huge obstacle for many students this benefit to online classes cannot be overlooked.

9. Hands-on learning can be taken to the next level.

There are so many hands-on learning options available when teachers don’t have to guide dozens of students to do them together with only one adult present.

Taking a walk to take pictures of a science topic, completing a how-to project while videoing it in the quiet space called home, and so on all represent hands-on learning that is much easier to do in an online learning environment.

10. One size does not fit all.

It is easier for teachers to modify the learning process to aid students with special needs and/or challenge gifted learners via online learning. These differentiated learning tasks can be completed without other students asking ‘why is he doing that?’ or ‘why does she get to do that instead of this?´

Disadvantages of Online Learning

Online learning requires some creativity, regrouping, and planning to maximize the process; nonetheless, disadvantages do exist.

Let’s explore some of these disadvantages of online programs and what can be done to overcome the barriers associated with each one.

1. Equal access to technology.

Students must have access to a reliable device and the Internet if they are going to succeed in an online learning environment. This can be a significant issue in rural and lower socioeconomic areas.

Working out a way to address technology-related issues is a must if an online learning platform is going to be successful.

2. Computer literacy.

Having students use an online learning platform requires computer literacy. This applies to students and parents alike.

Hosting a virtual conference session to familiarize everyone with the process is an integral part of success with an online learning environment. Taking this proactive approach can decrease this specific disadvantage to online learning.

3. Requires discipline.

The freedom that comes with online learning in an asynchronous learning environment can be a double-edged sword.

This means that having the flexibility to do classwork during free time requires making time to complete learning tasks.

As the old saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility.

Students must be ready for the challenge of making time to complete assignments, view lectures, etc. As a parent, it is vital to keep students actively engaged.

Also, rather than taking their word for it that everything is done, visually checking that work is completed is a major step to overcoming this potential drawback to online classes.

4. Supervision required.

In some cases, families’ lives can be greatly impacted by online learning.

When working with younger children, an adult will be needed at all times when online classes are taking place.

This disadvantage to online learning can be challenging to overcome, so strategic planning will be necessary.

5. How much screen light is too much?

Today students use devices for schoolwork, entertainment, and communication.

The reality that too much blue light can lead to sleep disturbances requires taking a proactive approach. In other words, don’t wait until it is almost bedtime to complete school work.

Furthermore, limiting screen time for other purposes will help balance out the extra time spent on a device because of online learning. For more information,  you can check out this guide on how much screen time is too much.

6. Supporting social-emotional growth.

Online learning does not provide social-emotional learning in the same manner as in-person learning. Making connections with students via online learning platforms requires a special educator who is dedicated to getting to know his or her students.

Using appropriate strategies will aid students in feeling the connection that in-person learning brings. This connection is vital, especially for younger students.

7. How interactive can online learning be?

Some people say that the hands-on/interactive nature of in-person learning is lost during asynchronous instruction; nonetheless, I feel that it is not entirely true.

The use of technology to form groups, have students completing interactive activities in their homes that require them to explore content in new ways, and remaining active during Zoom sessions (or some other comparable platform) makes it possible to overcome what initially be seen as a disadvantage of online learning.

8. Distracted learning.

Let’s face it, learning in our own homes can be distracting. It is easier to think about all the fun things one might be doing while at home and those can take priority over paying attention in online classes.

It’s one of the biggest challenges of virtual learning for students .

For these reasons, it is necessary to think about a routine and how to reward oneself when a task has been completed. Making a routine will ensure that there is still time to do the fun things that can be entertaining and used for downtime.

9. Getting immediate help can be difficult.

When learning using an online platform, getting immediate help may be difficult. The immediate feedback gained in the classroom will require a wait for the teacher to respond via one of the established communication methods.

Utilizing the communication methods made available can aid in overcoming the frustration that may be associated with ‘but I need help now!’

10. Overcoming isolation.

Learning in an online learning environment can equate to isolation. Finding ways to stay in touch with friends is important when participating in online programs. Working to establish regular playdates, study sessions, or other social activities can help address this disadvantage of online learning.

Taking Online Learning to the Next Level

Through exploring the pros and cons of online learning, one can see that there are various topics of interest. Exploring these issues and being prepared to maximize the benefits of online learning will enable students and teachers to continue the process of preparing students for their futures as adults.

Rather than thinking about the obstacles associated with online learning, educators should see that the benefits are quite significant.

Finding a way to work around the disadvantages and help students succeed in an online learning environment will aid students in maximizing their potential.

What are some other pros and cons of online learning? Share your thoughts by commenting below.

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7 Advantages & Disadvantages Of Online Learning

7 Advantages Of Online Learning (Latest Data)

Now that we have discussed the downsides of online learning, let’s look at some positives. In the section below, I have added seven benefits of online learning along with relevant statistics for you to refer to:-

1. Cost-Effective

While most tuition fees make you want to sell your body parts, some colleges provide an abundance of free resources. They only charged me for the exam fee and application form. 

The rest of the service was completely free of cost. Most importantly, you can even learn from any foreign university without spending a penny on flights and accommodations.

Check out the data from the Education Data Initiative below:-

• Students who commute to college pay $1,360 per annum.
• The cost of an online degree is $54,183, whereas the price for the same degree is $85,348.
• Students pay $600 extra for campus meals.
• The private institution charges $60,593 for online students, whereas the same course for in-person students is $60,593.

2. Availability Of More Programs

When learning at a school, sometimes you cannot take a particular class because teachers are unavailable. This happened to me once when I wanted to take Sociology. 

However, when you pursue an external school, abundant resources are available. 

For example, online platforms like Udemy, Skillshare, and Teachable have boasted in sales due to their abundant courses and demand for professionals. For instance, Radix web of e-learning statistics found that Teachability has over 20K available courses .

In fact, that’s what enhanced most tutors’ salaries, which are up to $40K annually. The only downside of online learning is the need for help picking the reference materials. (If you are studying entirely on your own.) 

I understand how complicated languages some materials use, but considering the technology these days, you can easily ask ChatGPT to break it down for you in simpler words. 

3. Learn At Your Pace 

My favorite part about online learning is not having anyone on your back to pace you up. 

American Heart Association has stated that learning at your own pace increases the retention rate by 25% to 67% . Not only that, but it improves student performance by 25%.

So, now, you can decide on the topic or class you want to learn and adjust your time management. You don’t need to wake up at 7 to take that Psychology class. Instead, you can learn all night, considering the lectures are mostly recorded. 

4. 24/7 Convenience 

Unlike traditional learning, which has a 6-8 hours working period, when you learn from home, you are self-sufficient and learn anytime (or night). 

Online Learning flexibility is the main reason why 63% of students do not need to depend on the school’s service that does revert past Friday. Instead, they get to ask your queries in the study groups, as most online learnings encourage collaboration. 

Over 42% of older adults (30+) were more enthusiastic about enrolling in online education because they don’t need to learn their full-time jobs. It’s even more convenient to take courses outside your city or country. 

5. Meet Students From Across The Globe

Continuing the above point, meeting people from different cultural backgrounds is rare when learning in a traditional setting. At most, you will meet people similar to your ethnicity. 

However, when you learn online, you take up random courses all across the globe:-

• Digital Exchange Program: The free weekly video call program invites 6 to 12th-grade students and matches them with peers worldwide while engaging in random activities. 

Here, you have a higher chance of meeting different people. Sometimes, you do not need to enroll in any foreign exchange program. 

• Instead, you can meet people in 24/7 online study forums . 
• There are also Discord channels where people can join just to study together. 

6. Learning On Personalize Level

The increasing demand for online learning is due to its personalized nature. According to G2 e-learning Hub , 36% of students prefer online learning due to its personalized learning. 

They also suggest a 25% to 60% retention rate through online learning. For example, some students are visual learners, while others prefer more audio or written material. 

So, depending on your choice of learning, different websites tailor their teaching method to a student’s learning speed and sense of style. One of the best examples is the Busuu language app, which caters to visual and auditory learners.

7. You Learn To Be Disciplined

Learning discipline is another benefit of online learning that is also a drawback. Students have become so lenient in the last couple of years that focusing for more than 2 seconds is difficult. 

For me especially, I had to learn not to change tabs whenever I was bored, received a text, or wanted to change the song. I developed more self-discipline once I started restricting myself from acting on my distractions. That improved my productivity even more. 

High School of America has given some effective tips to develop self-discipline. 

11 Disadvantages Of Online Learning As of 2024

Learning from home is a necessity once in a while, as it helps you relax and get your tasks done at a flexible pace. But do you think it’s beneficial in the long term? 

Multiple studies suggest online learning has increased screen time consumption, which has detrimental effects. 

So, let’s take a look at 11 hand-picked disadvantages of online learning as of 2024:-

1. Online Learning Is Not Available For Everyone

According to the ACT Research , the US population has shown that 25% of students come from low-income families. That, as a result, limits their access to reliable internet and technology.

In fact, due to constant power outages, frequent glitches restrict productivity, too. Don’t believe me? In 2022, the average US resident raised concerns about five and a half hours of electricity interruptions to EIA – the Electricity Information Administration. 

This made it difficult for students to attend online classes (as there was no Internet) or deliver their assignments on time. 

Let’s assume that you could use mobile data. However, bigger gadgets like laptops and desktops require more internet and would quickly exhaust your daily internet limit. Moreover, the lack of electricity directly affected the inability to use a computer. 

For laptop users, their battery life was short, too. So, overall, having frequent power outages affected online learning.

2. Difficulty Staying Focused

Online learning means access to laptops and mobile devices. Considering the low attention span of this generation, they have a habit of switching tabs every two minutes. 

This especially happens during online lectures and thus results in incomplete knowledge. 

The National Medicine Library studied how distracted you are when you use devices while studying. 41.1% of students are a little distracted, whereas 12.2% cannot focus at all. 

Either way, this affects students’ ability to understand the concepts they are learning fully. For example, you are in an online lecture. Now, since you are bored, you switch tabs and open Twitter! Occasionally, posting how you cannot wait to log out. In these moments of distraction, you miss out on the important information your professor shares. 

Assuming that it’s a sure-shot question that would appear in the exam, you would lose grades since you were not aware. The moral: Distraction is dangerous for an online student.

3. Limited Access To Resources And Support

Multiple complaints have arisen from online students. When you are distance learning, receiving proper notes, understanding the exam and assignment schedule, and, worst of all, having no group chats with students is too difficult. 

Overall, it makes online learning really hassling process. You do not have any other choice but to visit your academic center. As per the Cengage survey of 2020 , over 81% of students are not getting enough support from their instructors. 

Likewise, some academic leaders ended up being accountable – as the research held by Babson Group stated that only 29.1% of University professors were satisfied and believed they succeeded in providing necessary support to online learners. 

4. Lack Of In-Person Contact

Sometime in March 2020, Barnes and Noble Education conducted a survey in which around 432 US college students participated:-

• 64% expressed not having a suitable study environment at home.
• 55% raised their concern over reduced social interactions. 
• 45% of students shared that they could not perform well through online learning.

So, it’s evident that most students find studying around peers helpful as they learn better.

That’s because when you see your peers doing better and achieving good marks, you are fueled to study hard, too. Having healthy competition around you keeps you motivated to be better. 

5. Increased Isolation

In-person learning is the only time most teenagers leave the house, as nobody wants lower attendance. This is more so because you either have to pay for a fine or complete extra assignments. 

When there is no compulsion for in-person lectures, you need to remember how to socialize and, in a way, stay in your room 90% of the time. That indeed impairs your ability to build social connections and even self-confidence. 

Research by the National Library of Medicine found that 35% of males and 64% of females who study online have higher levels of social isolation and loneliness than those who study on campus. 

The survey was done between the age group of 25 to 30, where the students were mostly pursuing bachelor’s (72.53%) and master’s (27.47%). Check out the details below:-

• 25 year olds or below: 53%
• 26 to 30 year olds: 27.47%
• Over 30 year olds: 19.14%

6. Need To Invest More Time 

Studying independently requires reviewing abundant reference material, which is more time-consuming than teachers giving you well-curated notes. As per the research conducted by Harvard University , the success rate of students depends on consistent mentor feedback. 

And that is because you can immediately ask your mentor when you stumble upon a problem. Reaching out to a mentor in a traditional study setting is way more convenient than messaging them on an online forum. 

In addition, the replies you get are late and incoherent. That further requires you to spend extra time reviewing the resources and resolving your own problem. Especially when you’re in an urgent situation. 

7. Increased Screen Time

The increase in overused screen time has resulted in physical symptoms in students, such as backache and neck pain. Based on an analysis done in a study, Bioscience Biotechnology Research Communications revealed:-

• Using a laptop for more than two hours a day results in neck pain
• Whereas more than 5 hours of usage results in lower back pain

Another study reported that students spent 17.9 ±12 hours per week on screens.  

The study also found that sitting in a position for studying, if the posture continues for a longer duration, may cause musculoskeletal-related problems.

8. Prone To Procrastination

As per the recent Statistics report by Gitnux Market Data , 86.3% of Graduates procrastinate while writing assignments. While one may think it’s harmless and everybody delays their tasks here and there, procrastination habit resulted in a 2.2% lower GPA in undergraduates.

The study also researched which gender was more prone to procrastination. It turns out that the male percentage is 10.5% higher than females:-

• Males’ level of procrastination: 76.6%
• Females’ level of procrastination: 66.1%

Lastly, procrastination also resulted in poor physical health in 25% of students who consistently delayed their academic tasks. 

9. Limited Hands-On Experience

While some students may not be required to be present in the in-person class, that’s not the case for students studying to be Surgeons. 

They need hands-on training with cockroaches, Frogs, and, eventually, a human sample. 

How else will they treat a dying patient? Gitnux Market Data has researched the importance of hands-on learning and how it reflects in you. Check out the statistics below:-

• 97% of educators believe that students get more skilled.
• The employees’ productivity has increased by up to 75%.
• About 69% of teachers think you can understand and learn the concepts much faster.
• There was 72% more information retention in college students.
• You can improve your long-term memory by about 77%.

10. Instructors Need To Invest Extra Hours

Compared to the traditional environment, teachers usually have a book in hand and teach to help you get the notes. At most, there will be a presentation, depending on the faculty. 

However, since learning has shifted to the online medium, teachers’ performance graphs have lowered significantly. The National Library of Medicine has testified to this by taking samples of teachers from engineering, medical, humanities, and social science backgrounds:-

• Use tools to record and broadcast: 4.6/10
• Strategies to improve students’ attention: 4.8/10
• Interaction through various platforms: 5.5/10
• Maintain the teaching pace: 4.9/5
• Satisfied with the online teaching: 4.8/10

This requires instructors to invest more time in giving compelling online experiences to their students.

