The Good and Bad of Online Education
Online courses are here to stay, we can’t deny that. But re-creating the experience of a traditional classroom in a virtual environment is really a tricky feat. So do you really think that the advancement of online programs can replace the brick and mortal school? Let’s weigh the good and the bad:
The Good
Choosing online classes means learning from your own convenient environment. You may even review your classwork when you are on the go by using wireless internet. It is really convenient for those who need to make money but want to learn so they can take their classes wherever they are. And yes there are still deadlines for homework assignments and projects; the time you take to complete each project or lesson is not really a big issue. In fact, some online classes don’t have any form of lecture.
The Bad
There are limited interactions in an online class, unlike in a traditional lecture where every class offers a lot of room for discussion and various perspectives on the same issues.
The Good
Virtual classroom means less physical appearance. If you have something to say with a particular matter, you don’t have to raise your hand and speak in front of the entire class. Instead, you can simply post a comment or a question online. You may also specify who can view your posted comment or who may answer your question: whether you want your professor to view it or just your classmates.
The Bad
When you are facing technical difficulties you can’t do anything else. Imagine you are in the middle of your online test then it suddenly closes because your internet connection was interrupted? Terrible! How about you submit your homework assignment and your professor can’t view it because it is not compatible with Firefox or Safari. Those issues can really be very stressful; though it can happen in physical classrooms as well.
The Good
Everything is possible with the internet. There are huge resources of information always available online. If you lose your syllabus you can download it from your class blackboard or if you forget your professor’s lecture from the previous week, you may watch the video again and again at any time. All these features might not be available in a traditional classroom.
Obviously, there are benefits and disadvantages of attending an online class. And we might not be able to determine whether it can replace the brick and mortar schools but what is important right now is that there are more ways of learning due to online education.