A significant choice is attending college. You must choose between in-person and online study whether you are a first-time student or returning to complete your degree.
Many students have chosen to continue their education online while college campuses reopen. In the BestColleges 2022 Online Education Trends Report, remote students predict they will continue to attend online courses and call tracking reviews even after their campuses resume normal operations.
To assist you in determining whether online classes are the right choice for you, we’ve produced a list of the top advantages and disadvantages of online learning.
The Benefits of Online Education
Online courses offer a variety of benefits that support your career and personal growth.
1. SUITABILITY
You may learn from any location thanks to online courses. You can do your tasks whenever works best for you, as long as you fulfill the weekly due dates.
2. MAINTAIN PRIORITIES
You have greater freedom to fit your education schedule around other commitments in your life, such as your family, profession, and other duties, thanks to the flexibility that online learning offers.
3. NO TRAVEL
Isn’t it annoying to be caught in traffic while you have a lot of things to do?
The absence of the requirement to travel to a campus is one of the main benefits of online education. By saving time, you can complete your courses more quickly and devote more time to your priorities.
4. CREATE SKILLS IN TIME MANAGEMENT
You are in charge of time management when taking online courses. You must create a study schedule that works for you given your course load and other obligations.
The time-management abilities you develop through online learning can subsequently be applied to your profession, increasing your effectiveness and productivity at work.
5. SELECT THE LEARNING STYLE YOU PREFER
Various learning styles exist. Some people learn best visually, while others take copious notes, some must hear the information in order to retain it, and still others employ a combination of these strategies.
You can use the learning strategies that are most effective for you when you take classes online.
For instance, Concordia offers students to download online course materials in a variety of file formats, including audio, electronic braille, audiobooks, ePub (a file format for e-books), and BeeLine Reader (which adds a color gradient to text to help you read more effectively).
6. RIGHT OF IMMEDIATE ACCESS
Students’ rapid access to instructors, classmates, and course materials is a key benefit of online education.
You may communicate with your lecturers right away, collaborate with your classmates on a project, and access all of your course materials online. In-person students often have to wait until the regular class times to gather with their groups to work on a project and have an outside conversation with a professor.
At Concordia, every online course features a Microsoft Teams channel where students may communicate with instructors and fellow students, share files for group projects, and set up meetings.
7. EDUCATION SAVINGS
Due to the absence of meal plans, transportation expenditures (such as gas or public transit), and other expenses related to in-person study, online programs typically have lower tuition fees than their physical counterparts.
The actual courses are frequently less expensive as well. For instance, at Concordia, the tuition per credit hour for undergraduate online students is almost half that of undergraduate on-campus students.
8. PREPARE FOR THE WORKPLACE
Most businesses are using more and more online tools, and many businesses are either transferring their staff to virtual work or giving them the option to work remotely.
One of the biggest benefits of online learning is the expertise you may obtain working in a virtual environment and using online tools (such Blackboard Collaborate, Microsoft Office 365 Suite, and screen capturing, recording, and presenting tools).
According to Rev. Dr. Gerard Bolling, a fully remote assistant professor of leadership and theology, “with so many organizations employing a mixed or entirely online style, this training puts students on par with the workplace.”
9. USE OF RESOURCES FOR ACADEMIC SUPPORT
The majority of colleges and universities provide access to the same academic assistance tools for online learners as they do for on-campus ones.
Both on-campus and online students at Concordia University Texas have access to the adjustments made possible by services for students with disabilities, such as additional time for exams.
The Drawbacks of Online Education
Remember that there are advantages and disadvantages to online learning. While there are benefits to taking classes online, it’s important to think about any potential disadvantages as well as how Concordia University Texas handles them.
1. LESS PERSONAL CONTACT
You can visually see your instructors when you are learning online, but you can’t actually speak to them.
Online learning does not entail less interaction. The conversations in an online class are far more interesting because everyone is compelled to participate. From the most introverted to the most extroverted pupils, the online environment offers a format for everyone to contribute.
2. YOU CAN ONLY CHOOSE CERTAIN MAJORS
There are fewer degrees available because not all majors can be studied online. Certain programs, particularly those that demand practical experience, cannot be offered online.
For instance, Concordia University Texas’ Music major demands in-person instruction. To get prompt feedback and assistance with playing an instrument or learning a solo, students require one-on-one time with their professors.
3. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ESTABLISH A ROUTINE
Students must attend in-person meetings many times a week for their on-campus classes, and they must submit their coursework by the set due dates. A daily schedule for pupils is established by these elements working together.
Although there are weekly deadlines in online learning as well, there is no set hour that students must meet. “More freedom means more responsibility,” as the saying goes.
To guarantee they finish their assignments on time and balance their other obligations, online students must establish a personal routine.
4. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
Students who opt for online education must have access to a computer and stable Wi-Fi.
You might need to spend more money on equipment, such as a computer with more memory or a quicker processor. Additionally, because you complete everything for online classes on a computer, you’ll probably run into more technical difficulties (e.g., connection problems, server errors, etc.).
5. YOU COULD SUFFER DISTURBANCES
There may be extra distractions with online schooling.
Professors can gauge your level of attention in a classroom by minimizing distractions. Finding a workspace that offers a conducive learning atmosphere is your responsibility if you choose to take your classes online.
6. YOU HAVE LESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR NETWORKING
Through online forums and other resources, students who choose online learning have excellent possibilities to network with their peers.
However, students who physically attend classes have the chance to network with everyone on campus.