11. Students With Special Needs

The National Library of Medicine did a survey where they asked students about their learning preferences after Covid 19. The response was astounding as 63.6% reverted that they prefer offline learning, mainly because of their disability. 

• A usually impaired student cannot stare at the laptop screen for over 55 minutes.
• A Dyslexic and migraine sufferer mentioned being dizzy in an online setting. 

Most students with learning difficulties attested that it’s easier to note details simultaneously when a professor writes on board. 

It helps them retain information way better through an online medium. 

Related Read:

• AI in Education Statistics

Wrapping Up: Online Learning Is Still Not Accessible To Everyone

While online learning is more convenient based on a login schedule and not traveling 2 hours daily, there are still some disadvantages that you should be aware of. (Especially while making important educational decisions.)

For your betterment, I have backed most of its data and statistics regarding the online learning drawbacks. So, let’s quickly go through my top 3 reasons why online learning is not ideal:-

• Not Available For Everyone: 25% of students come from low-income families.
• Difficulty Staying Focused: 12.2% cannot focus at all, while 41.1% are a little distracted.
• Limited Access to Resources and Support: Only 29.1% of academic experts were satisfied with their successful support to online students.

Indeed, online learning is not everybody’s cup of tea, which makes students struggle and perform less. However, some individuals could be more suited to online learning. 

So, it’s essential to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of online learning before deciding which type of learning is ideal for you!

The biggest disadvantage of online classes is that they require a stable internet connection and have random technical issues. Also, being distracted and switching tabs will restrict knowledge retention, and students must study extra hours before exams.

When you are distracted, you fully understand what your teacher is saying. This would result in poor conceptual knowledge and missing out on important exam or assignment details. Either way, the outcome would be bad grades.

Lack of hands-on learning is a problem in online learning. Students from practical fields, such as mechanical engineers, surgeons, beauticians, etc., would have difficulty practicing their craft.

Social isolation is one of the worst effects of distance learning. It also impairs your ability to communicate or behave in social settings. These days, students have developed terrible anxiety, even when it comes to their own friends or family members. 

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Are Online Classes Worth It? 12 Pros & Cons

• 12 Sep 2019

A third of all students now take online courses . Although the reasons why vary, there are several key benefits to learning virtually—from increased flexibility to lower costs.

But online courses aren’t for everyone. Some individuals want to engage with faculty face-to-face or need the in-person touchpoints to stay on track and motivated.

If you’re mulling over the decision to take an online class, it’s essential to weigh the pros and cons against your career goals and preferred learning style. To help you decide, here are some advantages and disadvantages to learning online.

Pros of Online Learning

1. you can learn on your time.

Online courses offer unparalleled flexibility, particularly for undergraduate students trying to learn a new skill outside of their major or working professionals already juggling a full-time job . You can complete coursework when it’s convenient for you, whether that’s after work or during your lunch break.

You can also schedule your learning around when you’re most likely to retain new information. Whether you’re an early riser or a night owl, you can log in whenever is the optimal time for you.

2. You Can Learn at Your Speed

Some students don’t feel comfortable raising their hand in class and asking the professor to reexplain a topic their peers already seem to grasp. In an online learning environment, you can pause videos or return to concepts covered in previous modules. You can dive deeper into a particular topic instead of skimming over it.

3. You Can Save Money

While there are many free online courses, even those that aren’t still typically cost less than their on-campus counterparts. By learning virtually, you eliminate room and board fees, as well as any commuting costs. And because there’s greater flexibility, you can simultaneously earn a paycheck and an education.

Related: Should You Take an Online Course? 9 Things to Consider

4. You Can Break Down Geographic Barriers

When choosing an online program, you’re not limited by location. You can register for a program abroad without needing to board a plane.

The lack of geographical constraints extends to your peers, too. Online courses offer the opportunity for you to engage with fellow learners from around the world. Through that interaction, you can gain a global perspective and learn how to work collaboratively with people from different backgrounds and countries— skills employers say they look for in candidates .

5. You Can Gain Practical Tech Skills

Completing an online course proves you’re comfortable with technology, which could positively impact your resume as more companies embrace remote work. Showing you’re familiar with digital tools, know how to communicate effectively, and can stay organized are all traits employers look for. And those are the same traits you’ll pick up in an online class.

6. You Can Achieve Similar Career Outcomes

There are several misconceptions about online learning—particularly that you won’t achieve the same outcomes or respect from employers that you would by attending an on-campus program. But that’s not always the case.

In a recent survey by City Square Associates , 50 percent of learners reported receiving more attention from recruiters after completing a Harvard Business School Online course, while one in four said they received a promotion or title change. An online certificate from a reputable institution can have the same, or even better, impact on your resume than a more traditional degree.

Related: 6 Networking Tips for Online Learners

Cons of Online Learning

1. you might have limited, if any, interaction with faculty.

Depending on the type of online program you choose, you could have limited, if any, interaction with the professors. Your peers may be able to fill that void and answer your questions, but you should consider the level of faculty engagement you need to feel like you’re making progress.

2. You Can't Be Disorganized

Completing an online course requires time management and self-discipline. Because you’re not required to be in class on certain days each week, it’s your responsibility to set aside time to study and work through assignments. If you’re highly organized and can commit to a schedule, then you should succeed in an online environment.

Related: 3 Time Management Tips for Online Learners

3. You Might Have Potentially Fewer Networking Opportunities

Depending on the course you choose, there could be fewer opportunities to network with peers. If the social element is crucial to you, choose an online learning platform built around peer interaction and active participation , or perhaps even offers events .

For example, at Harvard Business School Online, more than 60 percent of surveyed past participants say they feel part of a community with similar aspirations.

4. You Really Need to Do Your Research

With more than 11,400 free massive open online courses available alone, the options can be overwhelming.

As you’re compiling research, jot down the qualities you want in an online education to help whittle down the list. Is earning a credential vital to you? Do you want a more immersive, interactive experience instead of engaging solely with videos? By knowing your preferences, it will be easier to spot and eliminate programs that aren’t the right fit.

5. You Can't Always Find Industry-Specific Online Training

Despite the abundance of online courses, there are still limited opportunities for more specialized industries. But if you’re committed to advancing your career, there are business skills that can help you no matter your profession and online courses that can fill gaps in your skillset .

6. You Might Need to Fight Against Misconceptions

Although online learning is growing in popularity, there’s still some lingering skepticism. That’s changing, though; in a survey of executives, 83 percent said that an online degree is just as credible as one earned through a traditional campus-based program. According to employers, if the online program was from a reputable institution with high-quality learners, it was deemed more credible.

Weighing the Pros and Cons of Online Learning

Only you can decide if online classes are for you, based on your unique personal and professional goals and preferred learning style. For many working professionals interested in advancing their careers, online courses offer the flexibility and convenience they need to balance developing new skills with their current life stage and job responsibilities.

Do you want to take your career to the next level? Download our free Guide to Advancing Your Career with Essential Business Skills to learn how enhancing your business knowledge can help you make an impact on your organization and be competitive in the job market.

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By: MIT xPRO on August 8th, 2022 5 Minute Read

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The Pros and Cons of Online Learning—and What to Look For in an Online Course

Online Education | Professional Development

If you’re at a point in your life where you’re considering continuing your education, you may wonder if online learning is the right path for you. 

Taking an online course requires a notable investment of time, effort, and money, so it’s important to feel confident about your decision before moving forward. While online learning works incredibly well for some people, it’s not for everyone. 

We recently sat down with MIT xPRO Senior Instructional Designer and Program Manager Luke Hobson to explore the pros and cons of online learning and what to look for in an online course. If you’re waiting for a sign about whether or not to enroll in that course you’ve been eying, you just might find it here.

Pros of Online Learning

First, let’s take a look at the true value of online learning by examining some of the benefits: 

1. Flexibility 

Online learning’s most significant advantage is its flexibility. It’s the reason millions of adults have chosen to continue their education and pursue certificates and degrees. 

Asynchronous courses allow learners to complete work at their own pace, empowering them to find the optimal time to consume the content and submit assignments.

Some people are more attentive, focused, and creative in the mornings compared to the evenings and vice versa. Whatever works best for the learners should be the priority of the learning experience. 

2. Community 

When Luke asks people about their main reason for enrolling in a course, a common answer is networking and community. 

Learners crave finding like-minded individuals who are going through the same experiences and have the same questions. They want to find a place where they belong. Being in the company of others who understand what they’re going through can help online learners who are looking for support and motivation during challenging times and times that are worth celebrating. 

Some learners have created study groups and book clubs that have carried on far beyond the end of the course—it’s amazing what can grow from a single post on a discussion board! 

3. Latest information 

“Speed is a massive benefit of online learning,” and according to Luke, it often doesn't get the attention it deserves. “When we say speed, we don’t mean being quick with learning. We mean actual speed to market. There are so many new ideas evolving within technical spaces that it's impossible to keep courses the way they were originally designed for a long period of time.” 

Luke notes that a program on Additive Manufacturing , Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality , or Nanotechnology must be checked and updated frequently. More formal learning modalities have difficulty changing content at this rapid pace. But within the online space, it’s expected that the course content will change as quickly as the world itself does.

Cons of Online Learning

Now that we’ve looked at some of the biggest pros of online learning, let’s examine a few of the drawbacks: 

1. Learning environment 

While many learners thrive in an asynchronous learning environment, others struggle. Some learners prefer live lessons and an instructor they can connect with multiple times a week. They need these interactions to feel supported and to persist. 

Most learners within the online space identify themselves as self-directed learners, meaning they can learn on their own with the right environment, guidance, materials, and assignments. Learners should know themselves first and understand their preferences when it comes to what kind of environment will help them thrive.

2. Repetition 

One drawback of online courses is that the structure can be repetitive: do a reading, respond to two discussion posts, submit an essay, repeat. After a while, some learners may feel disengaged from the learning experience. 

There are online courses that break the mold and offer multiple kinds of learning activities, assessments, and content to make the learning experience come alive, but it may take some research to find them—more on what to look for in an online course later in this article ! Luke and his colleagues at MIT xPRO are mindful of designing courses that genuinely engage learners from beginning to end.

3. Underestimation  

Luke has noticed that some learners underestimate how much work is required in an online course. They may mistakenly believe that online learning is somehow “easier” compared to in-person learning. 

For those learners who miscalculate how long they will need to spend online or how challenging the assignments can be, changing that mindset is a difficult process. It’s essential to set aside the right amount of time per week to contribute to the content, activities, and assignments. Creating personal deadlines and building a study routine are two best practices that successful online learners follow to hold themselves accountable. 

Experience the Value of Online Learning: What to Look For in an Online Course

You’ve probably gathered by now that not all online courses are created equal. On one end of the spectrum, there are methods of online learning that leave learners stunned by what a great experience they had. On the other end of the spectrum, some online learning courses are so disappointing that learners regret their decision to enroll. 

If you want to experience the value of online learning, it’s essential to pick the right course. Here’s a quick list of what to look for: 

• Reputation and expertise. With so many online courses available these days, an easy way to narrow down your options is to consider courses offered by reputable institutions. Next, learn more about the instructors teaching a course of interest. Are they well-respected experts in their field of study?
• Engaging curriculum. It takes a variety of learning methods to keep people engaged and interested in learning. Many online courses stick to a standard selection of readings, videos, and quizzes. Look for courses that include practice questions, reflection questions, group-based work, simulations, polls, discussions, and other interactive or hands-on activities.
• Flexibility in content delivery and deadlines. Whether an online course is fully asynchronous or not, flexibility is a green flag. In practice, this could look like having all the assignments due at the end of the course so that learners can create their own schedules or providing suggested deadlines that aren’t set in stone.
• Feedback and connection to peers within the course platform. Interacting regularly with other learners makes a big difference. Luke and the MIT xPRO team use peer-reviewed feedback to give learners the opportunity to engage with each other’s work.
• Proof of hard work . In the online learning space, proof of hard work often comes in the form of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) or specific certifications. MIT xPRO course participants who successfully complete one or more courses are eligible to receive CEUs , which many employers, licensing agencies, and professional associations accept as evidence of a participant’s serious commitment to their professional development. 

Online learning isn’t for everyone, but with the right approach, it can be a valuable experience for many people. Now that you know what to look for in an online course, see what Luke and the MIT xPRO instructional design team have to offer by checking out the latest MIT xPRO courses and programs . 

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50 Pros and Cons of Online Learning [Deep Analysis] 

Online learning represents a transformative shift in educational paradigms, leveraging digital technology to provide accessible and flexible learning options. This modality has seen a surge in popularity, driven by a global recognition of its potential to transcend traditional educational boundaries. It enables people from various backgrounds to obtain quality education remotely, eliminating the constraints of geographical location. Despite its advantages, online learning also presents challenges, including the digital divide, reduced interpersonal interactions, and concerns about educational quality. This deep analysis aims to explore the 50 pros and cons of online learning, offering a comprehensive view of its impact and highlighting both the opportunities and hurdles it presents in the ever-evolving education landscape.

Pros of Online Learning  

Let’s delve into each pro of online learning to help students understand the topic more precisely:

1. Flexibility

Online learning provides flexibility, allowing students to study anytime and anywhere, accommodating the schedules of working individuals, parents, or those with irregular timings. This adaptability helps students manage their educational pursuits and other personal and professional responsibilities. It assists in organizing learning schedules around personal and professional commitments, reducing stress and enhancing the ability to balance educational needs with life and work responsibilities. For example, a working professional can integrate their studies into their routine by studying during evenings or weekends, making education feasible amidst a hectic schedule.

2. Accessibility

Accessibility in online learning, facilitated by just an internet connection, allows students from any geographic location to access quality education, thus eliminating distance and travel barriers. This feature is especially beneficial for those in rural or underserved areas. It helps by providing access to quality education regardless of one’s location, effectively removing geographical and physical barriers. This accessibility promotes equal learning opportunities and supports inclusive education, ensuring that students, irrespective of their location, can enroll in specialized programs offered by urban or even international institutions. For example, a learner from a remote area can register for specialized courses provided by universities located in major cities or abroad, broadening their educational and career prospects.

Related: How to Make Most of Online Learning?

3. Variety of Courses

Online platforms offer various courses across various fields and specialties, empowering students to engage with subjects that may not be locally available, ranging from advanced scientific courses to creative arts and languages. This diversity of offerings provides a broad spectrum of learning opportunities, enabling students to delve into different fields or concentrate on niche areas, thus enhancing their career prospects and personal development. For instance, an individual interested in rare languages can access specific online courses that are not available in their local area, facilitating specialized learning and exploration in their field of interest.

