The Benefits and Drawbacks of Online Courses Online Classes
The COVID-19 virus caused online learning to become the "new standard" for a lot of us. Is that a great choice? In this blog we'll discuss the pros and disadvantages of online classes in addition to helping you determine whether online learning is the most suitable option for you.
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Benefits of online courses
The rise of online education has been a fantastic shift for many. Students who used to waste hours commuting to classes can now take part right from their homes. The pros of online classes make learning a positive experience for thousands of students. We'll review some benefits.
1. Accessibility
Online classes offer opportunities to disabled students that would be hard to implement with in-person classes. Students who are deaf can simply turn on captioning for class to be able to engage online. Students suffering from audio processing difficulties also have the option to make use of captions or replays of their lectures in order to comprehend the content.
Students suffering from cognitive or motor skill disabilities are able to learn at their own pace or take lessons when is appropriate for them. Imagine a dyslexic student having a difficult time reading assigned textbook chapters; with the advent of online learning tools like e-textbooks, they can choose to listen to it instead. Outside of the traditional educational institutions, online courses generally offer options for speeding up or slowing down the audio as well in enabling captions or learn details in many different formats.
2. Flexibility
The versatility of online learning benefits students in a variety of ways.
Attendance at your own discretion
The main benefit for online learning is that students are able to access classes anywhere. This means no more wasting time driving long distances or taking the bus in order to go to school. Students who need to be able to earn a living through the school year also have a simpler time fitting both working and school schedules into their lives.
More autonomy = better mental health
It has been established that work freedom can improve mental wellbeing among employees. For full-time students, schooling can be compared to a work that requires at minimum 40 hours per week. Being able to decide the time and location of their class can help mitigate common mental health problems like depression (18.4 percentage of college students) anxiety (23.6%) and anxiety (34.5 percent). Improved mental health can lead to happier students. surely something worth striving for!
3. Affordability
Online learning can make higher education, such as the university more accessible for the vast majority of the population. Online university degrees are an average of $10 11,000 less than traditional university degrees. This number does not consider costs for food at campus or lodging into account; this only shows tuition variations.
Learning online also opens up courses offered through course marketplaces such as Udemy
There is also a huge amount of free knowledge on websites such as YouTube. Channels like Crash Course and Khan Academy offer high-quality learning materials completely free.
4. Global Connection
You can connect to students and teachers from all over the globe through online classes. Before online learning, you would have had to travel to Hawaii to study Hawaiian traditions and cultures. Now you can join Ka hale Hoaka online school and study from the comfort of your home.
If you're studying something that's not necessarily cultural or national, learning alongside people from different backgrounds can lend fascinating perspectives and discussion to the topic. With so many courses implementing Learning Communities, it's more convenient to make connections with fellow students and hear different points of view.
5. Teacher and peer interaction
As a side note this could suggest that those who study online would not have the same level of interaction as participating in classes held in person. It could happen, however there are numerous online classes which place a high value on interaction between students between themselves, as well as with the instructor. Certain students is much easier to communicate via forums or discussions boards or by messaging the instructor and peers rather than speaking to a class in person. Students still get the benefits of discussion without having to compromise the convenience of online learning.
Some instructors also offer 1-on-1 coaching sessions for students that want to learn at that level of instruction. Isis Breanna (known as the Digital Sales Guru) provides her students with extra time with her, as well as 1-on-one coaching as well as membership plans. So, students can choose from a range of alternatives at different cost points with more teacher support.
6. Discipline and self-pacing
A lot of online courses give students an option of taking the course at their own speed. It can alleviate worries about whether the student will have time in their hectic lives to fit in two or 3 hours of course work into their week. The self-paced course is extremely flexible to busy schedules. However, it does take a fair amount of self-discipline to complete self-paced classes. I know I myself have been guilty in the past of signing up to a class and then just completing it half way through.
Students looking to improve their self-discipline can purchase classes and establish an agenda for the week to adhere to. If the class is required to earn a specific certificate or to meet certain qualifications for work or school, it can be extremely rewarding. Self-pacing provides options to students with other commitments that may that come into play.
