Online Education (Boon or Bane): Know Challenges & Benefits

In the current Coronavirus pandemic situation, online education is new and interesting. It is the need for the hour and has opened a new way in the teaching-learning process. Know the advantages and disadvantages of online education.

In the current time of the global pandemic situation due to Coronavirus, online education is new and interesting. Many developed nations, such as the United States, the United Kingdom and many others, are well-acquainted with this education system. It is the need for the hour and has opened the way in the teaching-learning process for a kind of transformative creativity. This approach is totally distinct and it conveys different meanings to different people. There are several advantages and disadvantages of online education. The biggest advantage of online education is that it is suitable for all but the biggest disadvantage of online education is that it is still not recognised on par with regular education mode. 

Challenges of Online Education

1. Lack of face to face interaction: Often we may misinterpret what we actually see or read when we cannot find someone to explain it to us. A single punctuation mistake shifts the true sense of the entire sentence and, as it is said, half and the incorrect information is detrimental even more than no information. For proper learning, therefore, face-to-face contact is very important.

2. Neither regularity nor discipline: Given that the students are free from the regulations and boundaries of an appropriate classroom environment, it is quite obvious that the curriculum will not be maintained as it should be. They may not routinely study the materials and may start taking things lightly. There are high chances of the students distracting themselves while learning online.

3. Increased dropout rate: Students are more likely to drop out because they don't completely devote themselves to their studies and take their studies too lightly. There won't be any specific mentor for the students to keep track of their progress and effectively resolve their doubts. For countries where online education is hard to access, they might only drop out of classes.

4. Challenges in Technology: Online learning is useful only for those students who have access to a proper internet connection and have devices like laptops and computers. Students can't count on online learning without it.

Benefits of Online Education

1. Flexible system: His flexibility is the principal advantage of online education. A student should change the timings of his study according to his own needs. One may study indoors or outdoors, in a room or while travelling by subway. It also saves time, energy or money to travel to a particular destination to acquire knowledge.

2. Wider choice of subjects and courses: Through online education, one can select one's own combination of subjects, regardless of the percentage needed to take up that specific subject.

3. No language impediments: Given that online education is accessible in most vernacular languages, language barriers are not present. One is always able to learn new things in his or her own mother tongue. They are not bound to understand a particular language to follow the text, they are able to read the text, or see a video related to it in whatever language they like, which gives them self-pride and self-confidence.

4. Ease to access: If, while studying online, a student does not have the time to take down notes, he can always save the page or convert it to a document and download it. Unlike in traditional classrooms where, once the teacher has finished teaching, the matter is erased from the board, one can always refer to what he or she previously studied online by simply clicking on the site history.

Information technology has emerged as a superpower in these lockdown days. we all are under house arrest but still connected with the outer world. We are globally shutdown for which the coronavirus (covid-19) is all the way responsible for everything. This shutdown closed the doors of students for learning and exploring. Nevertheless, educational institutions have come up with the idea of online classes.

Do students really benefit from online learning?

We can say partially yes! but online education also affects the mental well-being as they are locked and not able to explore their friends and the real outer world experience. Educational institutions for the first priority of students and pave way for them to expand their limits. They learn to work as a team. Also, able to meet new people and learn about different cultures and cuisines. If online classes become reality, most of the students are going to miss their life lessons. In a country like India, where there is no internet link anywhere, not everyone gets the advantage of these services so they can go offline. There are a lot of students who don't even have a laptop, internet access and money to do this. Online education is certainly a bonus and can be a supplement but it cannot be a replacement.

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha

About the Author:

Joe Amal Antony is currently pursuing MBA from Thiagarajar School of Management, Madurai. He is fascinated by finance and operations. He is a graduate in Bachelor of Computer Applications from The American College, Madurai. He is passionate about athletics and has also won many medals in jumping events both at school and college (University medalist) levels. He loves watching movies and playing outdoor games. He respects everyone and is a patriotic person who always wants to do something for his nation.

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