4. Pace Control

Students can progress through courses at a pace that aligns with their learning preferences and capabilities, allowing fast learners to accelerate their studies and those needing more time to proceed without pressure. This pacing flexibility helps students learn at a speed that suits their learning style, thereby improving comprehension and retention. It also minimizes frustration and maximizes the effectiveness of the learning process. For example, students facing difficulties with a complex math concept can take extra time to review and practice, ensuring they fully understand and master the material before moving on.

5. Cost-Effective

Online education typically incurs lower costs than traditional campus-based learning, with savings extending to commuting, accommodation, and often course materials, thus making education more financially accessible. This affordability helps reduce the financial burden of education, making it more achievable for a broader range of students. Reducing costs associated with online learning can also lessen student debt and alleviate financial stress. For example, students taking online courses often save on expenses related to commuting, textbooks, and campus facilities, contributing to the overall cost-effectiveness of their education.

Studying in a familiar and comfortable environment can reduce stress and improve concentration, thus enhancing the learning experience. This setup helps by allowing students to study in a preferred environment, leading to better focus and productivity. The additional benefits of personalized study conditions include an improved overall learning experience and increased satisfaction. For instance, students can create a quiet, personalized study space at home, tailored to their specific needs, free from the distractions often encountered in classroom settings, thereby fostering a more conducive learning atmosphere.

Related: Hybrid Learning vs Online Learning

7. Technology Skills

Navigating online learning platforms and tools can improve digital literacy, a crucial skill in today’s technology-driven world. This enhancement of digital literacy and technical skills is essential for the modern workforce, helping individuals become more competent and adaptable to technological advancements. The additional benefits include improved employability as individuals become more adept at using digital tools, making them more attractive to potential employers. An example is the regular use of learning management systems and online research tools, which prepares students for the technological demands of contemporary, tech-savvy workplaces.

8. Interactive Content

Online courses often include multimedia elements such as videos, interactive simulations, and quizzes, making learning more engaging and effective. This approach actively engages students, making learning more enjoyable and impactful. Including various multimedia elements caters to different learning styles and enhances information retention, offering a more dynamic and interactive educational experience. For instance, interactive simulations in an online science course enable students to experiment with concepts in a virtual lab setting, providing a hands-on experience that deepens their understanding and engagement with the material.

9. Global Perspective

Interacting with students and instructors worldwide in online learning contexts exposes learners to different viewpoints and cultures, enriching their educational experience and broadening their worldview. This exposure to international perspectives and cultural diversity enhances global awareness and understanding, which is increasingly important in today’s interconnected world. Such interactions prepare students for globalized careers and working in multicultural environments, equipping them with the skills to navigate diverse cultural dynamics. An example of this is engaging in collaborative projects with international peers, which can provide valuable insights into varied business practices and cultural norms, further enhancing the learning experience and preparing students for international professional interactions.

10. Self-Discipline and Responsibility

The self-directed nature of online learning fosters the development of crucial life skills such as time management, self-discipline, and personal responsibility. This environment helps cultivate personal skills like time management, self-motivation, and organizational abilities, which are beneficial in both personal and professional settings. For example, managing deadlines for multiple online courses teaches students to prioritize tasks and manage their time effectively. These skills honed through the self-regulatory demands of online education, are valuable assets that enhance an individual’s ability to navigate various aspects of life and career successfully.

Related: Reasons to Attend Regular College

11. Immediate Feedback

Many online courses offer instant feedback on quizzes and assignments, enabling students to comprehend their mistakes and learn from them quickly. This rapid feedback mechanism allows students to identify areas of weakness promptly and concentrate their efforts on improvement, thereby accelerating the learning process and facilitating the achievement of mastery. For instance, instant grading on online quizzes provides an immediate understanding of errors, allowing students to promptly correct and grasp the necessary concepts. This feature of online learning enhances the educational experience by providing timely insights into performance, thereby aiding in more efficient and effective learning.

12. Customizable Learning Environment

Online learners have the flexibility to create a study space that best suits their needs, from a quiet home office to a local café with headphones, enabling them to tailor their environment to their preferences, which improves concentration and efficiency. This personalization of the study space not only enhances comfort and personal well-being but also positively affects learning outcomes. For example, students can establish a quiet corner in their home equipped with all necessary study materials, crafting an ideal learning environment that fosters productivity and academic success. This adaptability in creating a conducive study setting is a significant advantage of online learning, allowing individuals to optimize their surroundings to support their learning process.

13. Accessibility for Disabled Individuals

Online education is notably more accessible for students with physical disabilities, providing customizable learning experiences and eliminating the need for physical travel. This accessibility ensures equal education opportunities, offering necessary accommodations and support and promoting inclusivity and equal opportunities in education. For example, online courses with features like closed captioning and adjustable text sizes cater to the needs of students with hearing or visual impairments, making learning more accessible.

14. Up-to-date Content

Digital courses can be easily updated to reflect the latest research, technology, and industry trends, ensuring that students receive the most current education. This constant updating keeps learners competitive and relevant in their fields, with courses in rapidly evolving sectors like digital marketing or cybersecurity swiftly incorporating the latest trends and technologies.

Related: Benefits of Online Learning for Working Executives

15. Resource Availability

The availability of resources is a significant benefit of online learning. Many materials, such as e-books, academic papers, and educational videos, are readily accessible, often at no additional cost. This access supports extensive research and a deeper understanding of subjects, with online libraries, journals, and videos greatly enriching students’ research and learning experiences.

16. Reduced Anxiety

For students who experience anxiety in traditional classroom settings, online learning offers a less intimidating environment, allowing them to engage more comfortably with the material. This less stressful and more controlled setting can lead to improved mental health and better academic performance, exemplified by the ease of participating in discussions via online forums compared to face-to-face interactions.

17. Learning Retention

Engaging multimedia content in online courses can significantly enhance memory and information retention, making learning more effective. Interactive elements like virtual reality can simulate real-world scenarios, deepening understanding and aiding recall, enhancing immediate learning and contributing to long-term retention of information.

18. Scalability

Scalability in online learning allows for accommodating many students, making education accessible to a broader audience, and overcoming the physical constraints of traditional classrooms. This scalability enables education delivery to many students, increasing the reach of educational programs and facilitating wider knowledge dissemination. For example, thousands of students can take a popular online course globally, unlike a traditional classroom with limited capacity.

19. Sustainable

Sustainability is a significant advantage of online learning, as it eliminates the need for daily commuting, making it more environmentally sustainable by reducing traffic congestion and lowering emissions. This approach reduces the carbon footprint associated with traditional campus-based education and supports environmental sustainability, aligning with green living practices. For instance, the online learning model significantly reduces travel-related carbon emissions, reducing the overall environmental impact.

Related: Reasons Why the Future of Education Is Online Learning

20. Career Advancement

Online courses offer career advancement opportunities by enabling working professionals to enhance their education and skills without interrupting their careers, thus supporting continuous professional development. This allows individuals to pursue further education while maintaining their career trajectory, enhancing their professional skills and knowledge, and remaining competitive in the job market. An example is an IT professional who can upskill by completing an online cybersecurity course, qualifying for higher-paying and more specialized roles.

21. Innovative Teaching Methods

Innovative teaching methods in online education, such as gamification, virtual reality simulations, and collaborative projects, enrich the learning experience. These methods introduce new and engaging ways of learning that accommodate diverse learning preferences and needs, making the educational process more dynamic and increasing student engagement and success rates. For instance, gamification can make learning more enjoyable and interactive, boosting participation and motivation.

22. Expert Access

Access to experts is a hallmark of online learning. Students can receive instruction from leading figures in various fields, ensuring access to high-quality education and insights, irrespective of their location. This access provides students with the opportunity to learn from top professionals and academics, offering high-caliber education and insights. For example, students can participate in online lectures or workshops led by renowned scholars or industry leaders, which would be inaccessible locally.

23. Networking Opportunities

Networking opportunities abound in online platforms, which often include forums, group projects, and social media connections, enabling students to network globally with peers and professionals. This networking facilitates global connections beneficial for collaborative learning and career development, expanding professional networks, and creating opportunities for future partnerships or employment. Through online courses, students can connect with industry experts and peers worldwide, potentially leading to job opportunities or collaborative projects.

24. Cultural Exchange

Cultural exchange in online courses allows students to interact with peers from different cultural backgrounds, enhancing cultural understanding and exchange. This interaction fosters cultural sensitivity and global awareness, contributing to personal development and preparing students for global work environments. In online settings, group projects can provide collaboration opportunities with peers from various countries, offering valuable insights into diverse cultures and work ethics.

25. Lifelong Learning

Online education supports lifelong learning by offering accessible educational opportunities for individuals at any career or life stage, thereby fostering continuous personal and professional growth. This facilitates ongoing education and skill development, enabling individuals to remain knowledgeable and adaptable throughout their careers. Online education promotes personal fulfillment and professional competitiveness in a rapidly evolving world, with professionals continuously updating their skills through online courses, workshops, and webinars to adapt to industry changes and advance their careers.

Related: Online Learning vs Classroom Learning

Cons of Online Learning

1. lack of social interaction.

Online learners often miss out on the social dynamics of a classroom, leading to potential isolation and reduced interpersonal skills. Overcoming this involves participating in online forums, virtual study groups, and social networks to build connections and engage in social learning.

2. Technology Dependence

The effectiveness of online education largely depends on reliable technology and internet access. To overcome potential barriers, securing access to the required technological resources and establishing contingency plans for technical setbacks is essential. This proactive approach ensures continuity in learning, minimizing disruptions caused by technological issues and maintaining a steady and productive online educational experience.

3. Self-Motivation Requirement

Online learning requires self-motivation and effective time management. To overcome these challenges, establish clear goals, develop a structured study schedule, and employ accountability mechanisms, such as regular check-ins with peers or mentors, to maintain progress and motivation throughout the learning process.

4. Limited Hands-On Experience

The challenge of limited hands-on experience in online learning, particularly in practical subjects, can be addressed by actively seeking supplementary practical opportunities. Engaging in internships, workshops, or lab work can provide real-world experience and hands-on skills that complement and enhance the online educational experience.

5. Screen Fatigue

Extended screen time can lead to eye strain and fatigue. Addressing this issue involves taking regular breaks, performing eye exercises, and creating an ergonomic workspace. These practices help alleviate discomfort and prevent fatigue, enhancing productivity and well-being during prolonged digital engagement. An optimal setup and routine can significantly improve the online learning experience and overall eye health.

6. Potential for Distractions

Home environments may present distractions, affecting concentration. Mitigating this requires establishing a dedicated study area and employing time management techniques to maintain focus and enhance productivity.

Related: EdTech vs eLearning: Key Differences

7. Technical Issues

Online learning is prone to technical problems. Addressing this necessitates honing troubleshooting abilities and consistently engaging with technical support to swiftly resolve issues and ensure a smooth learning experience.

8. Reduced Immediate Feedback

Delayed feedback in online learning can be addressed by students proactively requesting input and participating in platforms that offer immediate responses. By actively seeking evaluations and utilizing quick feedback tools, learners can enhance their understanding and adjust their study approach in real time, leading to a more effective and responsive educational experience.

9. Quality and Accreditation Concerns

The variability in online program quality can affect qualification recognition. Overcoming this involves researching and enrolling in accredited and reputable programs.

10. Limited Instructor Interaction

Limited interaction with instructors in online courses can be countered by students proactively reaching out through different communication methods for guidance. Engaging with teachers via emails, online office hours, and discussion forums can enhance the learning experience, ensuring students receive the mentorship and support they need to succeed in their online academic pursuits.

11. Cultural and Language Barriers

Online learning’s diversity can lead to communication challenges. Overcoming this involves using translation tools and engaging in cultural exchange programs.

12. Requires Strong Digital Literacy

Successful online learning demands proficient digital skills. These skills can be enhanced by attending digital literacy workshops, where participants can improve their technical abilities. Such educational programs equip learners with the expertise to navigate online platforms effectively, ensuring a more efficient and enriched learning experience. This proactive approach to skill development is crucial for optimizing the benefits of digital education.

Related: How to Network in an Online Training Program?

13. Assessment Challenges

Online assessments can pose challenges to integrity and fairness. Overcoming these involves advocating for transparent assessment methods and using online proctoring services.

14. Learning Style Mismatch

Online learning doesn’t accommodate every learning style, but this can be addressed by selecting online programs that provide a variety of teaching methods and materials. By choosing programs that cater to different preferences, such as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles, students can enhance their learning experience and outcomes, ensuring a more inclusive and adaptable educational environment.

15. Isolation from Campus Life

Online students often lack the campus experience, but this can be mitigated by participating in virtual activities or attending local events replicating campus life. Engaging in these experiences allows for social interaction, networking, and a sense of community, bridging the gap between online and traditional education environments and enhancing the educational journey.

16. Overreliance on Written Communication

Online learning often relies heavily on written communication. Enhancing communication with video calls and voice messages can overcome this.

17. Time Zone Conflicts

Time zone differences in international online courses can complicate scheduling. To overcome this, strategic planning and scheduling tools are essential for effective coordination. By utilizing these tools, students and instructors can synchronize their activities across different time zones, ensuring that everyone can participate in live sessions and collaborative projects. This enhances the overall learning experience and minimizes the inconvenience caused by geographical disparities.

18. Limited Career Services

Online students often face restricted access to career services. They should utilize online career resources and participate in virtual job fairs to mitigate this. These strategies provide access to career advice, networking opportunities, and potential job openings, effectively bridging the gap between online education and career development. Engaging with these resources can significantly enhance the career prospects of online learners.

19. Minimal Peer Learning

Online courses may reduce opportunities for peer interaction, which is vital for collaborative learning and networking. To counter this, students should actively form or become part of study groups and engage in online discussion forums. These platforms enable the exchange of ideas, enhance understanding through collective learning, and foster a sense of community, effectively bridging the gap in social interaction within the digital learning environment.

20. Lack of Accredited Programs

Accredited online programs are scarce in some fields. Overcoming this limitation requires diligent research to identify industry-recognized, accredited programs. Ensuring accreditation helps validate the quality and credibility of the online education received, aligning it with professional standards and enhancing career prospects.

21. Inadequate IT Support

Insufficient IT support can impede online learning, but overcoming this challenge requires familiarizing oneself with frequent technical problems and pinpointing available support resources. By understanding common technical difficulties and knowing where to seek assistance, students can navigate and resolve IT issues more effectively, ensuring a smoother and more uninterrupted online learning experience.

