Studying online has advantages and disadvantages; Is more economical and you can do it from anywhere, although the training is alone and requires more self-discipline. In this article we will list all the pros and cons.
Nowadays thanks to the new technologies we can study what we want from our house. This is a new way of receiving training that is gradually gaining ground to the traditional face-to-face training of a lifetime.
Advantage
1. It is comfortable
Simply by having a laptop / laptop and internet connection we can begin to learn online about the subject or the field of study that we want no matter where in the world we are or when we do it. So the distance has stopped being a problem to learn both academically and professionally.
On the other hand, this has eliminated the problems with the number of students per class of the traditional method since with online learning, the capacity of the number of students is unlimited being beneficial for both students and training organizations.
2. It is flexible
Since we do not need to move to any center and be governed by any time of entry or exit to the center, learning becomes easier and easier for the person who uses it.
This makes it possible to learn autonomously following our rhythm and in the schedules that best suit us by successfully combining it with our personal and professional life from the places we want.
At present, this has been one of the main reasons why people who always They wanted to study But because of their family and professional situation have never been able to do it face-to-face, they have opted for this type of learning.
3. It is profitable
If it were not enough, we also saved money with this type of learning. Thanks to the online training we do not have to move from our house to go to the study centers, so we can save money on travel and even food.
On the other hand, it will not be necessary that we have to say no to a course that we would love to do for lack of money for accommodation in another city. If this course has the possibility to do it online, also We will save that money .
In addition, it is no longer necessary to print as did the notes of the subjects if you do not want to, since the content that is used is reusable.
4. Fits your needs
Online learning platforms try to have all of their users learn in the best possible way and through a multitude of multimedia resources the contents are being worked easily and fun.
Therefore, they have a range of materials with different formats, for those students who find it difficult to understand the information that is working in written format, can also do it through videos or podcasts, among others.
Does not matter By which method does the student learn best? If by visual, acoustic or kinaesthetic; Online learning makes it easier for everyone to have access to information and learning thanks to the wide variety of learning methods and tools that can be used to support learning.
5. It's immediate
Gone are those days of anguish that the students suffered when they wanted to know the grade they had obtained on a test. This teaching method not only provides immediate content learning, but also offers the possibility to see the results of activities and exams that are imminent and different.
So in this way, students can have a constructive feedback on the activities and tests they are doing throughout the course. Also, if they need to expand information on a certain subject just by clicking on the multimedia materials, they can solve their doubts in record time.
6. New forms of communication and interaction
In traditional training the only way we had to receive training or communicate with our teacher to solve doubts was through the word, that is, attending class and asking the questions in person at the same time.
Thanks to the incorporation of new technologies in the educational environment, it is possible to use tools such as: viodeconferencias, chats, electronic mail, among others; Both to resolve doubts and to work collaboratively with colleagues and teachers.
7. Highly qualified teachers
On many occasions, teachers who were unable to devote themselves entirely to teaching face-to-face, this happened to all in university settings where they can now combine teaching both face-to-face and in line with their other responsibilities without problems.
On the other hand, this methodology has forced the faculty to be formed in new technologies and to recycle since, as we already know, ICTs Offer many advantages and great successes in teaching.
At present, if a teacher does not know how to handle them, he can not give his students a quality class, so what he is teaching will not reach them in the same way.
8. Free
Not only training that is compulsory can be studied online. There are also many free training courses that we can do both with titration at the end or without it.
This has generated a multitude of platforms that are dedicated to teaching and that allow its users to graduate even after they do not get a certificate, such as MOOC courses.
9. No restrictions
As we pointed out earlier, thanks to online learning we can study from anywhere in the world. Therefore, it has not only eliminated the barriers of learning that existed years ago but also those of culture and nationality.
It is no longer strange to see how while we are doing a distance course there is the possibility of translating the material into another language or even clicking a button to appear this way. This has made people who previously had no access to a quality education or simply can do it.
10. Immediate updates
If something differs from traditional teaching is because of its speed to update given the format in which is working, which is changing and improving continuously facilitating learning even more thanks to the wide variety of applications and tools that are emerging.
11. Real-time teacher contact
If there is something that makes learning different from everyone else online, it allows you to solve your real-time doubts with the faculty during the day thanks to their instant messaging like chats.
On the other hand if you prefer, you can also make videoconferences or ask your questions in the forums that are available to carry out the activity or even do it by mail; Because not only are you in contact with the faculty but also with your colleagues, who also at a given moment can solve them.
