Page 1: The Internet’s Significant Impact on Education
Page 2: Who is the Right Student for Online Education?
Page 3: How Does a Student Select an Online School?
Page 4: Typical Goals of Online Students

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Learning: Is It the Right Choice for You?

We hear about the success stories of online education from many resources: news media, editorials, online school publicity, and postings of students themselves. A college degree or advanced degree was once only a dream for full-time employees, family-oriented career professionals, single mothers, and students in remote areas is now a reality. It’s a popular new form of schooling that offers many advantages. But it’s not for everyone; potential students should be aware of both sides of the coin so they can make informed an informed decision about whether an online class or degree is right for them.

At times, what is an advantage for one student is a disadvantage for another. For example, since online students interact with each other and with the instructor via the internet, it is essential that they have solid computer and internet skills. Those who do not have these skills will have to put in extra hours working either on their own or with the program’s technical support staff to come up to the skill level required. Those who already are knowledgeable won’t see this as a disadvantage and, in either case, the student will develop increased internet ability and computer familiarity that will pay off later in the job market.

In this paper, advantages and disadvantages are given in a numbered list form so that readers can easily peruse the topics.

Advantages of Online Education

Following is a listing of many of the benefits of online learning:

1. Retaining your job while attending school. Potential students who are full-time employees have been reluctant to attend college or graduate school because of lost earnings and lost seniority. With online learning, they can do both.
2. Spending time with family while learning. The potential for disrupting family life has kept some potential students from commitment to a campus-based degree program. Online classes offer a solution because many classes can be taken at any time, after the children are asleep or while they are working on their own assignments. Spousal support may also be a consideration.
3. Online interactive classes tend to adopt new concepts and changes more quickly. Whereas it may take years for a traditional class to change and even a new text adopted, online courses can change very quickly, an advantage for students whose course of study is currently evolving as quickly as it is learned. New findings from anywhere in the world can be brought in quickly and easily.
4. Student interaction is increased. Unless a student in a traditional class has time to chat with other students in a student area or nearby coffee shop, he or she may never really get to network outside of class. In an interactive class, these students may share their views and ask questions of other learners all around the globe. And these other learners may prove to be valuable contacts outside of school. The very act of exchanging information in this manner may be relevant at work later on, giving students a level of comfort with such exchanges.
5. Faculty are more likely to be known experts in their fields. Perhaps you have heard of a leading researcher in another country whose class you could only dream of attending. With the facility of online learning, you can study with such experts who are giving an online course anywhere in the world.
6. Learning at your own pace. Whether you are an average, fast, or slow learner, you can work at your own pace when you take an online class. If English is your second language, you have the opportunity to review the material more than once to be certain you understood everything. If you learn very quickly and are normally bored waiting for other students to catch up, you are now free to move as quickly as you like. Classes are usually open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Some schools will allow you to complete a typical 2-year MBA program, for example, in less time if you double up in classes.
7. You can more likely handle personal and business emergencies without having to drop a class. When something happens that requires extra time of you, you may have had to drop a class if you were attending a class at a college campus. Online learning offers more flexibility because you can log on any time of the day or night. Because most classes require an 8-12 hour commitment per week, this offers quite a bit of flexibility in a pinch.
8. Completion of some online programs is based on demonstration of your competence in an area rather than on classes taken. These schools offer a personalized approach because students earn credits by demonstrating their competence via an assessment. For example, someone who is self-taught in a programming language and can pass the final exam for that course will receive credit for it.
9. Physically handicapped students benefit from the advantages of college courses without the disadvantages of making their way across the campus and in and out of buildings.
10. Ageism is unlikely to exist. Other students do not know your age and are not likely to think of you as too old or too young to be knowledgeable.
11. Money is saved that would otherwise be spent on gas, parking, lodging, and meals. You can meet online with experts and students worldwide without leaving your home or office to attend class physically.
12. You save time on lecture notes and organizing your materials. Instead, you have the opportunity to concentrate on the material online and to find what you need without running errands physically. E-mail takes the place of traveling to meet with other students.
13. If you are a supervisor or manager, you are able to learn online without having to miss days of work and depend on others to cover for you. Because of the advantages of distance learning, you may be more at ease while you study and not have to worry about what is happening back at the office. In addition, your superiors can see that you can handle your tasks and, by taking the course(s), can prepare yourself for advancement and more responsibility at the same time.
14. Potentially an easy way to take the additional classes or get the certification needed for on-the-job advancement. Working professionals are often torn between taking time from work and other priorities in order to attend a campus-based course or enroll in a program. Although employers want to see members of the workforce show initiative by enhancing their knowledge, they may also want to see them on the job, keeping abreast of company initiatives. Virtual learning provides a solution because individuals can remain on the job and obtain certification or degrees at the same time. Both are winners.
15. No residency requirements for most online schools. Whereas students formerly had to obtain residence in a state prior to attending a state school or pay high non-resident fees, this is usually not required with online schools although a visit to the campus for a personal conference may be required for some degree programs at some online schools.
16. Financial aid is also available to online students.
17. Online classes may be more equitable, ensuring that all students are treated equally. If a student believes he or she is not often called on or his or her input not valued because of personal appearance or a speech impediment, virtual learning is the great equalizer.
18. Geographic and socioeconomic disadvantages are minimized. Students in rural areas can take classes online, as long as they can get to a computer with internet access. Likewise, with financial aid and scholarships available through online colleges and travel and lodging expenses eliminated, classes and degree programs are within the reach of more of the population.
19. Students’ research and writing capabilities improve quickly, according to Dr. Jerry Ice and Dr. Paul Edelson, authors of the “Complete Book of Distance Learning Schools.” This advantage should carry over to the workplace, helping the student to perform well.
20. Also, according to Drs. Ice and Edelson, students’ participation in classes increases.
21. One advantage of the online approach is the written record of class contributions by teacher(s) and students. This information is available for student and teacher review, not lost forever due to faulty note taking during a traditional lecture. (Drs. Ice and Edelson)
22. Guests can be included easily, giving students the opportunity to learn from and interact with experts they may never have a chance to learn from otherwise.
23. Excellent training for the work world. The types of interaction and projects that students participate in often model closely the work world. Online students who become comfortable with this type of interaction may adapt more quickly to a business environment.

Disadvantages of Online Education
Disadvantages of virtual learning are listed below:

1. You must be able to organize your time and to do the work of the course. If you typically depend on class peers to motivate you, online education may be tough for you because are, in some ways, on your own.
2. Do you thrive on personal attention? If you enjoy listening to teachers and other students, the more visual style required for online learning may not work for you.
3. If eye contact with the teacher and with other students is necessary in order for you to keep your focus, virtual learning a regular classroom may be the better choice for you. Or, try an online class that is not a critical one for you and see whether you adapt well to the online learning environment.
4. If you know that your appearance, voice, or style of interaction has helped you win in the past, online learning may nullify these advantages, leaving you with a learning curve to succeed.
5. To make online education or virtual learning as easy as possible, a student must be comfortable using a computer and the internet. Someone who has to master these skills will likely experience a learning curve and have to work doubly hard at first to keep up with the class and assignments.
6. Those who prefer to listen only in lectures and class will find that online learning requires a record of their participation. Silently following along no longer works; each student is expected to make an online contribution and, possibly, to participate in team or group projects with others. Active learning is the key to success in online education.

Page 1: The Internet’s Significant Impact on Education
Page 2: Who is the Right Student for Online Education?
Page 3: How Does a Student Select an Online School?
Page 4: Typical Goals of Online Students

Return to Top