22. Course Completion Rates

Establishing personal milestones and actively participating in the course community can counter lower completion rates in online learning. Setting individual goals and interacting with peers and instructors creates a more engaging and accountable learning environment. This approach motivates students to persist through their courses, improving completion rates and fostering a sense of achievement and belonging within the online educational setting.

23. Perceptions of Legitimacy

Skepticism regarding the legitimacy of online qualifications exists. To counter this, selecting programs with reputable credentials and clearly articulating the rigor of online coursework can enhance their perceived value. Demonstrating the thoroughness and depth of online education helps gain recognition and respect for these qualifications.

24. Physical Health Concerns

Online learning’s sedentary nature can cause health problems. Mitigating these risks requires engaging in regular physical activities, using ergonomic furniture, and maintaining proper posture. These practices promote physical well-being, preventing the negative health impacts of prolonged sitting and screen time.

25. Emotional Well-being

The solitary aspect of online learning can affect mental well-being. To mitigate this, it’s crucial to lead a balanced lifestyle, cultivate social connections, and utilize mental health resources. Engaging in regular physical and social activities, establishing a support network, and seeking professional help when needed can alleviate the psychological challenges of online education, promoting a healthier, more supportive learning experience..

Exploring the 50 pros and cons of online learning reveals a complex picture where its advantages and disadvantages intertwine. Online education democratizes access to learning, offers flexibility, and tailors to diverse needs, yet encounters challenges like technology disparities, engagement difficulties, and questions of academic integrity. Advancing online learning requires a balanced strategy that amplifies its advantages while methodically mitigating its limitations. As we move forward, integrating innovative solutions, policy reforms, and continuous research will be crucial in enhancing the efficacy and experience of online education, ensuring it serves as a robust and inclusive platform for learners worldwide.

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The Pros and Cons of Online Education

Brendan Gawlowski

Contributing Writer

Learn about our editorial process .

Updated December 12, 2023

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Are you ready to discover your college program?

Until last March, most college students had never taken an online class. The COVID-19 outbreak changed that.

In 2021, more than 9 million students took at least one online class. But while distance education has steadily become more popular, and more common among students in their late teens or early 20s, nearly 70% of college students had never taken a distance course until this past spring.

The sudden switch to the online format sparked a wave of problems from seemingly every corner. Students weren't getting the education they expected. Faculty felt under-resourced and unsupported by their institutions. Proponents of remote education could only watch in frustration as students who never wanted to study online were rushed into a watered-down version of what distance courses should be.

A Difficult Transition

Many students taking online classes for the first time in March struggled with the transition. They found the impersonal format frustrating, and soon recognized that some of their professors lacked the technical chops to effectively teach online. Universities with limited digital infrastructure and a very short ramp-up time could do little more than set up a Zoom account and hope their students had internet access.

The slapdash transition had critics wondering whether distance courses provide a comparable intellectual challenge and educational experience. In some cases, students and their parents even protested their school's decision to charge full tuition for online courses.

That frustration is understandable. But anyone underwhelmed by their initial foray into online education should know that they didn't get the normal distance education experience.

That's unfortunate. With the right teachers and tools, a well-produced online curriculum is just as educationally rich, rigorous, and rewarding as classes taught on campus.

"There's sort of a continuum" of online education models, explains Michael Paulus, the assistant provost for education technology at Seattle Pacific University. "There's really basic — go online and talk over Zoom — and at the other end of the spectrum, you have professionally designed courses."

This past March, most students found themselves in the basic, bare-bones format; many found the experience unsatisfying, and came away with an unfavorable impression of online education writ large.

That's unfortunate. With the right teachers and tools, a well-produced online curriculum is just as educationally rich, rigorous, and rewarding as classes taught on campus. That's especially important to keep in mind given where we are in the pandemic. We don't know when it will be safe for everyone to return to campus, and for the foreseeable future, students should expect to take at least some of their classes online.

Colleges that already provided online instruction prior to last March offer several academic advantages over the schools that didn't. Anyone on the fence about whether or where to go to college over the next year should do their homework on what their prospective online program has to offer — and what it lacks.

Online Education Done Properly

Any criticism of online education inevitably returns to one theme: an inability to replicate the classroom experience. To a point, that's a fair critique. Remote education has its limitations, and the format doesn't suit everyone.

But students should also know that well-built online courses are just as intellectually challenging as the classes they're accustomed to. Dedicated online programs have long provided tools and resources that bring the feel of a classroom online, and the industry is full of educators pushing the boundaries of what students can expect to find in a remote setting.

One such person is Temple University's Bora Ozkan, an associate professor of finance and academic director of the school's online MBA and BBA programs. When I contacted him for this story, Ozkan wasn't just willing to talk: He thanked me for reaching out, scheduled a meeting himself, and brought a colleague to the discussion. I didn't really have to press much about online education, as he came prepared with a 15-minute preamble on all that Temple's Fox School of Business does to provide a robust online experience.

"Fox has everything online," Ozkan said excitedly. "We have instructional designers, instructional technologists. We have our own studios, our own video vault. Everything we do in house, we host in house."

Technology sets this kind of online program apart from schools that simply have professors lecture over Zoom. Instructional designers meet with faculty to determine class objectives and map each assignment to those goals, tailoring them for the online format. The extra attention to video and production quality helps make the content look professional, and all material is accessible for students with disabilities.

Those points just scratch the surface. For Ozkan, a well-constructed online program isn't just built to avoid the pitfalls of the distance format, but also to capitalize on its benefits.

"Online education does not necessarily mean three hours of lecture on Zoom. It doesn't work that way," he explains. "We flip the classroom model. We try to keep videos below 10 minutes. Instead of lectures, there are topics of videos."

In a twist on the usual lecture model, Ozkan has his students watch a few related videos before each class meeting. Instead of lecturing, he uses class time to answer questions about the material and build collaborative learning into their time together.

Online education does not necessarily mean three hours of lecture on Zoom. It doesn't work that way. Bora Ozkan

"We put them in groups of three or four, and they do an activity. They submit and then come to the main room to present. It's an interactive process."

Educational technology has come a long way in recent years. It's now possible to break students up into groups over video and have professors pop in and out of discussions. Online content delivery systems, like Blackboard and Canvas, make it easy for students to participate in class discussions, access course resources, and submit homework.

As you'd expect, professors at the Fox School are trained to teach remotely. The school has its own online teaching certificate program, and it requires new faculty to complete the program before they teach an online class.

Talking to Ozkan, it also becomes clear that the enthusiasm and charisma that all of the best and brightest educators share translates well into the online format. The toughest part of interviewing him is getting him to linger on my questions long enough to get an answer before bounding off about Temple's latest investments in online education or how the school has learned from sharing online resources with other institutions.

Ozkan's colleague, Steve Orbanek, only spoke up once in our conversation. In a rare quiet moment, Orbanek deadpanned: "As you can probably tell, Bora is very passionate about all this."

Distance Education of the Future?

Just before the pandemic hit, Ozkan was already pushing his online curriculum into another frontier: virtual reality.

For 18 months, he'd been preparing to offer his MBA-level fintech digital disruption course in virtual reality. The anticipated launch time? Mid-March of 2020.

"The timing was coincidental," he said with a smile.

Virtual reality has some obvious benefits: It's completely immersive, and students have to pay attention because they can't look at their phones or laptops with a headset on. It also feels more like a regular conversation.

"If I have a dual screen, if I'm looking at your picture but not the camera, it does not look like I'm looking at you," Ozkan said.

While it sounds complicated, the setup was actually quite easy: The school simply shipped everyone a headset and told students what time to show up for class.

"We got great feedback" on the course, Ozkan said. "This enhanced our discussions. Our students were actually more immersed, maybe even moreso than face-to-face class, because they had zero distractions."

Will it catch on? Check back again in a year or three.

Most Students Didn't Get That Experience Back in March

As COVID-19 roiled the country, colleges hastily pivoted to online instruction. Technology, or lack thereof, was a major stumbling block. Some students, particularly those who never expected nor wanted to take courses online, lacked access to a computer or a stable internet connection. Many professors tried to adapt their curricula to an online setting, but had no experience or training in how to teach remotely.

"One of my teachers was an older math professor, and he just struggled to record lectures," said Thomas Thongmee, a double major at Pitzer College. "He's not trained in how to do this, he never expected to do it, and here he is at home, trying to upload stuff on his iPad."

Visual arts programs were hit particularly hard by the switch to online. Luisa Rodriguez, a rising junior and a theater major at Wesleyan University, saw the curriculum change dramatically overnight.

"We had started hoping that our theater production would have been put in the live theater. Then halfway through the semester, we ended up switching to Zoom."

She says her professors mostly handled the change well. They adapted to Zoom effectively and sought student opinions on how to best conduct classes online. Still, the challenges of preparing for and putting on a production over the internet were considerable.

"We were working from Eastern time zones, Singapore, Macedonia, and my Pacific Standard Time," Rodriguez said. "It was a coordination nightmare."

Students had to make this adjustment while also processing everything else that came with the pandemic — new living situations, shelter-in-place orders, and a heightened degree of stress and anxiety. All of that made engaging with course material much tougher than usual.

"I started to feel like everything just took a lot more energy to complete," Rodriguez said. "I wasn't following the readings or assignments as closely as I would have if I had a chance to discuss them in person."

By and large, professors did their best to accommodate students. The students who spoke to TBS for this story praised their instructors for their compassion and understanding. Many schools acknowledged the unprecedented situation by shifting to a pass/fail system or by giving students A's.

But even that came with its own backlash. Sketchy internet connections, ad hoc delivery systems, and inflated grades fed the perception that online education was less rigorous than traditional college courses. Parents and students, already burdened by steep tuition prices and the prospect of staggering loan debt, openly questioned why they were paying so much money for what appeared to be a flimsy product.

For supporters of online education, it was not the ideal way for the format to reach a widespread audience. Most schools didn't have enough dedicated faculty or built-out programs to transition well, and proponents worry that people are getting a bad impression of what online education is.

Kevin Gannon, Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Grand View University, was one of many educators who encouraged people to keep an open mind. Responding to an article that argued the pandemic was the perfect time to test and evaluate online education, he likened such an exercise to "giving people a swimming test during a flood."

Schools with Online Experience Were Better Prepared

There are only a handful of colleges throughout the United States that offer all — or even most — of their programs entirely online. But even institutions that only had some programs available online had a leg up on schools without any online infrastructure.

Seattle Pacific University is one such institution. The private Christian university has offered some graduate courses and programs online for years, but until 2020, had held most undergraduate classes on campus.

Seattle's King County was home to one of the nation's first outbreaks, and the surge in local cases coincided with the end of winter quarter at SPU. According to Michael Paulus, the school's assistant provost for education technology, that gave SPU precious time to prepare undergraduate instructors for a quarter like no other.

"Online education requires a whole different orientation. We were actually getting ready to do a faculty-in-service training on how to design online courses. Within a week of the first deaths associated with COVID, we started thinking about taking that program to our faculty."

The big challenge was to get faculty comfortable with the technology they'd be using. SPU is a small school that offers intimate class sizes, and most professors and students come to SPU in part for the face-to-face element. Few professors had any training or experience in online education.

Professors found that some students are more willing to interact online through chat than they were when they were trying to engage a classroom. I think there's [now more] comfort with giving students more digital materials to work with. Michael Paulus

Fortunately, SPU's online grad programs provided a foundation to build course content around for undergrads. The transition was still difficult, but more manageable than starting from scratch. "We had the skills; we had the tech," Palus said. What they needed was "massive scale adjustment."

Paulus's department leapt into action. They trained professors to use the school's online tools, developed templates for certain classes, and offered technical support for students and faculty. It grew into an iterative process, where professors shared lessons and advice on what worked and what didn't with each other. Through it all, Paulus noticed that professors learned how to integrate the tools into their classes. Some even made interesting discoveries that will carry over into their teaching when classes return to campus.

"Professors found that some students are more willing to interact online through chat than they were when they were trying to engage a classroom. I think there's [now more] comfort with giving students more digital materials to work with."

All of that would have been much harder to accomplish if SPU wasn't adequately prepared with a host of online resources.

"A lot of schools had to start from scratch," Paulus said. "They had to get a Zoom license [and] video capturing software. You then have to learn how it works and to support it, and train faculty how to use it. Fortunately, we didn't have to do all that."

Daniel Allred, a program coordinator at Utah State University, echoed a similar sentiment. As a land-grant school, USU has long provided distance education in some format, and the school's experience with digital education left it better prepared to offer student services and to transition classes from in-person to Canvas's digital management system.

"If every class didn't already have a Canvas section associated with it, just that work alone would have been back-breaking for our developers," Allred said.

What To Look for As You Evaluate Programs

Schools that have invested in customized, professionally produced courses with dedicated online administrators and professors are simply better educational investments for students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unfortunately, not every school with an established online program falls into that category. There's a very big difference between the schools that offer a quality online program and colleges that let students earn credits without coming to campus.

Here are a few things prospective students can do to make sure they're getting a quality education.

Check out the school's online programming

Sample an online class, evaluate the program's reputation, the future of higher education.

The question isn't whether the online format is a part of college curriculums in the future. It's how much material will be taught and accessed online. Already, most students are familiar with doing much of their research and plenty of their homework online. The transition to a more holistic online format isn't as large as it may sound.

Or, at least it isn't at the institutions that already offer dedicated and well-constructed online programs. Any student who feels uneasy about attending class on campus in the midst of a pandemic would be wise to evaluate their school's — or their prospective school's — online offerings; it's always best to be prepared.

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The advantages and disadvantages of online education

 dans 

If you’re seeking an edge on your competitors, additional education is ideal to hone your skills and make connections. Here’s an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of online education.

Shifting perspectives in a fast-changing world

The recent changes in our society have forced us to reimagine some of our most basic, day-to-day tasks. Jobs that were once always done in person are now being performed online; we forego the crowding of supermarkets and restaurants for the safety of delivery and homemade cooking, and face-to-face conversations have been relegated to our phones and computers. We are forced to reflect upon our own communities, even as we are unable to see them.

Online education , once considered a niche area, is now becoming a much more appealing option for university and post-graduate students around the world. 

Online education programmes are particularly suited for those who:

• need flexibility in their coursework
• are looking to continue their current jobs
• have families to look after
• want an internationally recognised course without having to relocate
• wish to travel while continuing to train in their field or acquire new skills

E-learning: the new normal?