12. Personalized learning
It allows you to learn in a personalized way, as it adapts to your needs. On the other hand, the teachers will support you during your learning individually Giving you feedback About the activities you do and even solving the doubts that may arise throughout the training.
This immediately removes the embarrassment or fear that exists in traditional teaching by asking questions in front of your classmates or even the teacher himself. With this methodology everything becomes something more impersonal, so you will have no hesitation in asking as many times as you need to solve them.
Disadvantages
13. Training alone
Although it has countless advantages, it is true that online learning is something that is done on its own. This has repercussions on the Motivation of students Who choose to take a course for this modality.
Sometimes this disadvantage is transferred to the exercises that are carried out in the forums or in the online discussions, as it may cause them trouble to participate.
They may even not connect regularly to the platform, do not follow the thread of the conversations and thus, are losing learning opportunities.
On the other hand, there are people who are unable to learn using this methodology, since they need to be explained the concepts face-to-face and by teachers to be able to understand the material properly.
14. It can be impersonal
Some people do not like this type of learning because they are too impersonal and may actually be right.
No matter how hard we try not to be, we are studying and learning using a computer.
15. Excessive time in front of a computer screen
One of the big disadvantages of online learning is the number of hours you have to spend in front of the computer to learn. This exercise if performed continuously can lead to health problems in visual or physical as well as muscular.
Therefore, a good idea would be that in all the platforms of distance learning the possibility of incorporating a manual of good positions and hours of connection to mitigate these possible health problems was taken into account.
16. Self-discipline is required
In traditional teaching only with going to class it seems that we are already meeting that requirement, however in this type of learning mode you do not have to get up to go to class.
That is, you have nothing or anyone to motivate you and"force"you to connect in that sense. Therefore, you are the one who has to do it and you have to force yourself to sit in front of the computer if you want to finish what you started.
17. Possible lack of control
There is also the possibility that the students do not take the game that should be taken to the platform and its tools.
On many occasions, teachers have posted a lot of material and even many tools that we believe may be useful for our students in solving doubts or expanding information. However, these never get to click on these, because in their place they pass by.
This tends to happen a lot in virtual teaching environments, so that teachers must have the ability to know exactly how to place the material to attract the attention of their students and thus prevent this kind of thing from occurring.
18. Possible failures at the technical level
We all know what we mean when we talk about the possibility of technical problems. These can be transferred from complications with our laptop or internet connection, to failures in the platform itself or in the contents that the teacher has uploaded to it.
They do not happen very often, but can greatly hinder our learning since it sometimes takes a lot of time and effort to solve them effectively.
19. Some conferences have schedules
It is not the usual thing, but it can also happen that even if it is a distance learning you have to"attend"an online seminar that is held at a certain time in which you can not be at home due to work.
Everything will depend on the course or training you are doing and unfortunately the non-viewing of the seminar in real time will be able to impact on your final note of the module.
20. It can not be generalized to all fields
For many advantages that are found in the online study we all know that there will always be disciplines that need practical support for the theory that we are learning online.
With these we refer to fields such as health or science, although there are already a multitude of tools that simulate certain environments such as laboratories reliably, at the moment is not enough.
21. Requires associated tools or programs
It may also happen that in order to access all the contents of our course we need specific programs that are not incorporated in our laptop.
This sometimes can be a serious problem because trying to find such a program may be for payment or we simply can not do with it because they do not sell it or because there is some incompatibility with our team.
22. Requires laptop and internet connection
Although we currently think that this can not be a major disadvantage, there are still some countries that do not have internet connection for all places or even people who do not have internet in their home, for whatever reason.
On the other hand, we can also happen at a time since our laptop stops working or has a problem with the internet connection that prevents us from accessing our course.
23. Problems of feedback and understanding
With this learning methodology we do not have our teacher physically to smile and tell us good work! .
With distance learning it may be that we do not feel as good when our teacher sends us an email and congratulates us, as this one may be late or simply because we do not see it does not have the same effect on us.
On the other hand, some topics can be extremely complicated to deal with and to understand online by both teachers and students. This can be solved with explanations through videoconference although many times it is not done.
In summary
Nowadays, online learning has allowed us to access quality training from anywhere in the world and adjusted to the needs of the student, who self-manage their learning.
So it is a very comfortable and flexible method that has allowed many people to resume their training successfully and as an alternative to traditional learning. However, there are still many important aspects that need to continue working to increase their benefits in the teaching-learning process.
And you, what other advantages and disadvantages of online learning do you know?