Online Education
Online Education Pros: Can be divided into four groups.
• Convenience
• Less Expensive
• Technology
• Additional Benefits
Convenience: This convenience is in relation to study location, time, course duration, etc.
• No commuting/traveling time to a campus
• No geographic location constraint in selecting the learning option(s)
• No learning pace constraint, you can learn at your pace and study at your convenience
• No verbally expressing constraint, you can express yourself in writing rather than verbally
• You can have virtual discussion rather instructor-led lecture
• Course work and instructions can highly be customized to your field and subject area
• High quality dialog: Learner is able to carefully reflect his/her quality thinking on each comment from others before responding or moving on to the next topic.
• Student centered: Students are expected to read all of their classmates’ contributions, but they may actively engage only in those parts of the contribution most relevant to their needs.
• Access to resources: It is easy to include guest experts or students from other institutions as well as access to resources and information around the world.
Less Expensive: Generally these courses cost less than regular classroom academic or trade school course.
• No travel and housing costs to classroom
• Class attendee can continue to work at his/her job while taking classes
Technology: You can work on the course just about anywhere you have computer access. Online courses provide an opportunity to learn new technologies and practicing the use of office software, Internet, etc.
Additional Benefits: There are numerous additional benefits.
• You will work with classmates not only from all over the U. S. but could be around the world.
• No discrimination among students due to race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, age, dress, physical appearance, etc.
• Equal participation from all classmates and the most outgoing student will not monopolize the discussion.
• These courses are better for those people who are introverted as well as who learn through visual cues and require more time in understanding the material.
• No immigration problems
• Synergy: High level of dynamic interaction between the instructor and students as well as among the students themselves. Ideas and resources are shared, and continuous synergy will be generated through the learning process as each individual contributes to the course discussions and comments on classmates’ work.
• Creative teaching: In the adult education class with the interactive learning environment may contribute to self-direction and critical thinking. Especially the nature of the semi-autonomous and self-directed world of the virtual classroom makes innovative and creative approaches to instruction even more important.