Advantages of online learning

An aspect often overlooked by many online courses is that of developing relationships between the students and professors, experts, other students, etc. Collaboration and community are an essential part of the learning process. A solid, defined community within an online course gives students access to:

• Structured opportunities to work with other students , and experiment with various projects
• Significant improvements in collaboration skills, especially in the context of an international cohort and using online tools
• The ability to have one-on-one discussions with teachers , in order to better understand and explore subjects
• Relief from stress caused by technical issues or administrative procedures by having someone available to help
• Engagement and idea exchanges with other students on topics such as how to juggle timetables with work and family, searching for career opportunities, and progress support throughout the course.

Other pros of online education are the following:

• Online education provides high-quality programmes while remaining cheaper.  A high-quality online programme is able to maintain the most impactful elements of in-person programmes and offer them in its online instruction. This does not mean a simple transference of coursework; quality programmes utilize state-of-the-art tools and techniques to create unique material specific to online learners. A face-to-face programme is much more expensive than its online equivalent, due to associated costs and money spent on commuting.
• Online learning is more flexible and convenient . Indeed, you have the opportunity to learn at (almost) any time, at your own pace and anywhere you want.
• Distance education can improve your career prospects. Even while working full-time, you can enroll and complete an online programme that can further your career prospects.
• Distance learning can improve your technical skills   – To complete an online course, you need to know something about computers because you have to navigate various learning management systems (LMS) and different other programs. The computer skills you learn to finish your online course helps you in all your future endeavor.

4 hidden advantages of online learning

Main disadvantages of online education

While the concept of online learning is a great choice for many, some online programmes can be prone to common downfalls :

• Some online courses are solitary. For instance, MOOCs don’t provide the same level of connection and collaboration as in-person courses would. Interaction is usually not a real-time process. Unless direct messaging is enabled, questions for the teacher must be submitted online, with answers typically received later. In a classroom setting, students can interact with teachers more spontaneously.
• Online education often involves a bigger workload  – Since institutions that offer online courses know they cannot monitor their students effectively, they assign more tasks and assignments. This can be a serious problem for students pursuing a degree while working full-time.
• Access to comprehensive materials and support can be difficult. When online courses are particularly static, all of the material is uploaded onto a single server for the student’s open access, without interactions with real humans. This can be problematic for those of us who need live clarification, technical support, or real-time adjustments. 
• Online education requires self-discipline  – When you are in a classroom, you are expected to follow rules and regulations – which instills a sense of discipline. Without the structure of a physical classroom and class schedule, it can be easy to lose focus and not devote the necessary time to course work.

Although there are online schools which are able to address these issues, it’s important to thoroughly review an online programme’s content to determine whether or not it’s at risk of these downfalls. 

How EDHEC Online creates support and community

EDHEC’s online programmes are unique in that they are industry leaders in computer-based learning. Coursework is designed with maximum flexibility in mind.  Expert professors who teach in-person at our world-renowned international school also teach online and are actively involved in designing courses that are specifically tailored to online learning.

Direct coaching is integrated into all of our courses, with professional coachs for career guidance, academic mentors available for direct contact on Slack, and admin and IT help desks specifically assigned to address the technical and logistical needs of online students. 

EDHEC programmes also implement small, consistent workgroups to allow students to foster close working relationships with each other. All students, from the moment they register, are instantly integrated into the alumni network . 

There are certainly online learning disadvantages to be aware of when pursuing an executive education online. An excellent programme, however, can avoid common problems with online learning and soar above and beyond expectations.

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Promises and pitfalls of online education

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Eric bettinger and eric bettinger associate professor of economics of education - stanford graduate school of education, research associate - national bureau of economic research susanna loeb susanna loeb director - annenberg institute at brown university, professor of education, international public affairs - brown university.

June 9, 2017

• 12 min read

Executive Summary

Online courses have expanded rapidly and have the potential to extend further the educational opportunities of many students, particularly those least well-served by traditional educational institutions. However, in their current design, online courses are difficult, especially for the students who are least prepared. These students’ learning and persistence outcomes are worse when they take online courses than they would have been had these same students taken in-person courses. Continued improvement of online curricula and instruction can strengthen the quality of these courses and hence the educational opportunities for the most in-need populations.

Online courses offer the promise of access regardless of where students live or what time they can participate, potentially redefining educational opportunities for those least well-served in traditional classrooms. Moreover, online platforms offer the promise, through artificial intelligence, of providing the optimal course pacing and content to fit each student’s needs and thereby improve educational quality and learning. The latest “intelligent” tutoring systems, for example, not only assess students’ current weaknesses, but also diagnose why students make the specific errors. These systems then adjust instructional materials to meet students’ needs. 1

Yet today these promises are far from fully realized. The vast majority of online courses mirror face-to-face classrooms with professors rather using technology to better differentiate instruction across students. As one new study that we completed with our colleagues Lindsay Fox and Eric Taylor shows, online courses can improve access, yet they also are challenging, especially for the least well-prepared students. These students consistently perform worse in an online setting than they do in face-to-face classrooms; taking online courses increases their likelihood of dropping out and otherwise impedes progress through college. 2

Online college courses are rapidly growing. One out of three college students now takes at least one course online during their college career, and that share has increased threefold over the past decade. 3  The potential for cost savings and the ease of scaling fuels ongoing investments in online education by both public and private institutions. 4  Online courses have grown in the K-12 sector as well. Florida, for example, requires each high school student to take at least one online course before graduation and the Florida Virtual School offers over 150 classes to students across the state. 5  An estimated 1.5 million K-12 students participated in some online learning in 2010, 6  and online learning enrollments are projected to grow in future years. 7

Non-selective and for-profit higher education institutions have expanded online course offerings particularly quickly. These institutions serve a majority of college-aged students, and these students typically have weaker academic preparation and fewer economic resources than students at other more selective colleges and universities. As such, their ability to provide useful course work, engage students, and build the skills necessary for economic success is particularly important. Their use of online coursework is promising to the extent that it can reach the most students in need and serve them well.

While online course-taking is both prevalent and growing, especially in non-selective higher education institutions, relatively little evidence has examined how taking a course online instead of in person affects student success in college. Our new study is the first of which we are aware to provide evidence on the effects of online courses at-scale at non-selective four-year colleges. It is also the first to assess the effects of online course taking at for-profit institutions. Nearly 2.4 million undergraduate students (full-time equivalent) enrolled at for-profit institutions during the 2011-12 academic year, and the sector granted approximately 18 percent of all associate degrees.

Our study uses data from DeVry University, a large for-profit college with an undergraduate enrollment of more than 100,000 students, 80 percent of whom are seeking a bachelor’s degree. The average DeVry student takes two-thirds of her courses online. The remaining one-third of courses meet in conventional in-person classes held at one of DeVry’s 102 physical campuses. The data include over 230,000 students enrolled in 168,000 sections of more than 750 different courses.

DeVry University’s approach to online education makes it particularly well suited for estimating the effects of taking online courses. Each DeVry course is offered both online and in-person, and each student enrolls in either an online section or an in-person section. Online and in-person sections are identical in most ways: both follow the same syllabus and use the same textbook; class sizes are approximately the same; both use the same assignments, quizzes, tests, and grading rubrics. Many professors teach both online and in-person courses. The contrast between online and in-person sections is primarily the mode of communication. In online sections, all interaction—lecturing, class discussion, group projects—occurs in online discussion boards, and much of the professor’s “lecturing” role is replaced with standardized videos. In online sections, participation is often asynchronous while in-person sections meet on campus at scheduled times. In short, DeVry online classes attempt to replicate traditional in-person classes, except that student-student and student-professor interactions are virtual and asynchronous.

Using variation in course-taking that arises both from changes in course offerings at particular campuses in a particular term and from variation across students in the distance that they have to travel to take in-person courses, we find that taking a course online reduces student grades by 0.44 points on the traditional four-point grading scale, approximately a 0.33 standard deviation decline relative to taking a course in-person (See Figure 1). To be more concrete, students taking the course in-person earned roughly a B- grade (2.8) on average while if they had taken it online, they would have earned a C (2.4). Additionally, taking a course online reduces a student’s GPA the following term by 0.15 points; and, if we look only at the next term GPA for courses in the same subject area or courses for which the course in question is a pre-requisite, we find larger drops of 0.42 points and 0.32 points respectively, providing evidence that students learned less in the online setting.

We also find that taking a course online, instead of in person, increases the probability that a student will drop out of school. In the semester after taking an online course, students are about 9 percentage points less likely to remain enrolled. This reduction is relative to an average of 88 percent of students remaining enrolled in the following term. Moreover, taking a course online reduces the number of credits that students who do reenroll take in future semesters. While this setting is quite different, we can compare the effects on online course taking to other estimates of effects of on college persistence. For example, the literature on financial aid often finds that $1000 in financial aid increases persistence rates by about three percentage points 8  and college mentorship increases persistence rates by five percentage points. 9

The negative effects of online course taking are concentrated in the lowest performing students. As shown in Figure 2, for students with below median prior GPA, the online classes reduce grades by 0.5 points or more, while for students with prior GPA in the top three deciles we estimate the effect as much smaller and, in fact, we cannot tell whether there is negative effect at all for this higher-achieving group. Thus, while online courses may have the potential to differentiate coursework to meet the needs of students with weaker incoming skills, current online courses, in fact, do an even worse job of meeting the needs of these students than do traditional in-person courses.

These analyses provide evidence that students in online courses perform substantially worse than students in traditional in-person courses and that experience in these online courses impact performance in future classes and their likelihood of dropping out of college as well. The negative effects of online course-taking are far stronger for students with lower prior GPA. The results are in line with prior studies of online education in other settings such as community colleges and highly competitive four-year institutions that also show that online courses yield worse average outcomes than in-person courses. 10

The current negative effect of online course taking relative to in-person course taking should not necessarily lead to the conclusion that online courses should be discouraged. On the contrary, online courses provide access to students who never would have the opportunity or inclination to take classes in-person. 11  As one indication, of the 5.8 million students taking online courses in the fall of 2014, 2.85 million took all of their courses online. 12  Moreover, advances in AI offer hope that future online courses can respond to the needs of students, meeting them where they are in their learning and engaging them in higher education even better than in-person courses are currently able to do. 13 Nonetheless, the tremendous scale and consistently negative effects of current offerings points to the need to improve these courses, particularly for students most at risk of course failure and college dropout.

The authors did not receive financial support from any firm or person with a financial or political interest in this article. They are currently not officers, directors, or board members of any organization with an interest in this article.

• Graesser, Arthur C., Mark W. Conley, and Andrew Olney. 2012. “Intelligent tutoring systems.” In APA Educational Psychology Handbook, Vol. 3: Application to Learning and Teaching , edited by Karen. R. Harris, Steve Graham, and Tim Urdan. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Bettinger, E., Fox, L., Loeb, S., & Taylor, E. (Forthcoming). Changing Distributions: How Online College Classes Alter Student and Professor Performance. American Economic Review .
• Allen, I. Elaine, and Jeff Seaman. 2013. Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United States. Newburyport, MA: Sloan Consortium.
• Deming, David J., Claudia Goldin, Lawrence F. Katz, and Noam Yuchtman. 2015. Can Online Learning Bend the Higher Education Cost Curve? American Economic Review, Papers & Proceedings, 105 (5):496-501.
• Jacob, B., Berger, D. Hart, C. & Loeb, S. (Forthcoming). “Can Technology Help Promote Equality of Educational Opportunities?” In K. Alexander and S. Morgan (Editors),  The Coleman Report and Educational Inequality Fifty Years Later.  Russell Sage Foundation and William T. Grant Foundation: New York.
• Wicks, Matthew. 2010. “A National Primer on K-12 Online Learning. Version 2.” Vienna, VA: International Association for K-12 Online Learning.
• Watson, John, Amy Murin, Lauren Vashaw, Butch Gemin, and Chris Rapp. 2012. “Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning: An Annual Review of Policy and Practice 2011.” Durango, CO: Evergreen Education Group. And Picciano, Anthony G., Jeff Seaman, Peter Shea, and Karen Swan. 2012. “Examining the Extent and Nature of Online Learning in American K-12 Education: The Research Initiatives of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.” The Internet and Higher Education 15(2): 127-35.
• Bettinger, Eric P. 2004. “How Financial Aid Affects Persistence.” In Caroline Hoxby (Ed.), College Choices: The Economics of Where to Go, When to Go, and How to Pay for It . University of Chicago Press.
• Bettinger, Eric P., and Rachel B. Baker. 2013. “The Effects of Student Coaching: An Evaluation of a Randomized Experiment in Student Advising.” Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 36 (1):3-19.
• See for examples: Figlio, David, Mark Rush, and Lu Yin. 2013. “Is It Live or Is It Internet? Experimental Estimates of the Effects of Online Instruction on Student Learning.” Journal of Labor Economics, 31 (4):763-784; Couch, Kenneth A., William T. Alpert, and Oskar R. Harmon. 2014. “Online, Blended and Classroom Teaching of Economics Principles: A Randomized Experiment.” University of Connecticut Working Paper; Xu, Di, and Shanna Smith Jaggars. 2014. “Performance Gaps Between Online and Face-to-Face Courses: Differences Across Types of Students and Academic Subject Areas.” The Journal of Higher Education, 85 (5):633-659; Hart, Cassandra, Elizabeth Friedmann, and Michael Hill. 2014. “Online Course-Taking and Student Outcomes in California Community Colleges.” Working Paper; and Streich, Francie E. 2014. “Online and Hybrid Instruction and Student Success in College: Evidence from Community Colleges in Two States.” University of Michigan Working Paper.
• See, for example, Joshua Goodman, Julia Melkers, and Amanda Pallais, “ Can Online Delivery Increase Access to Education? ” National Bureau of Economic Research working paper 22754, October 2016.
• Online Report Card – Tracking Online Education in the United States , the 2015 Survey of Online Learning conducted by the Babson Survey Research Group and co-sponsored by the Online Learning Consortium (OLC), Pearson, StudyPortals, WCET and Tyton Partners.
• See, for example, the Open Learning Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University.

Education Technology Higher Education

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Annelies Goger, Katherine Caves, Hollis Salway

May 16, 2024

Sofoklis Goulas, Isabelle Pula

Melissa Kay Diliberti, Elizabeth D. Steiner, Ashley Woo

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Degree Programs

Recognizing the experience and passion that adult learners bring to the classroom is fundamental to supporting students. – Joshua Steele, Arizona Online (University of Arizona)

One is never done learning—especially today. With the advancement of educational technology, it is easier than ever to further one’s education online. Scores of universities now offer fully-online programs for students who wish to pursue an undergraduate or master’s degree via distance learning.

