Learning is a lifelong key to success, particularly for career-oriented individuals who want to advance personally and professionally. Unfortunately, adding new challenges to our demanding and inflexible schedules is difficult for many. The solution is online learning!
Since the pandemic outbreak, online learning has become the new normal, as physical classes have converted to online classes. Finding it more convenient, many students have accepted this new normal as their advantage, as it cuts on extra costs and time compared to physical types.
People can learn about almost any subject online, at any time and from any location. Nothing is perfect, of course. Today, we will evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of online learning to help you decide if it is right for you.
Benefits of Online Classes
1. Online Classes Are More Convenient
The crucial advantage of online classes is their convenience. It is impossible to consider visiting another location before returning home. With virtual learning, you can now take classes in the comfort of your own home while wearing your favourite slippers. You require an internet connection and a computer or smartphone to get started.
2. Online Classes Are Versatile
You will get time by not travelling to a physical location to take a class, but you also have more options in choosing the best time to study with online courses. You might not be able to find a face-to-face instructor to teach you Spanish online at 3 a.m., but your options are far more significant. Finally, online courses allow you to achieve your professional and educational goals on your own time.
3. Online Classes are Less Expensive
The primary benefits of online classes are the enormous savings for the institutions. They no longer have to rely on attaining a physical location to teach courses or write 500 word essay.
This translates into more affordable classes for the student. The requirement to attend a physical classroom location quickly increases your student expenses. When you take classes online, you save money on things like books and supplies and save money on lunch and travel.
4. Online Classes Encourage More Interaction
Some people believe that traditional learning in a physical setting is the best and most natural way to interact. No one sits in the back row of an online class. Everyone is seated front and centre! The students who are reserved to ask questions in front can now be in a live, private chat with their teacher.
If a student is uncomfortable with broadcasting to the entire class, they can mute their microphone or turn off their camera while still participating in the lesson. A student’s hiding ability may appear to be a disadvantage of online courses.
In a physical classroom, the teacher is required to jot down notes on the blackboard in the hopes that students will take notes themselves. An instructor can write letters on the app’s digital whiteboard. They can even assign any student from the class to write real-time letters that students can easily download after the class with online learning.
5. Online Classes Provide More Learning Options
Do you want to learn French but never have had the right opportunity? Perhaps the small amount of time you could carve out between a full-time job and family obligations to learn how to code did not coincide with class hours at your local community centre. Was your desired course even available at a school in your area?
Disadvantages of Online Classes
1. Disruption in Internet Services
Studying in comfort from home and attending online classes from Eduessay without the need to participate in any physical class does seem luxurious. Still, technology can sometimes disrupt your comfort zone. Students usually have to face internet disruptions due to poor internet connectivity, making them miss valuable study content as the teacher continues to teach.
2. Online Classes Create a Sense of Isolation
Everyone learns in their unique way. Some students can work independently, while others find comfort in their campus community, with easy access to professors or fellow students. Students usually lose the intra-personal physical class experience while attending online classes, making them easily distracted or isolated from the class.
3. More Screen Time, Less Physical Movement
It’s almost unavoidable in 2022, but we spend an alarming amount of time in front of screens. Unfortunately, online learning contributes to this problem. Excessive screen time can lead to several physical problems, like poor posture and headaches.
However, it can also be a personal issue for students who have difficulty learning online classes, especially since the internet is designed to divert students’ attention from the learning material with social media and entertainment.
4. Lack of Self-Discipline
If students feel that they aren’t receiving adequate guidance, they may lack the self-discipline to engage in the lessons thoroughly. Moving to virtual, real-time classes rather than just online courses increases accountability.
5. Procrastination
The dark side of online classes is procrastination, where students usually delay their tasks or homework while receiving online. There is no physical teacher to hound you to submit your work on time or do your work accordingly.
Students sitting idle in their homes just waiting for their online classes fear none as there is no one to preach, beg or scold them at their work. They enjoy whiling about their time, as they continue to lose valuable study content in procrastinating their tasks.
Conclusion
There is always the wrong side of any good story. Likewise, online learning has its downside and needs to be addressed cautiously without hampering the student’s academic requirements.
However, as technological capabilities have advanced and many of the major concerns of students taking online classes have been addressed, the benefits of online classes outweigh the drawbacks.
