Online Learning Pros and Cons

Online Learning

Online learning has many advantages and disadvantages. The advantages appear to outweigh the disadvantages by a significant margin. Each person is different and online learning may not be the best option for everyone but a large portion of the population; especially working professionals find that learning in an online format makes earning a degree easier and faster. The popularity of distance learning is increasing and online based classes are becoming an integral part of that trend.

Online learning has many advantages and they vary for each student and professor. The advantages when learning in the online format are wide ranging. The ease at which working people can attend class is improved significantly as most courses do not have a strict attendance policy relating to being online at certain times or days each week. Professors can convey more detail and information without having to give long class assignments or long in-depth lectures. Some learning formats allow for a self paced format allowing students to complete work assignments at their own pace. For students who travel for a living or work away from large academic centers online courses can enable them to earn a degree when they would otherwise be unable to attend a class in a physical classroom. Appana states that “In an increasingly globalized society, many learners seem to appreciate the advantages of international courses and the opportunity to work collaboratively and closely with colleagues across the world, and to have access not only to the course instructors, but also to textbook authors and experts from other institutions.” (2008) A review of benefits and limitations of online learning in the context of the student, the instructor, and the tenured faculty. This implies that the online learning format can give much more access to the sources of learning material than is readily available in a classroom environment.

Drawbacks to learning