Disadvantages of online classes
There are lots of advantages for online learning, it's important to also take into account the negatives. Some people may find that online learning isn't for those who aren't able to afford it. Let's look at some of the reasons why.
1. Time to screen
The constant exposure to digital screens can have many negative side effects for both adults and children. This can cause eye strain as well as disruptions to the circadian rhythm migraines, back and neck discomfort. When you complete online courses, you add to that screen time.
Online students need to take measures to avoid symptoms of excessive screen time especially when they're doing online work and also enrolling in classes. It could be as simple as blue light classes (though their effectiveness glasses is debated) as well as taking breaks for stretching and resting your eyes and limit screen time before sleeping. The online classes may not be the best alternative for people who are experiencing the negative side results of excessive screen time.
2. Isolation
While online classes can actually seem to be very social however, you're still usually completing them by yourself. This can be a major disadvantage - especially for students who already spend lots of time by themselves in their home. Students can overcome this sense of being isolated by working their online courses in coffee shops or libraries in places where they can interact with other students. Additionally, they can enroll in classes that have thriving online communities to connect virtually with fellow students.
Keep on your mind that a lot of people go to college, university, or even community classes to make friends. The proximity to similar people is an indicator that you will befriend those people even if you don't see many of them! If you're taking classes online you miss that natural proximity and the connection you have with your classmates. It will take more effort to build real-life connections with your online classmates (but it's still feasible!).
3. Technical equipment
At a minimum, students must have a device that has an internet connection to take online classes. In reality, students need something they are able to write assignments on, such as tablets or laptops equipped with keyboard. It's expensive to buy the devices, particularly if you have multiple children in online classes who each require their own laptop or tablet to finish school assignments.
For classes that are in-person, it is the responsibility to furnish equipment so that students are able to take part. The goal is to make classes more accessible for students with low income. To circumvent this issue by offering online classes, certain schools provide laptops and tablets to students so that they can take part even when they aren't able to purchase devices themselves. However, it's not a way an all-encompassing solution because many school districts don't have the funds to provide devices.
4. Teachers can do extra work
Teachers become teachers due to their love of teach - not necessarily because of their affinity with technology. This was very evident during the COVID-19 pandemic when teachers were tasked to move entire classes and curriculums on the internet. Teachers faced an abundance of additional work in recording lectures, moving exams as well as assignments to the internet, and making video calls live and online submission of homework portals.
Teachers could also experience difficulties with their students not taking part more online or having as much opportunity to work together. There are solutions online to these problems It is still a growing curve for teachers as they adapt to online teaching.
5. Focus
Online learning can certainly create an issue. Students are no longer in an area that's designed to teach as they are constantly distracted like phones, Xboxes, or tasks like laundry or walking their dog. The lack of structure makes it necessary for students to be adept at time management. This can be a issue on top of learning that students don't need to think about during the in-person class.
Students may also find they encounter difficulties or fail to understand the material when studying online. Hopefully, the instructor is able for students to get in touch with them and ask questions, but if not this is frustrating for students and will likely cause them to lose concentration on their studying.
6. Lack of hands-on learning
Certain kinds of information are more suited when it comes to learning online than other. For instance, learning math or biology on the internet will be fairly easy. However, learning aspects like medical exams, dental work, or even pottery or carpentry could be difficult due to the practical aspects.
A third-year medical student whom we met described his experience of the process of learning abdominal exams on the internet:
"We were watching the instructor conduct an abdominal exam on his wife while we practiced with an animal stuffed. It was difficult to conduct the abdominal exam during the clinic, when COVID was over in any way. ."
The dental student we spoke to mentioned similar problems related to online learning:
"A number of the concepts we learned online had to be taught in person, and I witnessed a number of mistakes occur when we went back to in-person learning after COVID."
Clearly, online learning does not do well with ideas that need hands-on training, whereas in-person learning works on all topics.
Are online classes right for you?
After reading through the advantages and drawbacks of online courses, it's likely that you have an idea if online learning is right for you. If you're self-motivated, disciplined and want to master something which doesn't require hands-on experience, and need flexibility, online learning is right for those who are! If you require some structure, wish to learn a hands-on concept and you'd like to get to know others in person, then you'd likely benefit from attending in-person courses.