Students and academic institutions alike have found numerous benefits with this style of learning. However, online education is relatively new in the world of academia and as it continues to evolve, so does our understanding of its advantages and challenges.

Featured Interviewee

Joshua Steele

Senior Director of Online Student Success, Arizona Online University of Arizona

Joshua Steele is the senior director of online student success at Arizona Online, the University of Arizona’s Office of Distance Learning, which strives to increase educational opportunities for fully-online students at the university through student-focused processes, operational excellence, and a comprehensive support strategy.

Steele has ten years of experience in online education, covering a wide range of roles, such as director of online student success, where he developed student support culture and structure for the launch of the University of Arizona’s fully online undergraduate degree programs. He has a bachelor of science in psychology and a master’s degree in history from the University of Arizona. He also has a master of arts in adult education and training.

The Advantages of Online Degree Programs

Technology is created to solve problems and make practical tasks easier. Thanks to educational technology, more people than ever have access to learning valuable information and earning degrees from the convenience of their laptops.

This technology makes education more accessible and is a growing medium for students around the world. According to a report by LearningHouse and Aslanian Market Research , 60 percent of students who had the choice of taking a course in a classroom or online chose the online course for its convenience.

For someone wishing to further their education, enrolling in an online program can be the perfect solution. Here are a few ways online courses add value to both students and universities.

Access to a High Quality Education

Among the advantages of educational technology, the most significant is increased access to valuable learning. Traditionally, students pursuing a degree would have to take into account the physical location of their classes as well as the cost of commuting or relocating to attend classes. More often than not, these two factors become major deterrents to completing a degree.

“The majority of our students choose online specifically because they are working, or have other obligations that prevent them from completing their education in an in-person format,” explains Joshua Steele, senior director of Arizona Online.

Educational technology relieves many students of the burdens that come with completing an on-campus degree. Online classes allow students to access course material, communicate with peers and instructors, and complete exams from any location with reliable internet. This means that students with other responsibilities such as a family or full-time job—as well as those living in rural areas or near schools without their desired program—are able to complete courses without having to relocate.

Online education can also be more affordable. The report by LearningHouse and Aslanian Market Research stated that 86 percent of students felt the value of their online degree exceeded the cost they paid for it.

Better access to education benefits students and the institutions themselves. By increasing enrollment, universities can increase revenue and invest in programs to improve the overall quality of the education they provide. Universities can choose to allocate that extra money to hire more qualified teachers, implement more advanced educational technology, or add more in-demand programs and courses.

Increased Flexibility and Academic Autonomy

“The flexibility and ability to dictate the times in which you access coursework are some of the largest advantages to earning a degree online,” says Steele. “For in-person formats, often students are at the mercy of the institution and the timing in which courses are offered.”

Being a student at any level is a big responsibility. Not only is a typical student’s schedule full of classes and study time, but many students work part-time jobs or get involved in extracurricular activities. Since coursework is often the top priority, students adapt their daily lives around their course load.

Online classes allow additional flexibility and autonomy for both students and instructors. With course materials readily available on the internet, students can learn at their own pace and study anywhere, anytime, any day of the week. The only schedules students may need to adhere to relate to exam dates, project and homework deadlines, and an end-of-year practicum or capstone.

Location independence is another key benefit of online education flexibility. By accessing course material from anywhere with a reliable internet connection, students can choose to spend their time learning from the comfort of their own homes, offices, cafés, or even when on vacation.

“I’ll also say that graduates of online programs typically have built a competency in self-regulation and discipline,” Steele adds. “You know that someone who has finished an online program has demonstrated commitment over a long stretch of time while typically physically isolated from the institution. That is a marketable skill set that I’m not sure we speak enough about.”

Easier to Maintain Career and Family Responsibilities

It has long been believed that pursuing a degree is best done before career and family obligations take priority. Once individuals have started to work full-time or tend to the demands of raising children, it can be incredibly difficult to focus on earning a traditional degree.

“We recently surveyed our fully-online undergraduate population and found that about 70 percent of these students are working more than 30 hours per week, and about 48 percent have children,” says Steele, “so the 11:00 to 11:50 a.m. three-days-a-week course is not a possibility for them.”

Most online masters degree programs are specifically designed for professionals who are balancing a 9-to-5 job and already have a demanding schedule. Even for those whose busy work schedules are not always predictable, the flexibility of online degree programs makes it easier to manage both.

Before the rise of online education, pursuing a traditional degree was not possible for many with careers and families. Thanks to distance-based educational technology, however, hardworking students, parents, and professionals really can have it all.

The Disadvantages of Online Degree Programs

Although online degree programs are designed to eliminate some of the challenges of the traditional educational environment, there are several hurdles that students and instructors must overcome. According to a 2016 report from Purdue University , between 40 and 80 percent of students enrolled in online classes drop out before completion.

Despite increased accessibility and flexibility, the online learning environment is not for everyone. Before applying for an online program, there are a few challenges to consider.

Lack of Interaction with Peers and Instructors

Accomplishing any goal can feel lonely. When it comes to pursuing an education, on-campus students have better access to moral support through face-to-face interaction with peers and professors. As traditional educational environments involve class discussion and group projects, the lack of interpersonal communication for instructors and classmates poses particular challenges for some students.

According to the Learning House and Aslanian Market research report, 57 percent of online students said that interacting with classmates is very important to academic success. Although students have the ability to email professors and classmates and participate in forums and discussion boards, many students have trouble learning without personal interaction.

Isolation from peers and instructors can be a significant factor for students to drop out of online courses. Although the lack of interaction might not affect an instructor’s well-being, low retention rates can hurt an institution’s finances and reputation.

For this reason, personalization is critical to effective online education, explains Steele: “It’s important for us to ensure that students understand that their instructors are real faculty at the university, who are just as interested in getting to know them as they are to know their instructor,” he says.

“We want our students to interact with each other to build their personal network and support system. Engagement with the instructor, engagement with the content, and engagement with each other are cornerstones of the Arizona Online experience. A variety of tools are used to create this learning environment, including video discussion boards, conferencing technology, and adaptive learning elements, to name a few.”

Students Must Hold Themselves Accountable

The feeling of isolation can lead many students to feel unmotivated about keeping up with their studies. Without having to be prepared to discuss course material in-person or meet professors face-to-face, holding oneself accountable is another significant challenge for online students.

Although on-campus students are responsible for studying outside the classroom, many feel that the in-person obligation to attend class and contribute to class discussions is a motivator for learning the material. As participation is often not a requirement, the material is always available, and the only deadlines are usually exams, it can be easy for students to procrastinate and not force themselves to learn the curricula.

Also, being surrounded by friends, family, and colleagues who are not furthering their education can also be a challenge in keeping motivation. Even if the people a student interacts with daily is supportive of their educational pursuit, it can be tempting to abandon hours of study to spend time with loved ones.

Instructors Must Adjust to an Online Environment

Because isolation and proactive time management can be a challenge for students, educators designing the coursework must adapt their teaching approach to these obstacles so students will remain engaged. This can be particularly troublesome for instructors who are not trained in using educational technology and teaching online courses.

As students have different learning styles, transitioning from the classroom to the laptop is more difficult for some than others. According to a report by Brookings , students who already have trouble learning in a traditional environment are more likely to fail an online course. Without being able to ask questions during a lecture or collaborate with peers, a student struggling with course material may have a harder time catching up.

Most university professors are not experts in educational technology, but in the subject they teach. For this reason, the best online programs hire teams of professionals to assist faculty in the development of online courses and create a more seamless online learning environment. Arizona Online takes a consultative approach, where the online learning team provides the necessary tools and resources for faculty to tailor their programs to an online format while still promoting each professor’s expertise.

“The team includes instructional designers, graphic designers, developers, videographers, instructional technology support—all to ensure that we can provide pedagogical choice and allow for the ability to think about the best way to meet course learning objectives while not being constrained,” explains Steele. “It allows us to innovate and rethink the ways we deliver content for online students.”

Technology for online courses is relatively new to the world of education and there is still much for universities and academic institutions to learn about its effectiveness and potential. As the number of students enrolled in fully online programs is expected to grow, institutions must be prepared to adapt to providing quality education through new technology and methods. Meanwhile, students who graduate from fully online programs can be set up for success.

“The challenges for online students are well documented. We do not talk enough about the strengths that online students bring to the classroom. Recognizing the experience and passion that adult learners bring to the classroom is fundamental to supporting students,” Steele says.

“We’ve found that our students choose the University of Arizona because they want to learn, and they appreciate the rigor of a program that supports their long-term professional and personal goals. Scaffolding support so that students feel supported is integral to promoting the success of an online population, and it takes a widespread institutional effort.”

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Student Opinion

Is Online Learning Effective?

A new report found that the heavy dependence on technology during the pandemic caused “staggering” education inequality. What was your experience?

By Natalie Proulx

During the coronavirus pandemic, many schools moved classes online. Was your school one of them? If so, what was it like to attend school online? Did you enjoy it? Did it work for you?

In “ Dependence on Tech Caused ‘Staggering’ Education Inequality, U.N. Agency Says ,” Natasha Singer writes:

In early 2020, as the coronavirus spread, schools around the world abruptly halted in-person education. To many governments and parents, moving classes online seemed the obvious stopgap solution. In the United States, school districts scrambled to secure digital devices for students. Almost overnight, videoconferencing software like Zoom became the main platform teachers used to deliver real-time instruction to students at home. Now a report from UNESCO , the United Nations’ educational and cultural organization, says that overreliance on remote learning technology during the pandemic led to “staggering” education inequality around the world. It was, according to a 655-page report that UNESCO released on Wednesday, a worldwide “ed-tech tragedy.” The report, from UNESCO’s Future of Education division, is likely to add fuel to the debate over how governments and local school districts handled pandemic restrictions, and whether it would have been better for some countries to reopen schools for in-person instruction sooner. The UNESCO researchers argued in the report that “unprecedented” dependence on technology — intended to ensure that children could continue their schooling — worsened disparities and learning loss for hundreds of millions of students around the world, including in Kenya, Brazil, Britain and the United States. The promotion of remote online learning as the primary solution for pandemic schooling also hindered public discussion of more equitable, lower-tech alternatives, such as regularly providing schoolwork packets for every student, delivering school lessons by radio or television — and reopening schools sooner for in-person classes, the researchers said. “Available evidence strongly indicates that the bright spots of the ed-tech experiences during the pandemic, while important and deserving of attention, were vastly eclipsed by failure,” the UNESCO report said. The UNESCO researchers recommended that education officials prioritize in-person instruction with teachers, not online platforms, as the primary driver of student learning. And they encouraged schools to ensure that emerging technologies like A.I. chatbots concretely benefited students before introducing them for educational use. Education and industry experts welcomed the report, saying more research on the effects of pandemic learning was needed. “The report’s conclusion — that societies must be vigilant about the ways digital tools are reshaping education — is incredibly important,” said Paul Lekas, the head of global public policy for the Software & Information Industry Association, a group whose members include Amazon, Apple and Google. “There are lots of lessons that can be learned from how digital education occurred during the pandemic and ways in which to lessen the digital divide. ” Jean-Claude Brizard, the chief executive of Digital Promise, a nonprofit education group that has received funding from Google, HP and Verizon, acknowledged that “technology is not a cure-all.” But he also said that while school systems were largely unprepared for the pandemic, online education tools helped foster “more individualized, enhanced learning experiences as schools shifted to virtual classrooms.” ​Education International, an umbrella organization for about 380 teachers’ unions and 32 million teachers worldwide, said the UNESCO report underlined the importance of in-person, face-to-face teaching. “The report tells us definitively what we already know to be true, a place called school matters,” said Haldis Holst, the group’s deputy general secretary. “Education is not transactional nor is it simply content delivery. It is relational. It is social. It is human at its core.”

Students, read the entire article and then tell us:

What findings from the report, if any, surprised you? If you participated in online learning during the pandemic, what in the report reflected your experience? If the researchers had asked you about what remote learning was like for you, what would you have told them?

At this point, most schools have returned to in-person teaching, but many still use technology in the classroom. How much tech is involved in your day-to-day education? Does this method of learning work well for you? If you had a say, would you want to spend more or less time online while in school?

What are some of the biggest benefits you have seen from technology when it comes to your education? What are some of the biggest drawbacks?

Haldis Holst, UNESCO’s deputy general secretary, said: “The report tells us definitively what we already know to be true, a place called school matters. Education is not transactional nor is it simply content delivery. It is relational. It is social. It is human at its core.” What is your reaction to that statement? Do you agree? Why or why not?

As a student, what advice would you give to schools that are already using or are considering using educational technology?

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.

Natalie Proulx joined The Learning Network as a staff editor in 2017 after working as an English language arts teacher and curriculum writer. More about Natalie Proulx

Create Your Course

The advantages and disadvantages of learning in online classes in 2023, share this article.

Whether you’re taking a school class remotely or trying to learn a new skill just for fun – online classes can be a great option. They work well for people that can’t always commute, those who work better independently, or simply if you can’t or don’t want to be around a group of people all day. But, it’s not to say that online classes are designed for everyone either. In this blog, we’ll explore the advantages and disadvantages of online classes, as well as help you decide if online learning is the best choice for you. 

• Advantages of online classes
• Disadvantages of online classes

Are online classes for you?

Read more: Top Challenges with Online Learning For Students (and Solutions)

8 advantages of online classes

The explosion of online learning has been a fantastic shift for many people. Students who may have had to waste hours commuting to class can now attend right from their homes. And anyone struggling to take in content at the same speed as a class can now go at their own pace – in a way that works best for their learning requirements. The pros of online classes make learning a positive experience for countless students. Let’s take a look at some of the advantages here !

1. Accessible to anyone with an Internet connection 

More than 20 million new users signed up to a Coursera course in 2021, for a total of 92 million users on the platform! Since online courses are accessible to nearly anyone with an Internet connection, it’s helped to close the global education gap significantly. 

Online classes make learning accessible to those with disabilities and cognitive delays. For example, deaf students can simply turn on closed captioning (CC) to read the conversation and participate in class online. Many video conferencing platforms and learning management systems (LMS) support accessible hardware technology to further increase engagement in online classes. 

Students with cognitive or motor skill disabilities have the option to work at their own pace or take lessons when it is convenient for them. For example, if a student with dyslexia is having a difficult time reading assigned textbook chapters, they can choose to listen to it instead with an option like audio textbook versions. 

2. Flexible scheduling

A major benefit of online learning is the ability for students to attend classes from anywhere. This means students in rural areas no longer waste time driving long distances or riding the bus to get to school. Or , students who need to work to support themselves through school also have an easier time fitting both class and work schedules into their lives. 

