pros and cons of online education essay

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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Essay on online education (Pros & Cons)

Essay on online education: Online education has exploded in popularity, with over 20 million students taking at least one online course. Since its inception, many have questioned whether or not online learning is the future of education.

While proponents claim that online learning is more efficient, affordable, and convenient than traditional classrooms, skeptics point out that online courses are less interactive and don’t promote social skills.

What is online education?

Online learning is on the rise. One of the main reasons for this is that it offers some pretty major benefits to students, including convenience and cost-effectiveness.

For example, you can learn about anything from the comfort of your own home, at any time of day or night. You can also do so at your own pace.

This means you won’t have to worry about missing out on class time if you need to take care of other responsibilities first.

Online learning also offers some major advantages for parents who are looking for an alternative to public school education. Keep on reading to learn more about the benefits of online learning and how it might be right for you!

Online education compared to traditional schools

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of online education to gain a better understanding of what online education has to offer.

Online education is more accessible to students than ever before. With the number of people learning online increasing exponentially, there are more options for people who want to take an online course. The students who are most likely to be taking online courses are younger and often underserved by traditional schools.

Online classes are a great option for students who want to earn a certificate or two-year degree, but are unable to attend traditional classes due to financial constraints, work schedules, or travel.

Online learning is often believed to be more efficient than traditional classrooms.

Still, some people have concerns about the quality of an education that doesn’t have a physical presence. In addition, some worry about the lack of human interaction with peers and professors.

Will online education replace traditional schools?

Although many argue that the future of education is online, there are some things to consider before making the leap to an online education program.

Obviously, if you enroll in a course for its convenience or fun factor, it’s unlikely that you will apply yourself as effectively as if you were enrolled in a traditional class.

To determine the best course for you, you should first determine what you want out of your education. If you are taking the course for fun or for research purposes, you may not be focused enough to learn effectively.

If you are interested in making money, you may need a different kind of course. As students learn new skills and expand their knowledge, they develop new interests that they can pursue after the course is over.

The Pros of Online Education

As online learning continues to grow, some argue that it represents a promising alternative to traditional classrooms. While these views are far from universal, what is clear is that the benefits of online education are certainly worth exploring.

The number one reason that most people enroll in online courses is that they are convenient and easy to access. Students can log in at their own schedule, take the course at their own pace, and even save it to the hard drive of their computer to be taken home to study at their leisure.

It’s no surprise that millions of students utilize this convenient method of learning. For traditional classes, it can often cost hundreds of dollars per course to pay for all of the required materials for the course.

The Cons of Online Education

Because online education can be a little more challenging, students can experience online courses that include a lot of information but are difficult to digest.

Students who are less proficient with communication are likely to have difficulty sharing their ideas. In addition to these problems, online classes often lack focus, as the tasks presented to students become more and more difficult, they start to procrastinate, and the quality of the education will suffer.

Moreover, there is less human interaction with professors and peers.

The benefits of online learning can be substantial, particularly when it comes to acquiring knowledge and gaining skills.

This dynamic opens up opportunities for anyone to reach more people and build their network. However, many question the efficacy of online learning because online courses don’t offer in-person instruction and students are missing out on social interaction, which helps them develop the ability to network and collaborate with others.

While the capabilities of online learning aren’t completely understood, it’s clear that online courses can produce a number of benefits when compared to traditional classroom-based methods.

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Make Your Point: Tips and Examples for Writing a Persuasive Essay About Online Education

Published on: Jan 13, 2023

Last updated on: Jan 29, 2024

Examples of Persuasive Essays About Online Education

Students worldwide increasingly turn to online education to learn, earn degrees and certificates, and further their careers.

But how do you craft an effective persuasive essay that speaks to this issue?

Persuasive essays on topics like online education can be tricky since they require strongly framing your argument concisely yet compellingly.

To help make things easier, weâve gathered examples of well-crafted persuasive essays about online education.

These examples are complete with all components â so you can get inspired and start writing your own!

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Examples of Persuasive Essay on Pros and Cons of Online Education

To get inspired, read through our examples of good persuasive essays on the advantages and disadvantages of online education!

You never know; one idea might jumpstart your entire paper.

Benefits of online education essay

Persuasive essay about online education advantages

Persuasive essay about online education disadvantages

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For more inspiration, check out some more persuasive essay examples here!

Five Steps to Crafting an A+ Persuasive Essay

As a student, you know the feeling. Youâve been given a persuasive essay assignment and don't know where to start.

What do you do? Donât worry; weâve got your back!

Here are five tips for writing an impressive persuasive essay that will earn you the grade you deserve. Letâs get started!

1. Choose Your Topic Wisely

Choosing a topic that interests you and your audience can make all the difference in writing an effective persuasive essay.

If you are passionate about your topic and it matters to you, it will likely matter to your audience.

2. Do Your Research

Once you have chosen a topic, itâs time to dig deeply into the research available on the subject matter.

From scholarly journals to newspaper articles, dive into the available information and uncover facts supporting your point of view.

Be sure to cite your sources properly so that other readers can find them too!

Check out this amazing video!

3. Create an Outline

Before diving headfirst into writing your essay, take some time to map out a clear outline of what points you plan to cover.

Making an outline is especially important when crafting persuasive essays as it will help guide readers smoothly.

4. Write With Passion

Remember that this isnât just another paper. You are trying to persuade someone with words!

Choose your language carefully; be strong yet respectful of opposing opinions. Make sure each sentence flows logically into the next. Use descriptive language that paints vivid pictures in readersâ minds.

Finally, donât forget that passion should be evident throughout every word of your paper!

5. Edit & Proofread

Once your first draft is complete, take some time away from it before coming back with fresh eyes for editing.

Check for typos and mistakes while ensuring each sentence reads clearly and logically follows from the last one.

Learn to craft a perfect persuasive essay by reading our extensive guide on persuasive essays.

15 Persuasive Speech Topics About Online Classes

Here is a list of 15 engaging persuasive essay topics to inspire you. Let's have a look!

Why online classes are the most effective form of learning during a pandemic
The advantages and disadvantages of having online classes
How technology has made online education accessible to everyone
The cost-effectiveness of taking online classes compared to traditional college courses
Are online classes changing the way people think about education?
Is online learning as effective as in-person classes?
The importance of taking online classes to improve job opportunities
How online classes can benefit those who are unable to attend a physical classroom
What steps can be taken to make the transition from traditional to online classes easier?
What are the best practices for creating an effective online learning environment?
How to make sure students remain engaged in the online course material
The benefits of taking online classes for working professionals
Is online learning a better fit for certain types of learners?
Leveraging online classes to gain innovative skills and knowledge
Why are online classes the future of education?

Check our extensive list of top persuasive essay topics for more inspiration!

In the end, a persuasive essay is all about making your point convincingly. With the right evidence, logical reasoning, and engaging tone, you can make an argument for any topic you choose.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What techniques can i use to write a persuasive essay about online education.

To write a persuasive essay, you should gather evidence and facts that support your points of view. Additionally, you can employ rhetorical techniques, presenting an ironclad argument and appealing to emotion or logic.

What elements should I include in my persuasive essay about online education?

Your persuasive essay should include a clear thesis statement that states your opinion and supporting evidence that backs up your argument.

You should also provide a counterargument to address potential objections from readers and discuss how you would refute them.

What is the thesis statement about online learning?

The thesis statement for an argumentative essay about online learning should state your position on the issue, explain why you believe it is valid, and provide evidence to back up your stance.

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Conventional vs. Online Learning: Pros and Cons Essay

Education is crucial to growth as an individual, and choosing a learning approach that works for a person is important. Students often can choose between a traditional classroom setting and an online learning environment. The two approaches each have advantages and disadvantages in relation to student learning. In this article, the pros and cons of both conventional and online education will be examined from the perspectives of COVID-19, students’ mental health, and their professional and personal growth. Because of COVID-19, there has been a global trend toward providing education digitally. Students in a typical school setting get instruction from a teacher in a classroom setting. On the other hand, online learning is conducted, with students receiving and turning in their assignments in the same way. Schools and institutions have been shuttered due to the pandemic to contain the infection. However, nowadays, it is common practice for students to attend courses and take tests online.

Online distance education (ODE) has traditionally been provided favorably to students who reside in remote areas, allowing them to make the most efficient use of available educational resources. Universities in a growing number of nations have introduced ODE and made it available to their students in recent decades (He et al. 1). There are two types of ODE courses that may be provided: synchronous and asynchronous. Almost all online education tools, including Moodle, adhere to the asynchronous distance education model, which makes use of formats like recorded learning videos (He et al. 1). By synchronizing teaching and learning in real-time online settings like live web conferences and virtual classrooms, synchronous distance education attempts to mimic the communication patterns of conventional face-to-face classrooms (He et al. 1). These approaches to learning provide new experiences for students and develop self-paced comprehension.

The term traditional learning is used to describe the more common method of education in which students listen to a lecture given by an expert in the field. It has been around for centuries, and it is still extensively utilized as a kind of education in many places. In a classroom setting, a teacher would typically provide lessons to a class of pupils. Students are expected to learn from the instructor by paying attention, taking notes, and engaging in class discussions because of the teacher’s status as the subject matter expert. In most classroom settings, the instructor controls both the tempo and substance of the instruction.

The rise of online learning has significantly affected the psychological well-being of college students. Online learning has many advantages, but it may be difficult for students who need help maintaining self-discipline and drive (Al-Okaily et al. 846). The lack of face-to-face contact with professors and classmates might negatively impact students’ mental health. Traditional classrooms, on the other hand, encourage students to build relationships with their instructors and classmates, which may benefit their emotional well-being.

