Online Learning: Pros and Cons

With evolving times, the ways to acquire knowledge and skills have evolved as well. What at first could only be gained in the classroom and training centers, can now be learned while in the comfort of our homes.

Online learning has indeed revolutionized the institute of education but is it all good?

Every coin has two sides and every trend, revolutionary or not, has its positive and negative aspects. Online learning is no different and that’s what we will be focusing on in this write-up.
So here we go, the pros and cons of online learning –

PROS

Flexibility

What you want to learn, where you want to learn and at what time- it’s all up to you. So you can gain knowledge at your own pace while keeping up with your other obligations. Just an hour or two, after you are done with your daily chores or the shift at work and you are ready to go.

Accessibility & Affordability

All the lectures, the courses that the internet has to offer, are accessible to you from the comfort of your house and at affordable prices. You can access them through your desktop or through your smartphones, which again are available in all price ranges. Add to that the faster yet cheaper internet services we have now.

CONS

Lack of social interaction

Learning is more fun when you have someone to do it with. At least that’s what I personally feel. Interaction with fellow students is a good way to learn more efficiently as it reinforces our understanding of the subject. Also, the connections we make hold great importance; the friendships we build make the experience more enriching. Though online learning is convenient, it takes away this important part of the whole learning process. There are forums to communicate with fellow course takers but nothing beats face-to-face interaction.

Validity

Though online learning takes as much effort and hard work, it’s not really seen as something ‘valid’ when it comes to the highly competitive market. Times are changing gradually but chances are that if it’s either an online course taker or someone who studied in the traditional classroom for a job, the choice would most probably be the later.

Additional Concerns

Apart from these points, another important aspect of online learning is Motivation. If the student is self-disciplined, driven and serious about learning, the chance of successful course completion rises significantly.
On the other hand, if the learner lacks consistency and motivation to carry on when left on their own means, the results are higher drop rates.
Moreover, constantly keeping up with technology is not everyone’s cup of tea. Online learning, though it provides an opportunity for people of all ages to learn while keeping up with their daily responsibilities, also requires a lot of effort, especially when it comes to using online tools and software.

But again- where there’s a will, there’s away. So, if you are thinking of acquiring a new skill or even a degree through online learning- go ahead and give it a try. At the end of the day, how you handle things and how comfortable you are with the process is what matters the most.