This also applies to adult learners that may be juggling responsibilities such as children, work, home management, and more. With busy schedules, it might not be possible to make time for an in-person class. Beyond the time to commute, busy adults might need to be on standby for their children – something that is much harder to do when they’re in a physical classroom. 

The flexibility of online classes has a huge benefit for mental health. It’s been proven that job autonomy leads to mental well-being in employees . For full-time students, schooling is much like a job that takes at least 40 hours of the week. Having the autonomy to choose when and where they attend class can help mitigate common mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and stress. Better mental health leads to happier students – which is definitely something teachers, parents, and students alike should all strive for!

3. More affordable than in-person classes

Online learning makes higher education like university much more accessible to the wider population. University degrees offered online are an average of $10  to 11,000 cheaper than in-person equivalents . This number does not take costs like on-campus food or housing into account – it only reflects tuition differences. So you can imagine how significant that difference would become with all expenses accounted for! 

Learning management systems like Thinkific and Udemy are great places to look for affordable (and sometimes free) classes. Industry experts, entrepreneurs, and coaches all offer their knowledge through self-created courses, meaning these courses are often more accessible in terms of pricing while also providing super relevant and realistic course lessons. Students can go directly to the source of knowledge, rather than having to pay expensive tuition fees to big institutions .

There is also a huge amount of free knowledge on websites like YouTube. Channels such as Crash Course and Khan Academy provide high quality content at no cost!

4. Ability to connect globally

It’s possible to connect with teachers and learners all around the world with online courses. Before online learning was widely accessible , you would have had to travel to Hawaii to learn about Hawaiian traditions and cultures, for example . Now, you can join Ka hale Hoaka online school and learn right from your home. 

Even if you’re learning something that isn’t necessarily culture or country-specific, learning with people from different backgrounds can lend fascinating perspectives and discussion to the topic. With so many courses implementing learning communities, it’s easier than ever to connect with fellow students and hear different points of view. 

Read more: 10 Different Types of Online Learning Communities

5. Facilitated peer and teacher interaction

At first , it might seem like students don’t get a lot of interaction in an online course as compared to in-person classes. This can definitely happen – but there are many online courses that prioritize student interaction with each other, and with the instructor. 

For some students, it is easier to communicate through virtual mediums such as forums, discussion boards, or direct messaging than it is to speak up in an in-person class. Through these channels, they still get the benefits of group discussion without having to sacrifice the flexibility of online learning. Dr. Michelle Gottlieb, a psychologist and owner of EMDR Professional Training , also engages with her students by frequently commenting in her course’s online communities and providing advice to students as needed. Many instructors even offer 1-1 coaching sessions for students that are looking for additional learning support ! 

6. Encourages independence and self-pacing

Many online courses offer students the option to take the course at their own pace. This can take away worries that the student might not have time in their hectic life to fit multiple hours of coursework in each week consistently . Self-paced courses are extremely adaptable to busy schedules. However, it does take a fair amount of self-discipline to actually complete self-paced courses.

If students find they are lacking discipline and are unable to complete courses that are self-paced, there are online courses that put students into cohorts with set deadlines. This is a great option for students and teachers that benefit from a more traditional class structure. Instructors that follow this model will often use the drip method, a microlearning approach , to release content at a slower pace. 

Read more : 2023 e-Learning Trends Report

7. Improved tracking and facilitation

If you’re easily disorganized or have trouble remembering what you learned last week, online classes can help you in this area. Most online classroom systems will keep track of which topics and resources you’ve already read, and will point you to which ones you need to do next. It will also automatically file your assignments, keep track of your grades, and calculate your total GPA to date. In comparison, learning through a physical classroom would require you to manage a lot of papers, heavy textbooks, and physical equipment.

Online classrooms also have the ability to launch virtual labs, which makes it easier to facilitate interactive learning sessions. Quizzes and feedback surveys can also be launched through the learning management system  by the teacher, and you can see your results almost instantly. Overall, it’s much faster to see information and results in virtual classrooms.

8. Adaptive to multiple learning styles

Everyone has a slightly different preference when it comes to how they interpret information. There are generally three types of learning styles:

• Auditory learners – who prefer to learn by hearing. This includes listening to podcasts, lectures, and audiobooks. Any verbal explanation goes a long way for this learner!
• Visual learners – who prefer to learn by seeing. Animations, movies, hand movements, drawing, and writing are useful tools for this type of learner.
• Kinesthetic learners – who prefer to learn by doing, or using their hands. Any opportunity to touch, feel, build, and see something in 3D will help this learner interpret information well.

Most people have some combination of learning style, making them hybrid learners. With online classes, there are a lot of ways that students can choose to take in information. For example, a course may offer a video (appealing to visual learners) with a voiceover (for auditory learners) and instructions on how to do the science experiment with home materials (for kinesthetic learners). 

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6 disadvantages of online classes

While there are many advantages to online learning, it’s important to also consider the disadvantages. Some people may find that online learning isn’t for them, so let’s explore some of the reasons why. 

Often requires a lot of screen time

Staring at digital screens all day long has a myriad of negative effects for both adults and children. These effects include eye strain, disrupted circadian rhythm, headaches, and neck and back pain.  Learners taking online classes need to take measures to avoid symptoms of too much screen time, especially if they are already working remotely , in addition to taking classes. Some ways to prevent the negative effects of screen time include:

• Using blue-light glasses
• Taking a break every 20 minutes to look at something different
• Change up your working environment every few hours
• Avoid turning up your screen too bright
• Lower the contrast on your screen

2. Less opportunity to connect with peers

While online classes can actually be quite social in nature, the fact is that you’re still usually completing them on your own most of the time . This can be a major disadvantage – especially for students that already spend a lot of time by themselves at home. Students can combat this feeling of isolation by working on their online classes in coffee shops or libraries where there is a more lively environment . Additionally, they can sign up for classes that have thriving online communities to connect virtually with other students. 

It’s important to keep in mind that many people enroll in university, college, or even community classes as a way to meet friends. Proximity to the same people is a leading indicator that you will befriend those people – just because you see them a lot! If you’re taking classes online, you’ll miss that natural proximity and connection with your peers. It will take more effort to form real-life friendships with online peers (but it is still possible). One way to get a similar level of social interaction in online courses is by opting for a class that has a lot of group project work.

3. Harder to access technical equipment

At a minimum, students need a device with an internet connection to take online classes. Realistically, students will need a device they can also type assignments on such as a laptop or tablet with a keyboard. It’s costly to purchase these devices upfront , especially if you have multiple children in online classes who each need their own devices to complete school work. 

More often than not , in-person classes have a responsibility to provide equipment so students can participate. This keeps class accessible for lower-income students. To circumvent this issue with online learning environments, some school districts provide laptops or tablets so that students can participate even if they can’t afford to purchase devices themselves. Unfortunately, this is in no way a global solution as many school districts don’t have the funds to provide devices. This problem is even more true for students with learning disabilities who require specialized accessibility hardware.

4. Creates extra work for teachers

Teachers become teachers because they love to teach – not necessarily because they have an affinity for technology. This became extremely clear when teachers were first tasked with moving entire courses and curriculums into online formats . For many teachers, this meant lots of extra work recording lectures, moving tests and assignments online, and organizing video call live lessons and homework submission portals. However, once the courses are built, there is only a small time requirement to maintain the content with up-to-date material. 

Teachers might also run into issues with students not participating as much online and not having as much opportunity to collaborate. While there are online solutions to both of these issues, it is a learning curve for teachers to adapt to online teaching. It may take extra time to collect feedback from students in these early learning stages, but this time commitment should decrease over time.

5. Requires more self-control and harder to focus

Online learning can certainly make focusing for long periods of time a challenge. Students are no longer in an environment dedicated to learning and are surrounded by distractions like phones, delivery people , or chores like doing some laundry or walking the dog. The lack of structure means students need to be good at their own time management. This is an added challenge on top of learning that students don’t need to think about during in-person classes. 

Students may also find they run into challenges or don’t understand the material when learning online. Hopefully, the instructor has set up a way to contact them to answer questions, but if not, this will become frustrating for students and will likely cause them to lose motivation for learning. 

6. Lack of hands-on learning

Certain information lends itself better to online learning than others. For example, learning math or biology online will be relatively easier online since it involves a lot of visual or auditory explanations. However, learning things like medical examination, dental work, or even pottery or another trade might be tough because of the hands-on components. For kinesthetic learners, it might be more practical to learn in-person or purchase the training equipment you would need to practice your new skill hands-on at home.

After reading through the advantages and disadvantages of online classes you probably have a good idea if online learning is for you. If you’re disciplined, self-motivated, want to learn something that doesn’t need hands-on practice, or if you need flexibility, online learning is right for you! However, if you need lots of structure, want to learn a hands-on concept, and want to meet people face-to-face , you would probably benefit more from in-person classes.

This article was originally published in 2022, it has since been updated in March 2023 to include the newest info. 

Maddie is a content marketer at Thinkific. When she isn't zealously writing about all things online learning, you can find her glued to a good book or exploring the great outdoors.

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Pros and Cons of Online Education

Aug 19, 2015 | White Papers

Pros and Cons of Online Education by Dhirendra Kumar Printable Version (PDF)

North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC [email protected] October 2010

Introduction

The term of online was not very appealing in 1970s and 1080s just like an airplane in the beginning of the 20 th century. Internet was in development stage in early 1990s compared to now and the conventional wisdom about the online courses was different in 1990s than today. We are in the 21 st century where everything is possible and acceptable. For example, students are studying at home/work place utilizing computer which is called online schooling/learning.

There are several factors contributing the growth of online enrollment including the following:

• Younger people are choosing non-traditional education to start and advancing in their careers while completing and furthering their education.
• Severe recession of 2008 has created poor economic situations where people are upgrading/changing their career through online educational/training programs.

Online method of education can be a highly effective alternative method of education for the students who are matured, self-disciplined and motivated, well organized and having high degree of time management skills, but it is an inappropriate learning environment for more dependent learners and has difficulty assuming responsibilities required by the online courses.

The Boston-based consulting firm Eduventures, Inc.(2006) found that about half of institutions and more than 60 percent of employers generally accept the high quality of online learning, but students’ perceptions differ. Only about 33 percent of prospective online students said that they perceive the quality of online education to be “as good as or better than” face-to-face education. At the same time, 36 percent of prospective students surveyed cited concern about employers’ acceptance of online education as a reason for their reluctance to enroll in online courses.

Varieties of online educational methods have been developed, but the potential students should consider some identifiable factors common to all types before enrolling in any course/program. Generally all these factors are not applicable to every online learning situation, but they do apply to most. You as a student should more closely examine the online programs that most interest you and be sure that the program fits your life, career needs and job.

As an educator, your approach to this new paradigm might be with varying degree of enthusiasm and/or concern. Ask yourself a few questions:

• Are you optimistic or skeptical about Online learning?
• Are you interested in knowing how delivering courses online can improve your teaching and offer excellent learning opportunities for your students?
• Do you want to know what you will be up against as you plan and deliver your classes online?

It is critical to consider both the pros and cons of online learning so you can be better prepared to face the challenge of working in this new environment and embrace the new opportunities that it has to offer, and that is its Strengths and Weaknesses. The following is a good listing of these pros and cons of online education:

Online Education Pros: Can be divided into four groups.

• Convenience
• Less Expensive
• Additional Benefits

Convenience: This convenience is in relation to study location, time, course duration, etc.

• No commuting/traveling time to a campus
• No geographic location constraint in selecting the learning option(s)
• No learning pace constraint, you can learn at your pace and study at your convenience
• No verbally expressing constraint, you can express yourself in writing rather than verbally
• You can have virtual discussion rather instructor-led lecture
• Course work and instructions can highly be customized to your field and subject area
• High quality dialog: Learner is able to carefully reflect his/her quality thinking on each comment from others before responding or moving on to the next topic.
• Student centered: Students are expected to read all of their classmates’ contributions, but they may actively engaged only in those parts of the contribution most relevant to their needs.
• Access to resources: It is easy to include guest experts or students from other institutions as well as access to resources and information around the world.

Less Expensive: Generally these courses cost less than regular classroom academic or trade school course.

• No travel and housing costs to classroom
• Class attendee can continue to work at his/her job while taking classes

Technology: You can work on the course just about anywhere you have computer access. Online courses provide an opportunity to learn new technologies and practicing the use of office software, Internet, etc.

Additional Benefits: There are numerous additional benefits.

• You will work with classmates not only from all over the U. S. but could be around the world.
• No discrimination among students due to race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, age, dress, physical appearance, etc.
• Equal participation from all classmates and the most outgoing student will not monopolize the discussion.
• These courses are better for those people who are introverted as well as who learn through visual cues and require more time in understanding the material.
• No immigration problems
• Synergy: High level of dynamic interaction between the instructor and students as well as among the students themselves. Ideas and resources are shared, and continuous synergy will be generated through the learning process as each individual contributes to the course discussions and comments on classmates’ work.
• Creative teaching: In the adult education class with the interactive learning environment may contribute to self-direction and critical thinking. Especially the nature of the semi-autonomous and self-directed world of the virtual classroom makes innovative and creative approaches to instruction even more important.

Online Education Cons: Can be divided into four groups

• Limited Social Interaction
• Technology Cost and Scheduling
• Effectiveness of Assessments
• Problematic for Instructors

Limited Social Interaction: There is a limited opportunities to interact face-to-face to professors and other students.

• Especially in self-paced courses – difficult to develop relationships with classmates
• Possibility of limited local networking opportunities
• Most of the communication through e-mail, chat room or discussion groups, but no offline get-together
• No personalized attention from instructor with regards to face-to-face interactions and feedbacks
• No campus atmosphere to create social interaction

Technology Cost and Scheduling: Some of the key elements are –

• Computer boot-up time, software programs, and connection to Internet
• Students may be required to learn new or enhanced computer and troubleshooting skills
• Additional cost of high-speed Internet
• Log into your class while at work (unless your employer permits you to complete your course work at the office)
• Plan and adjust your studying schedule around instructor’s assignment due date. For example, east coast versus west coast in the U.S., International course or student, etc.
• If a student is scheduling to study in the night then he/she will have to wait for response from the instructor or classmates by next day

Effectiveness of Assessment: Most educators agree that memory testing is not the best measure of learning in any environment, but classroom tools are difficult to apply. It is difficult to measure program results. Question remains: are students learning what instructor is saying that they should be learning?

Problematic for Instructors: As software is getting more and more advanced, instructors are constantly trying to learn how to keep up.