How students and teachers approach the online learning process is a major factor in the success of online education. As Halupa (cited in Akpınar) points out, there are many things that might divert students’ attention when they’re utilizing the internet as a learning resource. Student attitudes about online education have been generally unfavorable, despite the fact that it represents the most potential alternative to more conventional teaching methods (Akpınar). In this situation, the broad adoption of online learning has been linked to an increase in reports of psychological suffering, which may be attributable to these unfavorable preconceptions. Past research has revealed that the lack of a traditional classroom atmosphere has contributed to a negative attitude among tertiary students (Akpınar). Consequently, the benefits of online learning might not be as apparent as they might seem.

Education, in the conventional sense, offers many practical benefits. Employers tend to give more credence to degrees earned in a conventional setting than those earned online because of this reputation. In addition, students might benefit from networking with experts in their industry via conventional educational settings. Nevertheless, since it can be done in the student’s own time and pace, online learning makes it easier for students to juggle their academic and professional obligations. There are prospects for growth in both conventional and online learning environments. Regular schooling provides a regimented setting that fosters self-control, maturity, and accountability. It is the mode of education that is considered to be standardized for professional employees and highly valued on the market. On the other hand, online learning necessitates students to be self-directed and self-motivated, hence represents a valuable skillset. However, due to the novelty of such approach various companies tend to oversee online education certificates as a supplement rather than a separate qualification.

In conclusion, there are advantages and disadvantages to both conventional and online learning. With the COVID-19 epidemic, online courses have become the standard method of receiving an education. While deciding between conventional and online education, it is crucial to consider the effects on students’ mental health, career rewards, and personal growth. The choice should be made based on one’s unique requirements, learning style, and life circumstances.

Works Cited

Akpınar, Ezgin. “The Effect of Online Learning on Tertiary Level Students Mental Health during the Covid-19 Lockdown“2021: n. pag. Crossref. Web.

Al-Okaily, Manaf, et al. “ Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Acceptance of e-Learning System in Jordan: A Case of Transforming the Traditional Education Systems .” Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews , vol. 8, no. 4, 2020, pp. 840–851., Web.

He, Liyun, et al. “ Synchronous Distance Education vs Traditional Education for Health Science Students: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis .” Medical Education , vol. 55, no. 3, 2020, pp. 293–308., Web.

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IvyPanda . "Conventional vs. Online Learning: Pros and Cons." March 1, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/conventional-vs-online-learning-pros-and-cons/.

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Pros and Cons of Online Learning

Introduction, advantages and disadvantages of online learning, works cited.

Institutionalized education has been affected significantly by the current Covid-19 pandemic because schools have been closed as one of the countermeasures to address this global problem. As such, online learning has become the preferred mode of delivering instruction to students. With the rapid rate of technological growth in the last 20 years, people are now enjoying one of the most significant technological booms in human history. In the field of education, online learning is becoming more dominant and heavily debated as it expands out of the traditional classroom towards anyone with access to the Internet. As an educator, I have a particular interest in this topic because it affects the way I deliver content and interact with my students. This paper identifies the advantages and disadvantages of online learning and how technology is vital to help me make informed decisions in the future.

In their study, Kaplan and Haenlein argue that parents are sharply divided on the introduction of online classes (445). A good number of parents are in support, while others say that machines cannot replace the human element. George, a professional in the banking sector and a parent of a preschooler says that online classes are a new concept, and his son was excited initially to be part of it (Kaplan and Haenlein 447). Zoom is one of the popular online platforms being used to teach learners, and it has been highly helpful in facilitating distance learning. However, it has a major drawback, as it does not provide a way for students to submit their work for assessment. As such, the only option for learners is to photograph their work and email it, and this process could be complicated for some students, especially those in elementary classes. Therefore, parents have to be involved to help their children, which could be a barrier to online learning, specifically in cases where such adults are not available.

I agree with these two parents in the sense that they are highlighting real issues. For instance, George is expressing the excitement his son has courtesy of virtual learning. He believes that this being a generation of electronic gadgets, his son will benefit a lot. However, he pushes for modification of this online platform. On the other hand, Ruth is very definite. She calls online classes total rubbish because, according to her, her child is not benefiting a lot from technology. The teachers often send unclear photos of notes through a WhatsApp group, and parents are expected to write them down for their children to read. This article leaves me with one question – in today’s time, many families have both parents working, and thus they might find it challenging to do the tasks given by the school as a parent – is it not prudent for the school to devise an initiative to connect with the child directly?

In another article, Dias et al. argue that media platforms used in online learning avail minimal interactive environment for students (417). Learning institutions use tools such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Microsoft Teams, among other related platforms. However, some learners still struggle to get online. Ms. Diana, a chemistry teacher from a city school, feels that virtual classes are not easy to handle because a lot goes into making them productive and interactive (Dias et al. 417). During online courses, teachers try to create an interactive environment by randomly asking questions to students, which is lacking in online learning.

I partly disagree with this article’s argument that teaching via online platforms is a struggle. I believe it is not difficult, but it is different in the sense that the physical presence of students in the class is missing. For example, from my experience, Zoom offers an interactive platform that allows users to plan and manage lessons effectively. In addition, it creates learning experiences almost similar to the traditional classroom set-up, including the ability for students to raise their hands, pose questions, and participate in discussions. I believe that this new experience excites students, thus facilitating learning in the process. One question that arises for me from this article– is it not ideal to appreciate the fact that there are minimal distractions by the learner’s classmates, which is common in a regular classroom?

In another article, Dumford and Miller argue that the significant relationships for engagement and amount of online course exposure reveal that the online environment might encourage certain types of engagement, such as more use of quantitative reasoning activities (454). Traditional face-to-face settings seem more likely to promote collaborative learning, student-faculty interaction, effective teaching practices, quality of communications, and discussions with others. According to the authors of this article, with online learning gaining popularity in modern times, it is important to investigate the advantages associated with it for continued improvement to meet learning objectives. The article notes that proper research should be done on the involvement of students who access their learning content through an online medium at varying levels, exploring patterns of engagement for online learners and those in face-to-face settings through the percentage of classes in which a student is enrolled online.

I agree that it is worth noting that the education system still expects children to write exams in most countries. However, with online learning, it becomes hard for teachers to monitor how such exams take place. Additionally, while learners might have good typing skills, maintaining good handwriting in a normal class set-up might be a major problem. Moreover, many students have not been able to take advantage of virtual platforms because they do not have suitable devices at home, or they lack a good Internet connection. However, despite the many highlighted drawbacks, online learning serves the purpose of engaging with students, especially during this time whereby schools have been closed following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. This article raises an important question – what will happen to learners who come from poor and marginalized communities where access to the Internet is a challenge?

As the technology used in online education continues to evolve rapidly, research must address the impact of online learning on virtual platforms. More research is also needed on whether there are disciplinary modifications that can be made on the online platforms to make the online curriculum more interactive. If the primary goal of online learning is to reach a broader range of students and provide educational opportunities for those who might not otherwise have such access, then it is essential to ensure that online education students are partaking in equally engaging educational experiences that contribute to their learning and success.

Dias, Patrícia, et al. “The Role of Parents in the Engagement of Young Children with Digital Technologies: Exploring Tensions between Rights of Access and Protection, from ‘Gatekeepers’ to ‘Scaffolders’.” Global Studies of Childhood, vol. 6, no. 4, 2016, pp. 414-427.

Dumford, Amber, and Angie Miller. “Online Learning in Higher Education: Exploring Advantages and Disadvantages for Engagement.” Journal of Computing in Higher Education , vol. 30, no. 3, 2018, pp. 452-465.

Kaplan, Andreas, and Michael Haenlein. “Higher Education and the Digital Revolution: About MOOCs, SPOCs, Social media, and the Cookie Monster.” Business Horizons, vol. 59, no. 4, 2016, pp. 441-450.

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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.

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Home Essay Samples Education Online vs. Traditional Classes

Pros and Cons of Online Learning: A Comprehensive Approach

Table of contents, pros of online learning, cons of online learning.

Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2017). Digital Learning Compass: Distance Education Enrollment Report 2017. Babson Survey Group.
Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., Bakia, M., & Jones, K. (2010). Evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning: A meta-analysis and review of online learning studies. US Department of Education.
Li, N., Marsh, G. E., & Peltier, J. W. (2020). Exploring students’ motivations and challenges in online courses: A self-determination theory perspective. Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, 18(1), 56-79.
Murphy, E., & Rodriguez-Manzanares, M. A. (2017). Students’ experiences in online courses: A qualitative research synthesis. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(5).
Simonson, M., Schlosser, C., & Orellana, A. (2011). Distance education research: A review of the literature. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 23(2-3), 124-142.

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Chapter 10 Online Learning

10.2 Pros and Cons of Online Learning

As you evaluate whether or not online learning is a good fit for you, it helps to consider the pros and cons. Some of these pros and cons will be more important to you than others, depending on your situation, so it’s important to consider your own specific circumstances and your learning strengths and weaknesses. Here are a few things to consider:

Schedule flexibility. Increasingly, students have complicated schedules, often juggling several part-time jobs, family responsibilities, and other commitments. For many, education has been out of reach when traditional scheduled classes did not mesh with their busy schedules and obligations. Online learning means students can learn when it suits them. Students can do their readings throughout the day in between other commitments. They can work on and submit assignments in the middle of the night if that suits them. The time flexibility literally means that students who just couldn’t take classes on a traditional schedule can now further their education on a flexible schedule according to their needs.

