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.
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.