• Traditional instructors believing in lectures and handouts may have tough time in adopting the system and software.
• Student must be self-motivated and disciplined to progress through his/her program in a timely manner

The facts are that there are advantages and disadvantages to every type of learning environment.

Students have to analyze both the pros and cons factors which contribute greatly to making an informed decision about the direction of his/her career path. Students have to decide, how they are going to accomplish their goals: online, in the classroom or a combination of both.

However, in some situations the inconvenience of maintaining a consistent school schedule prohibits potential students from furthering their education. It is also true that learning is highly dependent on the individual’s motivation to learn. So the bottom line is that the efforts any student puts into their education that eventually determines how much he/she will retain and how beneficial the overall experience was to his/her future career.

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• Published: 25 January 2021

Online education in the post-COVID era

• Barbara B. Lockee 1  

Nature Electronics volume  4 ,  pages 5–6 ( 2021 ) Cite this article

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The coronavirus pandemic has forced students and educators across all levels of education to rapidly adapt to online learning. The impact of this — and the developments required to make it work — could permanently change how education is delivered.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the world to engage in the ubiquitous use of virtual learning. And while online and distance learning has been used before to maintain continuity in education, such as in the aftermath of earthquakes 1 , the scale of the current crisis is unprecedented. Speculation has now also begun about what the lasting effects of this will be and what education may look like in the post-COVID era. For some, an immediate retreat to the traditions of the physical classroom is required. But for others, the forced shift to online education is a moment of change and a time to reimagine how education could be delivered 2 .

Looking back

Online education has traditionally been viewed as an alternative pathway, one that is particularly well suited to adult learners seeking higher education opportunities. However, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has required educators and students across all levels of education to adapt quickly to virtual courses. (The term ‘emergency remote teaching’ was coined in the early stages of the pandemic to describe the temporary nature of this transition 3 .) In some cases, instruction shifted online, then returned to the physical classroom, and then shifted back online due to further surges in the rate of infection. In other cases, instruction was offered using a combination of remote delivery and face-to-face: that is, students can attend online or in person (referred to as the HyFlex model 4 ). In either case, instructors just had to figure out how to make it work, considering the affordances and constraints of the specific learning environment to create learning experiences that were feasible and effective.

The use of varied delivery modes does, in fact, have a long history in education. Mechanical (and then later electronic) teaching machines have provided individualized learning programmes since the 1950s and the work of B. F. Skinner 5 , who proposed using technology to walk individual learners through carefully designed sequences of instruction with immediate feedback indicating the accuracy of their response. Skinner’s notions formed the first formalized representations of programmed learning, or ‘designed’ learning experiences. Then, in the 1960s, Fred Keller developed a personalized system of instruction 6 , in which students first read assigned course materials on their own, followed by one-on-one assessment sessions with a tutor, gaining permission to move ahead only after demonstrating mastery of the instructional material. Occasional class meetings were held to discuss concepts, answer questions and provide opportunities for social interaction. A personalized system of instruction was designed on the premise that initial engagement with content could be done independently, then discussed and applied in the social context of a classroom.

These predecessors to contemporary online education leveraged key principles of instructional design — the systematic process of applying psychological principles of human learning to the creation of effective instructional solutions — to consider which methods (and their corresponding learning environments) would effectively engage students to attain the targeted learning outcomes. In other words, they considered what choices about the planning and implementation of the learning experience can lead to student success. Such early educational innovations laid the groundwork for contemporary virtual learning, which itself incorporates a variety of instructional approaches and combinations of delivery modes.

Online learning and the pandemic

Fast forward to 2020, and various further educational innovations have occurred to make the universal adoption of remote learning a possibility. One key challenge is access. Here, extensive problems remain, including the lack of Internet connectivity in some locations, especially rural ones, and the competing needs among family members for the use of home technology. However, creative solutions have emerged to provide students and families with the facilities and resources needed to engage in and successfully complete coursework 7 . For example, school buses have been used to provide mobile hotspots, and class packets have been sent by mail and instructional presentations aired on local public broadcasting stations. The year 2020 has also seen increased availability and adoption of electronic resources and activities that can now be integrated into online learning experiences. Synchronous online conferencing systems, such as Zoom and Google Meet, have allowed experts from anywhere in the world to join online classrooms 8 and have allowed presentations to be recorded for individual learners to watch at a time most convenient for them. Furthermore, the importance of hands-on, experiential learning has led to innovations such as virtual field trips and virtual labs 9 . A capacity to serve learners of all ages has thus now been effectively established, and the next generation of online education can move from an enterprise that largely serves adult learners and higher education to one that increasingly serves younger learners, in primary and secondary education and from ages 5 to 18.

The COVID-19 pandemic is also likely to have a lasting effect on lesson design. The constraints of the pandemic provided an opportunity for educators to consider new strategies to teach targeted concepts. Though rethinking of instructional approaches was forced and hurried, the experience has served as a rare chance to reconsider strategies that best facilitate learning within the affordances and constraints of the online context. In particular, greater variance in teaching and learning activities will continue to question the importance of ‘seat time’ as the standard on which educational credits are based 10 — lengthy Zoom sessions are seldom instructionally necessary and are not aligned with the psychological principles of how humans learn. Interaction is important for learning but forced interactions among students for the sake of interaction is neither motivating nor beneficial.

While the blurring of the lines between traditional and distance education has been noted for several decades 11 , the pandemic has quickly advanced the erasure of these boundaries. Less single mode, more multi-mode (and thus more educator choices) is becoming the norm due to enhanced infrastructure and developed skill sets that allow people to move across different delivery systems 12 . The well-established best practices of hybrid or blended teaching and learning 13 have served as a guide for new combinations of instructional delivery that have developed in response to the shift to virtual learning. The use of multiple delivery modes is likely to remain, and will be a feature employed with learners of all ages 14 , 15 . Future iterations of online education will no longer be bound to the traditions of single teaching modes, as educators can support pedagogical approaches from a menu of instructional delivery options, a mix that has been supported by previous generations of online educators 16 .

Also significant are the changes to how learning outcomes are determined in online settings. Many educators have altered the ways in which student achievement is measured, eliminating assignments and changing assessment strategies altogether 17 . Such alterations include determining learning through strategies that leverage the online delivery mode, such as interactive discussions, student-led teaching and the use of games to increase motivation and attention. Specific changes that are likely to continue include flexible or extended deadlines for assignment completion 18 , more student choice regarding measures of learning, and more authentic experiences that involve the meaningful application of newly learned skills and knowledge 19 , for example, team-based projects that involve multiple creative and social media tools in support of collaborative problem solving.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, technological and administrative systems for implementing online learning, and the infrastructure that supports its access and delivery, had to adapt quickly. While access remains a significant issue for many, extensive resources have been allocated and processes developed to connect learners with course activities and materials, to facilitate communication between instructors and students, and to manage the administration of online learning. Paths for greater access and opportunities to online education have now been forged, and there is a clear route for the next generation of adopters of online education.

Before the pandemic, the primary purpose of distance and online education was providing access to instruction for those otherwise unable to participate in a traditional, place-based academic programme. As its purpose has shifted to supporting continuity of instruction, its audience, as well as the wider learning ecosystem, has changed. It will be interesting to see which aspects of emergency remote teaching remain in the next generation of education, when the threat of COVID-19 is no longer a factor. But online education will undoubtedly find new audiences. And the flexibility and learning possibilities that have emerged from necessity are likely to shift the expectations of students and educators, diminishing further the line between classroom-based instruction and virtual learning.

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Not all data are created equal; some are structured, but most of them are unstructured. Structured and unstructured data are sourced, collected and scaled in different ways and each one resides in a different type of database.

In this article, we will take a deep dive into both types so that you can get the most out of your data.

Structured data—typically categorized as quantitative data—is highly organized and easily decipherable by  machine learning algorithms .  Developed by IBM® in 1974 , structured query language (SQL) is the programming language used to manage structured data. By using a  relational (SQL) database , business users can quickly input, search and manipulate structured data.

Examples of structured data include dates, names, addresses, credit card numbers, among others. Their benefits are tied to ease of use and access, while liabilities revolve around data inflexibility:

• Easily used by machine learning (ML) algorithms:  The specific and organized architecture of structured data eases the manipulation and querying of ML data.
• Easily used by business users:  Structured data do not require an in-depth understanding of different types of data and how they function. With a basic understanding of the topic relative to the data, users can easily access and interpret the data.
• Accessible by more tools:  Since structured data predates unstructured data, there are more tools available for using and analyzing structured data.
• Limited usage:  Data with a predefined structure can only be used for its intended purpose, which limits its flexibility and usability.
• Limited storage options:  Structured data are usually stored in data storage systems with rigid schemas (for example, “ data warehouses ”). Therefore, changes in data requirements necessitate an update of all structured data, which leads to a massive expenditure of time and resources.
• OLAP :  Performs high-speed, multidimensional data analysis from unified, centralized data stores.
• SQLite : (link resides outside ibm.com)  Implements a self-contained,  serverless , zero-configuration, transactional relational database engine.
• MySQL :  Embeds data into mass-deployed software, particularly mission-critical, heavy-load production system.
• PostgreSQL :  Supports SQL and JSON querying as well as high-tier programming languages (C/C+, Java,  Python , among others.).
• Customer relationship management (CRM):  CRM software runs structured data through analytical tools to create datasets that reveal customer behavior patterns and trends.
• Online booking:  Hotel and ticket reservation data (for example, dates, prices, destinations, among others.) fits the “rows and columns” format indicative of the pre-defined data model.
• Accounting:  Accounting firms or departments use structured data to process and record financial transactions.

Unstructured data, typically categorized as qualitative data, cannot be processed and analyzed through conventional data tools and methods. Since unstructured data does not have a predefined data model, it is best managed in  non-relational (NoSQL) databases . Another way to manage unstructured data is to use  data lakes  to preserve it in raw form.

The importance of unstructured data is rapidly increasing.  Recent projections  (link resides outside ibm.com) indicate that unstructured data is over 80% of all enterprise data, while 95% of businesses prioritize unstructured data management.

Examples of unstructured data include text, mobile activity, social media posts, Internet of Things (IoT) sensor data, among others. Their benefits involve advantages in format, speed and storage, while liabilities revolve around expertise and available resources:

• Native format:  Unstructured data, stored in its native format, remains undefined until needed. Its adaptability increases file formats in the database, which widens the data pool and enables data scientists to prepare and analyze only the data they need.
• Fast accumulation rates:  Since there is no need to predefine the data, it can be collected quickly and easily.
• Data lake storage:  Allows for massive storage and pay-as-you-use pricing, which cuts costs and eases scalability.
• Requires expertise:  Due to its undefined or non-formatted nature, data science expertise is required to prepare and analyze unstructured data. This is beneficial to data analysts but alienates unspecialized business users who might not fully understand specialized data topics or how to utilize their data.
• Specialized tools:  Specialized tools are required to manipulate unstructured data, which limits product choices for data managers.
• MongoDB :  Uses flexible documents to process data for cross-platform applications and services.
• DynamoDB :  (link resides outside ibm.com) Delivers single-digit millisecond performance at any scale through built-in security, in-memory caching and backup and restore.
• Hadoop :  Provides distributed processing of large data sets using simple programming models and no formatting requirements.
• Azure :  Enables agile cloud computing for creating and managing apps through Microsoft’s data centers.
• Data mining :  Enables businesses to use unstructured data to identify consumer behavior, product sentiment and purchasing patterns to better accommodate their customer base.
• Predictive data analytics :  Alert businesses of important activity ahead of time so they can properly plan and accordingly adjust to significant market shifts.
• Chatbots :  Perform text analysis to route customer questions to the appropriate answer sources.

While structured (quantitative) data gives a “birds-eye view” of customers, unstructured (qualitative) data provides a deeper understanding of customer behavior and intent. Let’s explore some of the key areas of difference and their implications:

• Sources:  Structured data is sourced from GPS sensors, online forms, network logs, web server logs,  OLTP systems , among others; whereas unstructured data sources include email messages, word-processing documents, PDF files, and others.
• Forms:  Structured data consists of numbers and values, whereas unstructured data consists of sensors, text files, audio and video files, among others.
• Models:  Structured data has a predefined data model and is formatted to a set data structure before being placed in data storage (for example, schema-on-write), whereas unstructured data is stored in its native format and not processed until it is used (for example, schema-on-read).
• Storage:  Structured data is stored in tabular formats (for example, excel sheets or SQL databases) that require less storage space. It can be stored in data warehouses, which makes it highly scalable. Unstructured data, on the other hand, is stored as media files or NoSQL databases, which require more space. It can be stored in data lakes, which makes it difficult to scale.
• Uses:  Structured data is used in machine learning (ML) and drives its algorithms, whereas unstructured data is used in  natural language processing  (NLP) and text mining.

Semi-structured data (for example, JSON, CSV, XML) is the “bridge” between structured and unstructured data. It does not have a predefined data model and is more complex than structured data, yet easier to store than unstructured data.

Semi-structured data uses “metadata” (for example, tags and semantic markers) to identify specific data characteristics and scale data into records and preset fields. Metadata ultimately enables semi-structured data to be better cataloged, searched and analyzed than unstructured data.

• Example of metadata usage:  An online article displays a headline, a snippet, a featured image, image alt-text, slug, among others, which helps differentiate one piece of web content from similar pieces.
• Example of semi-structured data vs. structured data:  A tab-delimited file containing customer data versus a database containing CRM tables.
• Example of semi-structured data vs. unstructured data:  A tab-delimited file versus a list of comments from a customer’s Instagram.

Recent developments in  artificial intelligence  (AI) and machine learning (ML) are driving the future wave of data, which is enhancing business intelligence and advancing industrial innovation. In particular, the data formats and models that are covered in this article are helping business users to do the following:

• Analyze digital communications for compliance:  Pattern recognition and email threading analysis software that can search email and chat data for potential noncompliance.
• Track high-volume customer conversations in social media:  Text analytics and sentiment analysis that enables monitoring of marketing campaign results and identifying online threats.
• Gain new marketing intelligence:  ML analytics tools that can quickly cover massive amounts of data to help businesses analyze customer behavior.

Furthermore, smart and efficient usage of data formats and models can help you with the following:

• Understand customer needs at a deeper level to better serve them
• Create more focused and targeted marketing campaigns
• Track current metrics and create new ones
• Create better product opportunities and offerings
• Reduce operational costs

Whether you are a seasoned data expert or a novice business owner, being able to handle all forms of data is conducive to your success. By using structured, semi-structured and unstructured data options, you can perform optimal data management that will ultimately benefit your mission.

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