Location flexibility. Online learning also opens up education for people who live in areas that do not have post-secondary institutions, especially remote communities. People can study at home or in local libraries or in convenient locations that eliminate the need to commute to physical institutions. This can save students hours of daily commuting time. It can also save students substantial amounts of money if it means they do not have to relocate to attend school. This is a significant factor for many who have financial concerns, housing concerns, or have a family member who cannot relocate due to employment or other obligations. Even people in big cities that do have post-secondary institutions welcome the opportunity to forgo a long commute to and from a college or university numerous times a week.

Multi-media. Learning happens more efficiently when several modalities are engaged. It helps to see (read or watch), hear (lecture or demonstration), do (labs, practice a skill, or write), as well as practice. Often people think that learning online will restrict learning because they’ll have to read everything. The opposite is actually true. With so many options for multi-media, modalities can be fully engaged through online learning. Courses can include video clips, lab demonstrations, and virtual labs where students can dissect something over and over until they’ve got it (as opposed to having one crack at it for an actual dissection). Courses can include hyperactive web links which can conveniently direct you to websites, web articles, and web demonstrations that add fascinating content. Courses can include high quality diagrams, graphs, interactive demonstrations, video podcasts, animations, Ted-Talks, YouTube clips, interactive digital learning games, blogs, wikis, learning objects, virtual worlds, and much more. Edutainment is a term describing applications that incorporate multimedia entertainment with educational objectives. Quality online courses have an array of possibilities that can keep the curriculum current and engaging.

Classmates. Online learning offers a diversity in classmates that often exceeds that of a face-to-face class. As you get to know your classmates through class discussions, online forums, group work, and class presentations, you will often meet people from all over the world. This allows for some interesting perspectives and a more global way of thinking and interpreting information.

Course selection. Making the decision to learn online means that there are seemingly limitless options in course selection. You have the option of enrolling in a different college than the one you would have chosen if you had to move there. It doesn’t matter how far away it is if you are learning online. You can choose courses according to price, convenience, and interesting topics. Often you do not necessarily have to take all your courses from one institution if there are courses elsewhere that interest you. If you are taking courses from more than one institution, just be sure to check out transferability into the program you are enrolled in or want to graduate from, prior to taking a course from elsewhere so you do not lose credit for the course. See Chapter 13 The BC Transfer Process for more information.

Financial. Tuition and books are often priced the same for online and face-to-face courses, however, there are financial considerations that can make online learning more affordable. Firstly, the flexibility of online means you may not need to quit your job, since you can work on coursework around work hours. (Be cautious that you don’t work so much that you don’t have time for your courses, though.) Having an income while going to school can relieve a great amount of financial burden and reduce accumulation of student loans. Secondly, you will not have extra accommodation fees or relocation costs taking online courses since you will not have to move to go to school. Even if the college or university is local, you won’t have transportation costs including public transit costs or gas and parking fees to travel to and from the institution. If you are a parent, you will likely have less child-care costs. You can also save money, since students are likely to eat out more when traveling to a campus.

Combination of online and face-to-face. It can be an option to do some of your courses face-to-face and some online. This can cut down on commutes if you choose to do online courses on certain days and work your schedule accordingly. This strategy can take advantage of the pros of both. It can also allow you to get to know instructors from a program in person during your face-to-face classes, giving you a personal connection with them for your online classes. Another use for combining formats is to take missing prerequisites online so that you don’t miss an opportunity to take a course according to your education plan. This can often save you from having to add an extra year to your education. Another pro of combining formats is that you can choose to take electives for your program online in the summer months, to get ahead on your education plan, or to lighten the load in the regular school year. There can be many advantages of taking a combination of online and face-to-face courses.

Author’s Story: Pros of Online Learning

Mary Shier sitting in a lounge chair in her bathing suit on a beach taking notes

I did a Master’s in online learning. I had an education leave from the college where I work, so I was free to travel and could have chosen to attend any one of several institutions. However, I chose to take my program online. I did this for several reasons. Since I was learning about online learning, it made sense to experience it firsthand while I was studying about it. It gave me many examples to draw from to demonstrate different learning theories. It also gave me the freedom to travel around while I was working on it.

My program was a lot of work – to which I was committed. Even still, I took advantage of some of the fringe benefits of online learning. I spent the fall in my hometown, where I saw lots of family and old friends. Though my course load was heavy and I was working on my schooling 10-12 hours a day, it still meant that I had tea breaks with my mom, lunches and dinners with different family members and friends, and had the ability to just be around them even though I was busy a lot of the time. I look back at that time as incredibly precious. I otherwise could never have spent so much time with my mother in my adult years as I did that fall, and it was wonderful. Online learning made that possible.

A person making notes on a page balanced on their knees. There is a sandy beach and ocean in the background

I was fortunate in that I went to the Dominican Republic for the winter semester. I rented out my home which more than paid for the rent on my beautiful villa by the ocean. I kept a rigorous schedule for my program. I woke up to the sounds of roosters crowing each morning at 6 a.m. I made coffee and went out onto the deck overlooking the ocean. I did my computer work in the morning, contributing to forum discussions and other course work. I did a work out, made breakfast, and continued on the computer. After lunch, I went down to the beach, got settled into my lounge chair, did my readings, and took notes. I went for a long swim in the ocean every afternoon. I dried off in the sun on my lounge chair while I continued my readings. In the evenings, I went back to the villa and worked on my assignments. This was my schedule all winter. I had the odd excursion and time out with people I met there, but my time included a lot of studying and writing papers. I had an amazing winter in the Dominican and met some incredible people. I had the opportunity to volunteer at a school there, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I learned a lot about their culture. The experience was life-enhancing, and I am so glad that I did my studies that way.

— Mary Shier, College of the Rockies

Time management. You have to be very organized when you take courses online. It is entirely up to you to stay on-track. Although this is true in a face-to-face class as well, students often feel more pressure when they have scheduled classes. They don’t want to miss class or get behind. They have classmates around them talking about upcoming assignments and tests, who inadvertently pressure them into getting things done. When they know they have class Monday morning, for example, they make sure they complete the course work that is required before that class. These scheduled things are more conducive to keeping on track. Online students are notorious for procrastinating and getting behind. It is vital to keep a schedule as if you were attending face-to-face classes. Once your study times are in your schedule, don’t divert from the schedule unless it is critically important. (That doesn’t include that your friend called you up and asked you to go to the show!) You have to get used to telling people you are busy with your school work and that you are not available. Review Chapter 7: Time Management for further time management strategies.

Motivation. Motivation is another key factor for success in online learning. If you are constantly talking yourself out of doing assignments, doubting your abilities, or not willing to give it your all, this can seriously impede your ability to be successful. Some people know themselves and are aware that they don’t have the motivation, self-drive, and determination to be consistent in their online studies. They will make the sacrifices required to commit to face-to-face courses. In other words, they are willing to commute and change their schedules to accommodate their scheduled classes, because they know that, for them personally, they are likely to be more successful in their courses.

Weak readers. Online learning most often involves a lot of reading. Some learners are strong readers and find they learn more by reading than listening in a class. Others find reading tedious and lose focus. If reading is a struggle, you may want to find out the differences in the amount of reading between the specific face-to-face classes and the online classes you are interested in taking. This may have a bearing on which format you choose.

Limited computer skills. Those who have very little experience with computers will find it more challenging doing online courses. As well as learning the course material and expectations of the instructor, these people will have to deal with learning computer skills concurrently. This is not necessarily a con as they will benefit greatly, however, it would be important to allow extra time needed for dealing with the learning curve of gaining the necessary computer skills. Of course, taking a face-to-face course likely will require computer skills as well, so it is wise to gain them regardless. Likely, it will initially be a little more challenging with an online course. Prior to starting online courses, it would be beneficial to take a computer skills course at a local community college, if possible.

The social aspect. Some learners enjoy the dynamics of being in a physical classroom. They get to form a personal relationship with the instructor. They meet classmates in person and can form study groups. They can benefit from the answers to questions that others ask or from the class discussions that arise. After class, they can easily discuss issues that they didn’t understand or they can go deeper into an issue, furthering understanding. Even moral support is a beneficial perk of having face-to-face classes. Other classmates can detect whether or not you are struggling and can offer support, lend materials, and offer a much needed smile. Many people really appreciate the social aspect of attending classes and being part of a college or university where they can join teams and clubs, have a drink at the campus pub, live in residence, and develop a healthy social life. This is particularly important for young students who have recently left home after completing high school. Older students who already have children and jobs, may not necessarily be looking to expand their social lives.

The format of some online courses are specifically designed to include a social aspect to learning. The course incorporates group assignments and forum discussions. Students get to know each other even though they may all be in different locales. Other courses don’t have any social component to them. Often in these online courses, students can feel very alone as they do their courses. If the social aspect is important to you, find out how the courses are structured at the institution where you are considering taking your program.

Author’s Story: Social Interaction Online

I wouldn’t have believed that social interaction online could match social interaction in a face-to-face classroom, but I experienced it. Of course, it depends on the structure of the course because some courses don’t facilitate it in their set-up.

During my Master’s online, the courses were designed using a constructivist philosophy. We regularly had to do group work and participate in online discussions. I got to know many of the people in my cohort. As a result, I got to know those I worked well with, and those I didn’t necessarily want to work with again. As group work assignments were assigned, we had the option of choosing our groups. I went through the forum discussions to see people who I would likely work well with, and eventually I had specific people that I knew I worked well with, so we planned to work together in future assignments.

In order to do our assignments, we emailed, messaged, and Skyped often. We contributed to group documents, and commented regularly on each other’s contributions. It became quite natural to be working together with folks who were all over the world. I got to know them, we asked each other about things going on in our lives, and encouraged each other through challenging times. I celebrated with a class mate in Greece, who got engaged. I knew throughout the term that she was hoping for a proposal, and I was genuinely excited when it finally happened. I learned about others’ children and their struggles. I discovered others’ tips and tricks for fitting the program into their busy lives. We regularly had class discussions about different concepts, and I learned a lot from my classmates.

