Holding online classes or doing courses online is no longer a pipedream and that’s because of the improvement in eLearning tools and technology. Nowadays, there are plenty of full-fledged institutes that operate online without requiring students to physically attend classes. But as is the case with all new things, conservatives, and people satisfied with the status quo raised concerns about online learning.
Today, we at IC Distance Education are going to compare traditional and online learning methods. The idea is to prove that online learning is indeed beneficial and has lots of positives compared to traditional classroom learning. So, without further ado, let us check these benefits out.
The Advantages of Online Learning
-
Online Learning is Convenient and Flexible
The most obvious and useful convenience of online learning is that students don’t have to waste time and resources to travel from their homes to their classrooms. They can take their classes in the comfort of their homes or offices (if they are working adults). Not only this saves time that is used in the commute, but it also saves fuel expenditure.
Another convenience of online learning is that students from different countries can study at universities and institutes that are abroad. They don’t have to travel and leave their countries. Rather they can earn a foreign degree while sitting in their homes.
Online courses are even better as they provide flexibility that is almost non-existent in traditional learning. Students can tackle their online courses whenever they wish. This is very favorable for people who are juggling work and studies as it lets them study when they have downtime in their work. You will be hard-pressed to find this kind of time flexibility in traditional learning.
-
Online Learning Grants Accessibility to A Variety of Courses
Online learning is accessible to a large variety of people. So long as they have an internet connection and a laptop, anyone can start an online course. Even if they don’t have a laptop/desktop of their own, they can use the devices in public libraries to access them. But all of that is just the accessibility of online learning as a whole.
Our point in this heading is that online learning grants access to a large variety of courses. If you were to enroll in a university, it would have a limited set of programs and degrees. But there are no such limits in online learning.
You can find and learn just about any course you can think of. Do you want a course about cooking? You got it. Programming? They are probably the most common ones. Machining? There are tons of courses for that.
With the exception of surgery which is a highly practical and hands-on process, you will be able to find courses for almost any trade or skill online.
-
Online Learning is More Cost Effective than Traditional Learning
In traditional learning, there are a variety of costs that students have to foot. That includes the fees for their institute, traveling fees, required books, and uniforms (if the institute has one). All of these costs add up and become a major financial burden.
If we look at the USA, it is impossible for any middle-class citizen to go to college without taking out student loans.
The average cost of tuition for just one year of a four-year program is $26,027. And that is for studying in-state. The cost is even higher for out-state universities. Such costs are usually met by taking out student loans that have terrible interest rates. People spend the majority of their lives just paying them off.
That is not the case for online learning. In online learning a single course may cost nothing at all, or go up to $200. With the flexibility afforded by online learning, this is a cost that most people can pay easily without having to put themselves in crippling debt. Of course, a $200 course is not equivalent to a university degree, but completing a few courses and getting certifications is enough to land a high-paying job. So, from a practical standpoint, online learning is way more cost-effective than traditional learning.
-
Online Learning Has More Scope for Ed-Tech Tools Integration
Online learning is done via the Internet – and that means you can integrate a variety of different online resources into the learning process. This means that students can utilize any resources they need to improve their learning.
Since everything in online learning is digital, integrating ed-tech tools becomes easier. So students who are taking classes online can easily integrate tools that help them to write notes and assignments.
Some common examples are an online paraphrasing tool and an online grammar checker. These tools can help students proofread their work and check it for grammar errors as well as correct them.
The paraphraser can help with improving the quality of their write-up or for understanding complex concepts by making them easier to read using synonyms.
And these are just two examples. In reality, students can utilize a variety of free ed-tech tools such as writing assistants, AI search engines, and virtual assistants to improve their learning experience.
-
Global Communities are Available with Online Learning
Online learning has great potential because of the global communities. Many course makers have their discord servers where their students gather and interact with each other. This fosters a global community where students can find not only peers but other instructors as well.
This is great for multiple reasons. People can network with each other across borders. This opens up paths for careers and collaboration that can aid learners. It also promotes cross-culture friendships and connections.
We mentioned previously that people from different countries can join online classes in institutes situated abroad. This means that a diverse array of people come together to study and learn from an instructor and collaborate. This kind of diverse environment helps students look at things from different perspectives as well as get real-world insights into topics.
So, in summary, the advantages of fostering a global community are better learning and more networking options. Both of these things help you in your career.
Conclusion
Online learning features many advantages and benefits. Whereas the traditional system of learning has been around for so long because it definitely works for many people. But in a similar vein, the online system also caters to many.
In the end, which system is better for you depends on your circumstances as well as your personality. We hope that with this article, you will at least entertain the thought of online learning rather than setting it aside as a far-fetched idea.
Be the first to leave a review.