Over the past year, many offline educational projects went online because of the quarantine. But should this be perceived as a temporary forced measure or a great opportunity to make sure that online education is no worse than traditional on-campus schooling?
Accessibility of education
The online format increases the accessibility of education. Previously, to get an education at a prestigious university or a course, some students had to move to another city. Online, you can study any discipline from the comfort of your own home, no matter where you live. It’s also worth mentioning the difference in the cost of offline and online courses: studying online is cheaper because it doesn’t include the rental costs, equipment for students, etc.
Class schedule and time management
Online courses allow students to study on a more leisurely schedule than the traditional offline format. On the one hand, this is a plus, because you can get knowledge and do assignments when it suits you. But there is another side, a student of online courses has to manage their own time and be disciplined to learn effectively. This may be a problem for some people, but it is actually a positive aspect that teaches you an additional skill that is important in life — time management.
Knowledge assimilation
Students who are used to traditional education say they find it difficult to learn online because they do not feel in contact with the teacher. If the online course is well created, this problem will not arise. You will be able to ask the instructor questions at any stage of the course, this is also convenient for shy people who are afraid to raise their hand in class. And the best advantage of online education is that all the study materials are always available to the student, you can revise the lecture as many times as you want.
Socialization and networking
Undoubtedly, socialization is important in all spheres of life, including education. It is true that for many people there is a lack of communication with classmates when they study online. But all online courses try to make up for this lack of communication by engaging students in activities where they need to connect.
So you can conclude that online learning is not much less effective than offline education. Moreover, the field of education is very promising and rapidly developing, becoming more and more comfortable for students.