When I went to the graduation ceremony, I met many fellow classmates and instructors for the first time in person, and yet it felt like I already really knew them. I did. It was a time of celebration. Even long after graduation, I am still in touch with a few classmates. We have contacted each other to catch up, get professional advice, and even to network for jobs. The social interaction in my online courses contributed richly to my educational experience.

Exercise: Evaluate if Online Learning is a Good Personal Option

Consider the several factors above and any others that apply. Relate them to your own personal circumstance, and evaluate whether online learning is a good personal option for you. As you evaluate consider the following:

your options
your circumstances that affect your ability to take classes
your strengths and weaknesses
your best choice

Write an answer that includes the above factors and explains why you came to the conclusion you reached.

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School Education /

Essay On Online Education: In 100 Words, 150 Words, and 200 Words

Updated on
Sep 22, 2023

Online education has emerged as a significant transformation in the global education landscape, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic . This essay explores the various facets of online education, from its inception to its advantages and disadvantages and its impact on learners and educators alike. The evolution of online education presents a new horizon for accessible and flexible learning .

Table of Contents

1 Essay on Online Education in 100 words
2 Essay on Online Education in 150 words
3 Essay on Online Education in 200 words

Essay on Online Education in 100 words

Online education is a modern educational paradigm where students access instructional content through the internet. This innovative approach has gained immense popularity, especially after the pandemic, owing to its convenience and adaptability. It has enabled students of all ages to acquire knowledge from the comfort of their homes, transcending geographical barriers. Online education offers a diverse range of courses and resources, fostering continuous learning. However, it also presents challenges, such as dependency on technology and potential disengagement from the physical world.

Must Read: The Beginner’s Guide to Writing an Essay

Essay on Online Education in 150 words

Online education marks a revolutionary shift in how we acquire knowledge. It harnesses the power of the internet to deliver educational content to students, making learning more flexible and accessible. Technology advancements have accelerated the development of online education, enabling educational institutions to provide a wide range of courses and programmes through digital platforms.

One of the primary advantages of online education is its ability to cater to a diverse audience, regardless of geographical location or physical limitations. It eliminates the need for commuting and offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional classroom learning. However, online education also comes with its challenges. It requires self-discipline and motivation as students often learn independently. Additionally, prolonged screen time can have adverse effects on students’ physical and mental well-being, potentially leading to social disconnection.

Essay on Online Education in 200 words

Online education has witnessed remarkable growth in recent years, with the internet serving as the conduit for delivering educational content. This transformation has been accelerated, particularly in response to the global pandemic. Online education transcends the boundaries of traditional learning, offering students the opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills from anywhere in the world.

One of the most compelling aspects of online education is its flexibility. Learners can access course materials and engage with instructors at their convenience, breaking free from rigid schedules. Moreover, this mode of education has expanded access to a vast array of courses, allowing individuals to pursue their interests and career goals without geographical constraints.

However, it’s important to acknowledge the challenges associated with online education. It demands a high degree of self-discipline, as students must navigate the coursework independently. Prolonged screen time can have adverse effects on health and may lead to a sense of disconnection from society.

In conclusion, online education represents a significant shift in how we approach learning. It offers unprecedented access and flexibility but also requires learners to adapt to a more self-directed approach to education. Striking a balance between the benefits and challenges of online education is key to harnessing its full potential.

An organised argument backed up by proof and examples is the key to writing a convincing essay. Create a clear thesis statement at the outset, follow a logical progression of points, and then summarise your main points.

To improve readability, use clear and concise language, break your essay into paragraphs with clear topic sentences, and vary your sentence structure.

If you’re struggling to meet the word count, review your content to see if you can expand on your ideas, provide more examples, or include additional details to support your arguments. Additionally, check for any redundancies or irrelevant information that can be removed.

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E-learning in USA: Pros and Cons

E Learning Definition: What Is It?

Let's start with the e learning definition. Also known as online learning or online education , e-learning is any training or educational courses delivered using digital means (software and hardware). It comes in many forms, including:

Teachers leading live one-on-one or online group lessons using videoconferencing tools;
Students watching pre-recorded video lectures or listening to podcasts;
Learners using educational apps to learn a particular skill (e.g., a foreign language);
Schools introducing blended learning platforms that allow students to pass tests and send assignments online.

E-learning can power both synchronous and asynchronous learning experiences:

Synchronous learning includes any online activity that happens live. For example, this can be a Zoom seminar or lecture taught in real time.
Asynchronous learning online means students can access materials any time they want. Pre-recorded video lessons and interactive learning games are two good examples here.

Is e-learning the same as distance learning ? While the two terms are often used interchangeably, there's one key difference between them.

In e-learning , students and teachers can use digital tools during in-person classes. In distance learning , they're not in the same room, by definition. So instead, both parties use digital tools to bridge that distance.

The global e-learning market is worth an astounding $315 billion. The lockdowns caused by the pandemic accelerated its growth. Approximately three-fourths of U.S. students, for example, were enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2020 – that's a 97% year-on-year increase.

So, e-learning is here to stay. But is online education good or bad? Let's try to answer this question by breaking down online education advantages and disadvantages.

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Pros and Cons of Online Learning

Before breaking down both the pros and cons of online learning, let's be clear: they depend on who you ask. For example, a student taking classes online won't list the same thing as their professor.

Plus, for some learners, online learning is simply not a good fit – and for others, it's the best one ever. Their answer depends on their autonomy, preferred learning approaches, the environment they need, and so on.

This said, let's review the advantages and disadvantages of online classes for school students.

6 Advantages of Online Education

Online learning comes with inarguable advantages. They're convenient, they facilitate access to higher education, and they help students save time.

When it comes to practicalities, here are the seven major benefits of online education that students can take advantage of.

They're Convenient

Convenience is at the forefront of the advantages of online education, and that's for a good reason.

Most of the time, students can take online courses at their own pace. Learning material is available at any time and from anywhere, after all. This allows students to maintain a flexible schedule and balance their personal life and, in some cases, a job with studies.

Online learning is usually accessible from multiple devices: smartphones, tablets, and laptops or PCs. So, learners can review materials or participate in interactive activities on the go (while they commute, for example).

They're Easier to Participate In

Education at a tap or a click of a button – that's what studying online means in practice. College students can gain access to course content whenever and wherever they need to, for one.

They also have more control over how they learn, too. For example, they can choose to focus on reading course materials, watching videos, or chatting with other students.

A virtual classroom doesn't force social interaction, either. This can be a tremendous benefit for students struggling with social anxiety.

Combine all of that, and it's understandable why online learning tends to improve attendance and success rates among college students.

They Make Education Easier to Access

Here's another one of the advantages of online classes: online learning renders higher education more accessible.

For one, earning an online degree is often more affordable and less time-consuming than enrolling in an in-person program. Plus, more and more employers recognize these degrees when students put their online education on a resume .

What's more, anyone can attend an online course, regardless of where they are. Students don't have to save money to move to another city to enroll in traditional classes. They don't have to limit themselves to accessible campuses if they have a disability, either.

They're More Time-Efficient & Flexible

Even learners with busy schedules or full-time jobs can find the time to learn at their own pace. Online education gives the opportunity to do just that: be in charge of their learning process.

Online students can choose to study when they're at their most productive – or simply when they have the time, be it late in the evening or early in the morning.

When it comes to living online classes, students also don't have to commute – or even dress up – to attend them. That makes online programs more time-efficient, as well.

They Facilitate Access to Resources

E-learning means the world of knowledge is the learner's oyster, to paraphrase a popular expression. Unlike in a traditional classroom setting, online, students and educators aren't limited by textbooks and printing services available.

Educators can add as many learning materials as they want to cover every aspect of the topic – and cater to the students who want to go deeper into it.

Students, in turn, can choose from dozens of formats and delivery styles. This allows them to find the materials and learning styles that work best for them personally.

They Boost Creative Teaching

This is one of the least evident advantages of online learning, but it's an important one.

Teaching in a virtual classroom comes with certain limitations. So, educators have no other choice but to find new, more student-centered approaches to transferring knowledge and fostering skills.

Educational institutions also have to account for many learning styles and preferences. For example, when developing special education programs for online students, they have to remember that some prefer quizzes and reading materials. In contrast, others learn best when watching videos or playing games.

4 Disadvantages Online Class Comes With

Online courses aren't without downsides, of course. For example, they require a great deal of self-discipline and self-motivation from learners. They also make collaboration way more challenging than in a traditional classroom setting. And they rely heavily on technology.

Let's take a closer look at the four disadvantages online class comes with.

They Require More Effort to Focus

Without tremendous self-discipline and a strong ability to focus, online students may struggle with making the most out of e learning platforms.

That's understandable: if students take their online classes at home or on the go, they have to deal with way more distractions than there'd be in the classroom. And if they learn at their own pace, it takes some power of will and motivation to simply get started with or get back to the lessons.

This is also why online students are more likely to require college paper help than their counterparts in the traditional classroom setting.

They Make Collaboration Harder

Most opponents of online education name the potential lack of collaboration as its main drawback. And it can be a real threat to learners that need face-to-face social interaction and collaboration to study productively.

Collaborating on a project over Zoom can be frustrating if people try to talk over one another. It also lacks the same spirit and engagement that comes with in-person teamwork. That's because collaboration is often reduced to emails, messages, and tools like Google Docs or Trello.

Student-teacher communication is also more challenging in online programs. For example, it's more difficult to ask questions during live online courses; plus, talking to the educator in person can be next to impossible.

