Online Education
Advantages & Disadvantages of Online Education.
By Aron Parker
In this article you will learn what is online education, and how it can help you? Why online education is important. You will also learn advantages and disadvantages of online education.
First of all I should define what is online education?
Online education encompasses any kind of learning that is done exclusively online. The term is used in broad senses, if you are using free self
study material, you are getting online education.
In other words, online education is a method of learning that involves computers and internet where people can interact with each other, ask questions,
find answers and get any help regarding educational issues.
Why should I get online education?
Online education has several advantages over conventional offline education. First it is necessary to know how you are getting online education.
If you are studying in an online university and you need an online teacher to ask your questions, you can find free online teachers where you can chat
or post a message online.
Now virtual universities offer several faculties except some faculties of biological sciences such as MBBS as it requires practical experimentation
and tools which virtual universities can not offer being online.
Online universities usually offer art faculties such as:
• Doctorate Program
• Masters Program
• Bachelor Program
Major difference between online education and offline real classroom education is that offline education is very expensive as compare to online
education.
People usually with financial problems prefer to take admission in virtual universities.
Is online education reliable?
Good question! Most people seem reluctant about choosing online education with the opinion that online education is not reliable and can not compete
with offline education where you get education in real classroom and interact with teachers while online education does not achieve its standard and
can not prepare students for facing practical challenges.
This of their claim is false that online education is not as reliable as offline education. Reliability of an education depends on the principles and
criteria of universities for enrolling students. You know how popular and well known are the Oxford and Harvard universities. Even both these universities
also offer distant learning online education.
But their criteria of admission and other policies are same for both online and offline student. It does mean that online education is less reliable
and online university students are weak to face practical challenges.
The philosophy of establishing online university is not to decrees the quality of education, but it tends to provide education to even those who can
not afford heavy fees of offline universities.
Online Education is better than offline Education:
It is true that online education is better in someway or other than offline education as online education uses various means of instructions Such as:
• Multimedia
• Screen casts
• ePortfolios
• Discussion boards
• Free study material
• Chat rooms to interact with teachers and friends
• Collaborative software
• Emails
• Blogs
• Computer Aided assessments
• Animation to build better concept of the theory
• Simulations
• Learning management system
• Online library
When these tools and technologies combine to build concepts, there is no way that a student can not grasp theory and concepts. It greatly differs from conventional methods.
Online Library:
Students of online education are also given access to online library where you can shelve in or out any book being at home at the comfort of your own.
Advantages and Disadvantages:
Advantages of online education are flexibility and convenience to participate class anywhere where internet connection is available. The method
is best for graduate and post graduate students who have to work alongside their studies.
Here you can use various technologies for online education such as multimedia and web portals to build better concepts and interact with friends and
teachers.
Disadvantages:
Although you can interact with teachers and friends but it is not an alternative to teacher in class rooms.
Conclusion:
These days online education is prevailing rapidly throughout the world. It is an excellent method of transferring education to those who can not afford conventional offline education. Online education is as reliable as offline education and students of offline education and online education both are reliable.