They Depend on Technology Working Smoothly

An internet connection is a must for online learning. So, if the student lives in an area without broadband internet access, watching video lessons or attending Zoom classes can be a tough feat.

You can also list the dependency on devices among the disadvantages online class attendance comes with.

Imagine you're an online student. Your laptop unexpectedly breaks down, and you have a deadline coming up. You may have no other choice but to turn to a dissertation writing service to avoid failing the online class!

They Require Certain Computer Literacy Skills

This might not seem like much of a con for the tech-savvy among you. But the quality of the online learning experience does depend on the digital skills of both the learner and the educator.

If you ever had to attend an online class taught by someone far from tech-savvy, you know how frustrating it is to be on the receiving end of it. Unfortunately, this can turn online classes into a waste of time.

And if you're the one lacking computer skills, this can be a full-fledged education barrier for you, too.

Tools of E Learning

E-learning can involve using dozens of various digital tools, from quiz platforms and language learning apps to videoconferencing tools and learning management systems.

That said, all tools of e learning can be grouped into four categories. Let's review each of them.

Communication Tools

Communication is essential whether you need to drop a line to a research paper writer or ask your teacher some questions. That's why communication tools are irreplaceable in online courses – and why all e learning platforms include them.

Communication tools can serve two goals

Fostering teamwork and building a sense of community between learners;
Facilitating the student-teacher exchanges.

Here are a few examples of communication tools used in online learning:

Online forums, chats, and discussion boards;
Videoconferencing applications like Zoom and Skype;
Email and instant messaging apps like Slack or Discord.

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

Learning management systems are the software that allows educators to create, upload, and manage online course content easily. They also facilitate delivering online courses and monitoring learners' progress.

Here are five key features of any LMS:

Social learning and communication tools for educators and learners;
Analytics and reporting to track the group and individual progress;
Course management to create online courses, enroll learners, set deadlines, and more;
Virtual classrooms and video conferencing tools;
Gamified learning activities and quizzes.

Some educational institutions have custom LMS for their online programs and courses. Others use the off-the-shelf systems dominating the e learning industry, such as:

Khan Academy;

Digital Learning Games

Gamification of the learning process improves student engagement, motivation to study, and knowledge retention. How? Playing games is fun and effortless; that draws learners in and makes them more attentive.

So, it's no wonder gamified learning is a must-have for any e-learning platform these days – and why it helped create standalone online learning gamification apps, too.

Here are a few examples of games that can be used in online programs:

Prodigy Math Game;

Online Learning Materials

This is the 'miscellaneous' category of e-learning tools. It includes all the materials that don't fit into the categories above. Typically, these aren't standalone apps; they are educational content students can use in distance learning.

This content can come in various formats, such as:

Reading materials (articles, e-books, etc.);
Workbooks and activity notebooks;
Printables.

Sesame Street and PBS Kids are two good examples of online learning materials for kids. For college students, those can include topic-specific YouTube channels, pre-recorded video lectures (e.g., MIT OpenCourseware), and websites like Open Culture.

5 Studying Online Tips

Online learning, despite all of its perks, comes with certain challenges. It requires students to take charge of their learning process, which can be a tough feat for some.

So, if you're taking or plan to take an online course, keep in mind these five studying online tips that'll help you ace it.

Keep Yourself Laser-Focused

Your ability to concentrate can depend on many factors. Your physical needs (hungry or sleepy students are rarely productive), your mood, and your environment are just a few.

In e-learning, there's no one-size-fits-all trick that will make you laser-focused by magic. So, think back to all the times you were most concentrated. What do they have in common? Where and when is it easier for you to focus?

Based on your answers, develop corresponding habits. If the right playlist kicks in your focus, make it a habit to use your noise-canceling headphones when studying. Schedule your study sessions accordingly if you learn best late in the evening.

Polish Off Your Digital Skills

You don't want the lack of digital skills to stand in the way of your online education, right?

You probably won't need to develop them from scratch – you've probably been using a laptop and smartphone since you were a kid. Still, it's worth checking if you have the right digital skills for online learning.

These skills include:

Using online learning tools efficiently;
Collaborating and developing relationships online;
Having the right online safety and data security habits;
Troubleshooting common software and hardware issues.

If you need to use a new tool for an online class, set aside time to familiarize yourself with it in advance.

Find the Right Study Space

Since you don't have a physical classroom to signal to your brain, 'It's time to study,' you'll need to find a dedicated study space for online learning. Of course, you should use this space only to study; otherwise, this trick won't work.

Your study space can be a library, living room, or even a nearby coworking space. But before you choose it, make sure it's:

Quiet and comfortable;
Spacious enough;
Equipped with a reliable internet connection;
Tidy and neat.

Get Ahead of Common Distractions

You often see this advice on lists of studying online tips, and that's not without reason. Distractions are what break your concentration, by definition. So, to be a productive learner, you need to stay ahead of them.

Here are three actionable tips to help you avoid common distractions:

Put away your phone somewhere you can't see it (and put off your smartwatch if you wear one);
Install an impulse blocker on your laptop if you can't help opening YouTube or another website unrelated to studying;
Put on noise-canceling headphones to tune out the noise.

Know Where to Turn to for Help

If you feel you can't manage online learning for one reason or another, don't hesitate to reach out for help. Share your struggles with your teacher or fellow students. Or, find a ' write my essays for me ' service.

So, is online education good or bad? The answer depends on you, whether you're a learner or an educator.

If you, as a student, can keep yourself disciplined and motivated to pursue an online program, you can reap all the benefits of online learning. And if you, as an educator, can find ways to foster collaboration and engagement despite the constraints of a virtual classroom, your students will become more productive learners.

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Pros and Cons of Online Learning Essay Example

Are we failing our children with online learning? Online schooling is when students work their assigned schedule doing their school work. Students are failing themselves with doing online learning because of how students learn. In all, in-person learning is more beneficial than online learning.

Why is online learning failing our students? Online learning is causing students to self isolate themselves. Self-isolation can ruin students' learning by making them feel depressed and they may feel like they have less motivation. Some students who are not responsible, or willing to do their work on a normal basis, feel as if they have their own schedule to complete whenever they want. Self-isolation can make students feel as if they are alone, making them hide or keep away from reality. Some students just do the work to get a grade with no effort. Online classes have a 10% to 20% chance of students failing than students in in-person learning. In total 40% to 80% of students have dropped out of online schooling due to bad grades and online schooling not being helpful. Another thing about online learning is that the students have no one to guide them. Students have no one to raise their hand to for questions or if they are confused to get help with the answer they're looking for. Without being able to raise their hand and leave some of their ideas and thoughts they begin to not build up new connections and with little interaction with other students, it can make them very self-observant.

Online learning leaves students with too much freedom and flexibility, causing students to go above and beyond on their assignments. It can also leave students dumbfounded. Students have no one to remind them of missing or late assignments making students procrastinate. Procrastination can cause students to rush their thoughts and overthink and be stressed when doing work. Procrastination can make students go by their own schedule making them think as if they can do whatever they want whenever they want. According to Ohio State News, more than 70% of the time students procrastinate in online schooling. Students go by their own schedule. When at home students have so many distractions around them like electronic devices, animals, family, and even loud noises. With students getting distracted it could make the student stop what they are doing and continue to do what made them get distracted. When students get behind on online schooling, they miss out on their full education. Yes, it might give them more time and help them, but it can make them lose motivation for everything.

Social skills with online education aren't that helpful. Online learning ruins students’ social skills leaving students very quiet and withdrawn. In-person learning helps students with in-school students have the chance to improve their social skills. In-school can make students better at communication and their learning skills and can help you with jobs. By doing better with social skills you are learning to be more independent and mature. You learn new things and it can make you know more or be more prepared for jobs. If you wanted to be a teacher and you were in an online school, you wouldn't have any social skills or might not like communicating, causing them to not talk much.

In conclusion, students doing online schooling are most likely at risk of failing or falling behind than people who are in-person learning. In my opinion, I believe that online learning is not as beneficial and can lead to risks of behavior, social skills, and even failure in one's own education. Online schooling could lead the students to feel ways. What will you do next time you see someone struggling with online schooling? Online schooling is not beneficial and schools should not recommend students to do it for their own education.

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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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Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Learning: IELTS Writing Task 2 Topic

You must write at least 250 words for IELTS Writing Task 2. You will be given a topic and evaluated on your abilities to answer by expressing and defending your viewpoint, explaining the topic, summarising facts, describing challenges, identifying potential alternatives, and illustrating what you write with explanations, claims, and specific examples from your own expertise or experience.

Today we will read about a very popular topic “Advantages and disadvantages of online learning essay”.

So, let’s get started.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Topic: Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Classes

Let us help you in your IELTS writing preparation with an interesting and informative topic. Read all the 3 sample answers and learn how to approach a topic in different ways.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Classes Sample Answer One for IELTS Writing Task 2

Online teaching and learning have grown in popularity among students in recent times, and this is viewed differently by different learners. Many students see this as a helpful learning tool, although others believe it is not as successful as classroom instruction. This article would explore the benefits and drawbacks of digital education.

Also Read: Importance of Art in Society: IELTS Essay Sample for IELTS Writing Task 2 Explained for Band 8

Advantages of Online Classes Essay

Students who study online have more flexibility in their schedules and spend less money on their education. They will study their desired courses and subjects at their own pace. This is a fantastic opportunity for learners to learn new skills and expand their experience while remaining in the comfort of their own home. For example, a Nepali student seeking an Australian degree in business administration does not need to travel to Australia; he can train and complete the course while remaining at home. As a result, distance learning is both cost-effective and time-efficient.

Disadvantages of Studying Online

That being said, online classes offer more emphasis on the analytical aspect of learning and there is less instructor and student contact. It ignores realistic learning elements and encourages passive learning. It is clear that students perceive it to be less successful than classroom instruction. According to a new survey, a larger percentage of students considered classroom instruction to be much more successful than digital education.

Conclusion: Merits and Demerits of Online Teaching

In conclusion, the ever-increasing availability of digital education has gained traction among young adults for many years and is viewed as helpful by many and less successful by others. The focus should be placed on its efficacy in order to identify it as the most cost-effective learning method other than classroom instruction.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Classes Sample Answer Two for IELTS Writing Task 2

Recently, the course has grown in popularity, resulting in more excellent learning options for students. While this movement may have some benefits, it may also have some risks and challenges as a result. Both sides of learning will be addressed in more detail in the following chapters. On the one hand, distance education has certain benefits. For starters, the simplicity of distance learning is essential.

Also Read: IELTS Essay in Writing Task 2: Here’s How to Organize it Well

There is no time constraint and the online classroom and teacher are (theoretically) accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As a result, students will stick to their schedules without impacting their learning outcomes.

Second, the advantage of learning is that it saves resources. Tuition at online schools is often smaller than at conventional universities. Building repairs, grounds maintenance, food service, class accessories, and other expenses that impact the cost of credits are not needed.

Learners, on the other hand, may suffer from a number of disadvantages of simulated learning. To continue, students can encounter technical issues, which can have a variety of implications.

Furthermore, some students are not equipped with the good internet access that online courses necessitate, and therefore fall behind their simulated classmates: poor monitors find it difficult to obey the course Management.

The system, as well as their learning process, becomes troublesome. Another downside to digital education is the scarcity of accreditation and the poor standard of instruction. The growing demand for digital education has resulted in an uncontrollable proliferation of colleges, including some unregulated schools, and there is no way to check the content of all courses. As a consequence, illegal organisations can con several students out of money.

Finally, online education can be helpful in terms of scheduling flexibility and reduced tuition. However, immersive learning has some drawbacks, including poor student conditions and a lack of quality control over classes.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Classes Sample Answer Three for IELTS Writing Task 2

These days, online learning is becoming increasingly popular. Many conventional colleges began to make their classes available for free. It represents a simple and convenient way to gain expertise in almost any area, from law and accounting to social sciences such as sociology, anthropology, and history. Digital education is a fantastic alternative to conventional universities, particularly for people who do not have the time or resources to attend traditional universities. So what are the benefits and drawbacks of online learning?

Also Read: Opinion Essay for IELTS: How to Plan and Write a Perfect Opinion Essay?

While many people still believe that traditional colleges are the only way to gain expertise and obtain a diploma, digital education has proven to be an excellent option. Students should study on their own time, and particularly for free. It is an excellent way to learn a variety of subjects while still increasing self-motivation. Online learning is so successful because students can complete their assignments easily, leaving more time for hobbies or job search.

Access to all of the opportunities of a typical course allows learners to practise wherever they are, giving them the opportunity to prepare wherever they choose. An individual may attend various courses with only an Internet connection. Students’ accountability and self-discipline are among the benefits of digital learning.

Limitations of Online Learning

An individual can only learn properly in a small group. Learners learn at school how to make new friends, be polite, deal with failure, and, most importantly, compete. Competition among colleagues can be very exciting, and students can learn greatly from it. Human contact is not possible for digital learning.

Another drawback is that online classes cannot handle the thousands of students who attempt to participate in debates. Furthermore, if digital education is intended for disciplines that need preparation, it can be challenging.

Conclusion of Studying Online

Finally, digital education can be seen as a supplement to and expansion to traditional ways of learning. Even the best online course cannot completely substitute physical interaction with an instructor or the human connections formed in a group. As a result, standard classes can not be replaced by digital learning.

Any essay can be satisfactory if addressed correctly. It is critical to remember in IELTS writing that each type of essay necessitates a different approach. In the case of an ‘advantage and disadvantage’ essay, a mixture of solid structure and appropriate data is a game-changer. As a result, in order to achieve a 9 band in your exam, you must devote some time to planning and structuring your essay.

If you need more assistance on this, you can simply visit IELTS Ninja .

Also Read: How to Write Agree and Disagree Essays in IELTS? Tips to Write the Perfect Essay

One Comment

Thank you for providing the advantages and disadvantages of the online learning, but many prefer online learning over self study, what do you think about it?

About the Author

Madhurjya chowdhury.

Madhurjya Chowdhury, a web content writer in Ufaber EduTech has a very strong passion for writing and alluring the readers. You can find him writing articles for the betterment of exam aspirants and children. With immense interest in research-based content writing and copywriting, he likes to reach out to more and more people with his creative writing style. On the other side, he is an Electronics and Communication Engineer from LPU, Jalandhar. In his leisure time, he likes to play badminton or read about space discoveries. Apart from this, he is a pro gamer on PC, PS and Mobile gaming platforms.

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The Pros and Cons of Online Education: Is an Online Degree Worth It?

With the convenience and flexibility online learning offers, it's no surprise that more and more people are exploring the idea of earning their degrees through digital classrooms. But, like any significant life choice, it's a decision that requires careful consideration.

In this blog, we're going to unravel the pros and cons of online degrees to help you determine if it's the right path for you, and guide you through the process of deciding whether an online university is right for you.

Online Education

Online education, also known as e-learning, is a learning method that takes place over the internet. Instead of attending physical classes on a campus, you can access educational content, interact with instructors, and collaborate with fellow students through online platforms and tools.

The roots of online education trace back to the 1960s when computers were becoming more accessible. It was a time of experimentation and innovation.

Fast forward to today, and online education has reached an unprecedented level of accessibility and sophistication. With the advent of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and remote learning platforms, you can pursue degrees, certificates, and lifelong learning opportunities from some of the world's most prestigious institutions without setting foot on a physical campus.

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Is an Online Degree Worth it?

Similar to traditional degrees, an online degree paves the way to diverse career prospects and opportunities. To determine whether an online degree is worth it, let’s weigh its pros and cons.

Pros of an Online Degree

1. flexibility and convenience.

Online education is like your personal education concierge. It allows you to pursue your degree while accommodating your work, family, or other commitments.

The flexibility of online education lets you choose when and where you study, allowing you to harness your peak productivity hours and create an environment that suits your learning style .

2. Access to Diverse Programs

Online learning knows no bounds. You can explore a vast array of degrees and specializations, often offered by esteemed institutions.

From business and healthcare to art and technology, the digital world of education is your oyster. Are the universities of your dreams situated halfway across the world?

Online education erases geographical limitations, bringing those institutions closer to you. You can access top-tier programs without leaving your home.

3. Cost-Efficiency

Online degrees often come with lower tuition fees . Add in the savings from commuting and on-campus living expenses, and you'll see your budget breathe a sigh of relief.

Worried about financing your education? Many online programs offer financial aid and scholarships to eligible students.

With some research and determination, you can reduce the financial burden and make your education affordable.

4. Customized Learning Experience

We all learn differently. Online education understands this and allows you to adapt the pace of your learning to your individual strengths and needs.

You're not racing against a class; you're progressing according to your unique timeline. Self-paced learning enhances your understanding and retention of course material.

No need to rush through topics; you can linger where needed and breeze through what you've mastered.

5. Interactive Digital Resources

Online education leverages multimedia tools, simulations, and vibrant online communities to make learning engaging and interactive.

You're not just reading textbooks; you're experiencing content through videos, simulations, and discussions. The digital world of education is dynamic and interactive.

You're not just a passive listener; you actively participate in discussions, collaborate with peers, and immerse yourself in the learning process.

6. Skill Development and Career Advancement

Online programs are often designed to align with industry demands and trends. You're learning skills that are not just theoretical but highly applicable in the real world.

Online education allows you to personalize your coursework, focusing on areas that align with your career aspirations and goals. You're not just a student; you're a future professional.

7. Professional Growth

Online education can be your bridge to balancing work experience with ongoing education. You can gain valuable on-the-job experience while earning your degree, enhancing your resume and career prospects.

Online degrees are widely recognized in the professional world. They can open doors to career advancement, new job opportunities, and increased earning potential.

Cons and Potential Challenges

1. limited face-to-face interaction.

One of the primary drawbacks of online education is the lack of face-to-face interaction with instructors and peers. In a traditional classroom, you can ask questions, engage in live discussions, and build meaningful relationships .

In the digital world, the physical barrier can make communication less personal. However, most online courses offer alternative ways to interact, such as discussion forums, live chats, or video conferencing.

It might not be the same, but with active participation, you can still create a sense of community.

2. Self-Discipline and Time Management

Online education requires a high degree of self-discipline and time management . You're in charge of setting your own schedule, which can be a blessing and a curse.

Without the structure of a traditional classroom, it's easy to procrastinate or fall behind. To succeed, you'll need to establish a routine, set goals, and stick to deadlines. Tools like calendars and to-do lists can be your best friends in this endeavor.

3. Limited Hands-On Experience

Certain fields of study, such as laboratory sciences or art, may require hands-on experience that can be challenging to replicate online.

While some programs provide virtual labs and simulations, they might not completely replace the physical experience. In such cases, it's important to explore blended learning options that combine online and in-person components.

4. Reduced Hands-On Faculty Support

In a traditional classroom, you can approach your instructors for immediate clarification and guidance. Online, you might need to wait for email responses or schedule virtual office hours.

While most online instructors are supportive, it's important to be proactive in seeking assistance and connecting with your professors.

Finding The Right Online Degree

1. research the accreditation status of online institutions.

The first step in finding the right online degree is ensuring that the institution is accredited. Accreditation ensures that your degree is recognized and respected by employers and other institutions. Do your homework and verify that your chosen online institution holds proper accreditation from recognized accrediting bodies.

2. Identify Reputable Online Programs and Avoid Potential Scams

While most online programs are legitimate, it's crucial to identify reputable ones and steer clear of potential scams. Look for reviews, ask for recommendations, and verify the institution's history. Trustworthy programs are transparent about their offerings, faculty, and academic standards.

3. Seek Opportunities for Hands-On Experiences, Internships, and Projects

Online learning is fantastic, but practical experience is equally vital for your growth. Look for programs that offer opportunities for internships, hands-on projects, or real-world application of your learning. These experiences not only enhance your knowledge but also make you more marketable to potential employers.

4. Integrate Theoretical Knowledge with Real-World Application

The best online programs strike a balance between theory and practice. Seek out programs that help you bridge the gap between classroom knowledge and real-world application. These are the degrees that empower you to excel in your chosen field.

5. Reflect on Personal Learning Preferences and Strengths

Take a moment to reflect on your learning preferences and strengths. Are you highly self-motivated and disciplined? Or do you thrive in a more interactive and structured environment? Understanding your learning style is crucial in choosing the right online degree.

6. Consider Factors Like Learning Autonomy and Interaction

Factors like learning autonomy and interaction are essential. If you prefer independence and the ability to set your own pace, a fully online program might be your ideal match. If you value real-time interactions and group learning, you might lean towards a hybrid or traditional classroom setting.

Is an Online Degree Right For You?

Deciding if an online degree is the right path for you is a significant step in your educational journey. It's all about finding the right fit for your individual circumstances, preferences, and goals.

Online degrees are particularly well-suited for those who need the flexibility to balance work, family, or other commitments with their education.

If you're a self-motivated, disciplined learner who can manage your time effectively, the online format might align perfectly with your learning style.

On the other hand, if you thrive on face-to-face interactions and the physical presence of an instructor, traditional classroom learning might be a better match. It's important to assess your specific needs, your ability to stay organized and focused, and your learning preferences to make an informed decision.

If you’re still unsure whether an online degree is right for you, or need more guidance, our expert strategists can help! Crimson helps you find the perfect school for you and guide you through the admission process from A to Z!

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Essay on Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Study

Online study has become a trend and more schools are opting for it with each passing day; more so, in the wake of COVID-19 lockdown. I am giving below three essays of varying lengths covering the advantages and disadvantages of online study.

Short and Long Essay on Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Study in English

You should go through these to know more about all the pros and cons of the online study:

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Study Essay 10 Lines (100 – 150 Words)

1) Online study refers to the process of gaining knowledge via the internet.

2) It is really the convenient way of studying.

3) Online study saves your precious time and money.

4) You can study online from any corner of the world.

5) Variety of courses are available while studying online.

6) In an online study a good study environment is missing.

7) Subjects that involve practical knowledge cannot be easily understood in online studies.

8) Sitting in front of electronic gadgets for a long time causes health hazards.

9) Online study lacks physical interaction between students and teachers.

10) Online study is for those students who can generate self-discipline.

Essay 1 (250 Words) – Online Study: Good or Bad for Students

Introduction

Online study is becoming popular due to its convenience and easy operation. In the essay, I have given below some advantages and disadvantages of the online study method.

The online method of study has several advantages. It is very convenient as both you and your teacher can interact from the convenience of your respective homes. You can also ask questions and raise queries as you use to do in the classroom.

The online study method becomes more important in case of a natural calamity of emergency. The perfect example in this regard is the recent COVID 19 pandemic that the world is still recovering from. To date, many schools are running online classes, for the safety of students. Online study is indeed a safer alternative to school education.

Disadvantages

Apart from numerous advantages, the online method of the study also presents certain disadvantages. It lacks the filled with enthusiasm kind of environment presented by a classroom. The lively and joyful ambience of a classroom is usually lacking in an online session. Teachers and students interact with each other only on subject matters on one by one basis.

Moreover, overexposure to gadgets presents its own health hazards like headache, weak eyesight and lack of concentration, etc.

Despite the disadvantages, the online study method proved to be beneficial in certain specific conditions. When it is not advisable to leave your home, or it isn’t convenient for you, then in that case online study becomes a blessing in disguise.

Essay 2 (400 Words) – Disadvantages of Online Study

The online system of education has both advantages and disadvantages. We will discuss the advantages in the next essay, in this essay we will concentrate only on the disadvantages. I have given below some of the main disadvantages of online study.

How Online Study is not Good for Students

Despite being advantageous in many ways, the online system of the study also has several disadvantages. Please find below some of the important disadvantages of online study.

Self-Controlled

The success of an online session depends only on your own conduct that on anything else. How keen you are on learning things will decide whether the session was beneficial or not. Your teacher might not be able to see you, so you are at your liberty. It depends on how well you control your deflections and concentrates on the session.

Depends on Honesty

This is a significant shortcoming of online study. While in the classroom you have the continuous attention of your teacher; he/she doesn’t have that liberty in an online class. He/she relies completely on how honestly the students attend the class. It isn’t possible for them to watch everyone in an online session.

Only Course Related Communication

Often an online classroom session is only to the point where the only subject matter is discussed. The usual classroom atmosphere where the teacher personally interacts and crack jokes is absent. In a classroom teacher can talk about several other things while in an online class he/she only teaches the subject.

Over Exposure to Screen

Online study requires electronic screen gadgets to conduct the classes. Students have to stare into the screens for long hours, sometimes 2 to 3 hours continuously. Such a long exposure top screen has its own impacts on health depending on individual immunity levels. However, it may cause headaches, vision issues in some people.

Limited Interaction

Though the interaction between teacher and student in an online session is uninterrupted; nevertheless, it is also limited. The teacher has to attend to the queries of other students as well, so he/she may not be in a condition to give more than a couple of minutes to each student.

Nothing is perfect; nor is the online study method. It sure has its own disadvantages; nevertheless, it can prove really advantageous in certain critical situations. For example, in the wake of the lockdown following the COVID-19 pandemic, it came as a blessing in disguise for many schools and their students.

Essay on Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Study

Essay 3 (500 – 600 Words) – How Online Study is Good for Students

Online study is a digital mode of education wherein the teacher and students interact using digital devices like laptops, smartphones, tabs, etc. This method of study has become a trend today as it is the best option in case of pandemic spread wherein it is advisable to not leave home. In wake of the COVID-19 pandemic many schools have taken up the online mode of studies and are doing fairly well.

How Online Study is Good for Students

Online mode of study has its own advantages. It is convenient and also a very cheap method of study. Given below are some of the main advantages of online study.

Online mode of study is a convenient method both for the students as well as the teachers. Both can actively participate in a knowledgeable session without even stepping out of their houses. They just need to have access to a good internet network and device to connect. You can sit comfortably in your room with the required textbooks and attend a class with your classmates.

Online study is pretty cheap that convention school education, due to a couple of reasons. Firstly, you need not to spend even a penny on your transportation to school and back; secondly, all the other miscellaneous expenses at school get reduced. Sometimes even the textbooks are also available online and are priced much lower than the hard copies. You can download one at your convenience and they all have the same content as real books. In fact, you only need to spend on the internet connection, that’s all!

There is absolutely no doubt that the online study is a safe alternative in case of a threat. It could be a blessing in disguise if it is too dangerous to step out of your house. We all are well aware of the COVID 19 pandemic that has put the entire planet under lockdown. Also, students don’t come in physical proximity with each other, thereby, reducing the possibility of disease spread. Thankfully, students are attending regular online classes and don’t have to fall back on course.

Flexibility

Online study has tremendous potential in terms of flexibility of curses and curriculums. There are some universities that provide online certificate courses in whichever subject you chose. Everything from registration to exam is carried out through online mode. Also, there is flexibility in time. If you joined a little late, you need not to worry, as the session gets recorded and you can review it anytime.

Another advantage of online education that it reduces the use of paper. The paper requirement for a digital mode of study is almost negligible as compared to a classroom system. You only need to take notes in your textbook while your teacher can do well without any paper. Moreover, online study tests are also conducted online; thereby, reducing the possibility of paper use.

Overcome Hesitation

Online study has much better student-teacher interaction than in the case of a classroom environment. Distractions usually present in a classroom, are absent in an online session, letting the students concentrate on the lecture. Moreover, students become more responsive in an online class as they overcome their hesitation in only a one to one interaction with the teacher.

An online mode of study is a fusion of technology and education. It indicates how well an education system can take advantage of new technology and strive for growth and improvement. This mode of education could be a step towards revolutionizing the education system in a never seen before form.

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

Ans . The University of Toronto introduced the first online course in the world.

Ans . Jonathan Rochelle invented the Google classroom app meant for online teaching.

Ans . The term e-learning was coined by Elliott Masie.

Ans . E-Learning begins in India in 2006 and was initiated through a project E-Gyankosh by IGNOU.

Ans . It enables the students to study from any place with a proper internet connection.

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Advantages and disadvantages of studying an online course (Corrected Essay)

In the last decade, there has been a great increase in the number and variety of online courses available to adults. This has been welcomed as a great opportunity by many students, however, other students see these courses as less effective than classroom teaching.

Topic: In the last decade, there has been a great increase in the number and variety of online courses available to adults. This has been welcomed as a great opportunity by many students, however, other students see these courses as less effective than classroom teaching.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying an online course?

Sample answer

In recent years, distance teaching and learning has become increasingly popular among the students and this is perceived differently by learners. Many students perceive this as a beneficial aid in learning while others think that they are not as much effective as classroom teaching. This essay will discuss about the merits and demerits of distant learning.

Studying an online course provides a flexible timing and less budgeted learning for students. They are able to learn their desire course and subjects on their suitable time. This gives a great opportunity for learners to gain new skills and strengthen their knowledge level staying in their own place. For instance, a Nepali student who wants an Australian degree in business management course does not have to stay in Australia, he can study online and complete course staying at his home. Hence, distant learning is economic and time saving.

However, online courses give more emphasis on the theoretical part of learning and there is less teacher and student interaction. It lacks the practical aspects of learning and encourage the passive learning. This is very obvious that students find it as a less effective learning than in the classroom. A recent study suggests that a greater number of students found classroom teaching far more effective than the distance learning.

In conclusion, the ever growing availability of online learning has gained its popularity among the young adults for many years, which is perceived as beneficial by many people while others find it to be less effective. The emphasis can be given to its effectiveness to establish it as the most cost effective learning than the classroom teaching.

(Written by Susa Dhakal)

In recent years, distance teaching and learning has become increasingly popular among the students , and this trend is perceived differently by learners. Many students perceive this it as a beneficial aid an improvement in learning techniques, while others think that they are it is not as much effective as classroom teaching learning . This essay will discuss about the merits and demerits of distant learning.

There is no need to start your essay with a general present time expression like “in recent years”, especially if you have used the present perfect progressive tense.

In the first sentence, since you use the word “has”, you can only write “distance learning” (singular), not “distance teaching and learning” (plural).

You only mention students in the first sentence, so talking about “teaching” is inappropriate. If you had mentioned both the teachers and students, then “distance teaching and learning” would have been a fine approach.

“And this is perceived differently by learners.” It is unclear whether “this” could be interpreted as which object. This kind of mistake is called “unclear antecedent”, and I suggest you write more clearly.

Generally, English speakers do not say “beneficial aid”. And it is usually used as “financial assistance”, rather than “improvement”

Remember to put a comma before a subordinate conjunction (“and”), or a relative pronoun (“which”).

“to discuss” does not go with a preposition.

The last sentence in this introduction is decent. The author has written a concise thesis statement. He also does not state his own opinion, which is good since it isn’t required by the topic question.

Good use of lexical resource here: “distance learning”, “classroom teaching”.

Studying in an online course provides a flexible timing schedule and less budgeted expense learning for the students. They are able to learn their desire desired course and subjects on their suitable time. This gives a great opportunity for learners to gain new skills and strengthen accumulate their knowledge level , while still staying in their own place. For instance, a Nepali student who wants an Australian degree in business management course does not have to stay in Australia, because he can study online and complete course by staying at his home. Hence, distant learning is economic economically efficient and time saving time-saving .

“ Timing ” as a noun is only used as “a particular moment”, not “ a schedule ”. On the other hand, the verb “to time” can be used as “to plan a schedule”.

You should learn more synonyms of “ schedule ”. You are showing your weak point in Lexical Resources here.

The correct collocation here is “ to accumulate knowledge ”, not “ to strengthen knowledge ”.

Don’t forget the hyphen in the word “ time-saving ”

Forget to use prepositions and/or articles will make it hard to you to get above 7 in Grammatical Range & Accuracy.

While the author has written a good topic sentence, his idea and evidence are kinda repetitive in this paragraph.

However, online courses give more emphasis on the theoretical part of learning and there is less teacher and student teacher-student interaction. It lacks the practical aspects of learning and encourage encourages the passive learning. This is very obvious that As a result, students find it as a less effective learning method than that of in the classroom. A recent study suggests that a greater number of students found classroom teaching far more effective than the distance learning teaching .

Good coherence. The second body paragraph is used solely to support the notion of classroom learning, while the first one is for e-learning. And the paragraph structure is decent.

Avoid using phrase like “a recent study”. Which study is the author referring to? It is impossible to get reference in the IELTS exam.

There are many grammar mistakes throughout the whole essay.

Good lexical resource: teacher-student interaction, practical aspects of learning, passive learning.

In conclusion, the ever growing availability of online learning has gained its popularity among the young adults for many years, which is perceived as beneficial by many people while others find it to be less effective. The emphasis can be given to its effectiveness to establish it as the most a more cost effective cost-effective learning method than the classroom teaching.

The last sentence is very wordy and ungrammatical. In addition, it is not a good conclusion, due to the fact that the author does not mention the idea of teacher-student interaction. If the author only supports the argument for e-learning, then it looks like he is giving his own opinion - which isn’t required. Stay faithful to your ideas and evidences.

“more than”, not “most than”.

Overall: 7.0

Task Response: 7

✓ addresses all parts of the task (the author writes more than 250 words) ✓ presents a clear position throughout the response (the conclusion is kinda unclear, but overall the author has done well) ✓ presents, extends and supports main ideas, but there may be a tendency to overgeneralise and/or supporting ideas may lack focus (the author has provided evidences and/or examples for his arguments)

Coherence and Cohesion: 7

✓ logically organises information and ideas; there is clear progression throughout

✓ uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under-/over-use (the author needs to use more connectives and less “this is”)

✓ presents a clear central topic within each paragraph (the author has done well on this part)

Lexical Resource: 7

✓ uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision

✓ uses less common lexical items with some awareness of style and collocation (various mistakes in terms of collocation makes it impossible to rate this criterion more than 7)

✓ may produce occasional errors in word choice, spelling and/or word formation

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: 6

✓ uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms ✓ makes some errors in grammar and punctuation but they rarely reduce communication (there are only 2 error-free sentences in the whole essay, so it’s impossible to give a 7+ score on this criterion)

----------------------------------------------------------

This essay is corrected by Anh Tran - Let's Write Something Group .

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Online Education: Pros and Cons
With the help of online education, they can plan their study themselves, taking into consideration their working schedule, family needs, and amount of spare time. As for the second argument of this side, it is also good because people study themselves depending only upon their wish, and no teacher can make them study (Deane, 2005, pp. 34 - 54).
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19. Essay on online education: Online education has exploded in popularity, with over 20 million students taking at least one online course. Since its inception, many have questioned whether or not online learning is the future of education. While proponents claim that online learning is more efficient, affordable, and convenient than ...
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3. Create an Outline. Before diving headfirst into writing your essay, take some time to map out a clear outline of what points you plan to cover. Making an outline is especially important when crafting persuasive essays as it will help guide readers smoothly. 4.
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Learning. In their study, Kaplan and Haenlein argue that parents are sharply divided on the introduction of online classes (445). A good number of parents are in support, while others say that machines cannot replace the human element. George, a professional in the banking sector and a parent of a ...
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Self-isolation can make students feel as if they are alone, making them hide or keep away from reality. Some students just do the work to get a grade with no effort. Online classes have a 10% to 20% chance of students failing than students in in-person learning. In total 40% to 80% of students have dropped out of online schooling due to bad ...
Pros and Cons of Online Education
A white paper that lists the advantages and disadvantages of online learning, such as convenience, cost, technology, social interaction, and assessment. It also provides some questions to help educators and students consider the pros and cons of online education.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Learning: IELTS ...
Advantages of Online Classes Essay. There is no time constraint and the online classroom and teacher are (theoretically) accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As a result, students will stick to their schedules without impacting their learning outcomes. Second, the advantage of learning is that it saves resources.
The Pros and Cons of Online Education: Is an Online Degree Worth It?
It allows you to pursue your degree while accommodating your work, family, or other commitments. The flexibility of online education lets you choose when and where you study, allowing you to harness your peak productivity hours and create an environment that suits your learning style. 2. Access to Diverse Programs.
Full article: Online Education: Worldwide Status, Challenges, Trends
Online education is on track to become mainstream by 2025. This editorial documents country-level factors that impact quantity and quality of online education. ... Citation 1994; Alavi & Leidner, Citation 2001) and over the years there has been increasing interest in online business education research. This essay is both timely and significant ...
Essay on Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Study
You should go through these to know more about all the pros and cons of the online study: Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Study Essay 10 Lines (100 - 150 Words) 1) Online study refers to the process of gaining knowledge via the internet. 2) It is really the convenient way of studying. 3) Online study saves your precious time and money.
Online teaching vs the classroom: The pros and cons
The pros and cons. Kearney said the transition to online teaching presents unique challenges, not least of which is adapting traditional classroom workflows to digital platforms. "The pace of online lessons tends to be quicker, demanding a reevaluation of lesson timing and content delivery," he said. "For teachers navigating this new ...
Advantages and disadvantages of studying an online course (Corrected Essay)
Studying an online course provides a flexible timing and less budgeted learning for students. They are able to learn their desire course and subjects on their suitable time. This gives a great opportunity for learners to gain new skills and strengthen their knowledge level staying in their own place.

The pros and cons of online learning

Pros of Online Learning

1. Flexibility

2. Community

3. Latest information

Cons of Online Learning

1. Learning environment

2. Repetition

3. Underestimation

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

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Make Your Point: Tips and Examples for Writing a Persuasive Essay About Online Education

Examples of Persuasive Essays About Online Education

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Pros and Cons of Online Learning: A Comprehensive Approach

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Essay On Online Education: In 100 Words, 150 Words, and 200 Words

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Pros and Cons of Online Learning

6 Advantages of Online Education

They're Convenient

They're Easier to Participate In

They Make Education Easier to Access

They're More Time-Efficient & Flexible

They Facilitate Access to Resources

They Boost Creative Teaching

4 Disadvantages Online Class Comes With

They Require More Effort to Focus

They Make Collaboration Harder

They Depend on Technology Working Smoothly

They Require Certain Computer Literacy Skills

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