Online education is becoming prevalent over the world. Many higher education institutions implementing this novel format into their system. While this trend provides a number of benefits to people, particularly, those living in remote areas, online education system can also affect adversely on the overall performance of individuals.
Among many advantages of this phenomenon, convenience is the major one. The tertiary education was available only for students, who lived in urban areas, that said, distance learning made it convenient to the broaden circle of people. As a result, learners, who live in isolated regions, can get a higher degree, regardless of their geographical location. For example, the platform Coursera provides online courses from leading universities such as Harvard and Oxford. Due to this platform, students can persue a fully online degree in Business Administration without attending campus.
In addition to the comfortability, e-learning modules are also known for affordability. Advanced education can be financially demanding, which makes it accessible for limited number of participants. Albeit, low-cost distance learning is obtainable for people from low background, identifying top performers among them. To be more specific, transport, accomodation, daily expenses, let alone the tuition fee, can be challenging for learners from deprived communities. Consequently, many talented people leave behind because of material shortage. On the other hand, a drawback like insufficiant training can be seen in many learner’s performances. In essense, some modules require attending skills-based training, which is crucial for their career. For instance, medicine is not only based on theoretical foundation, but also includes vocational training with specialists for practicing obtained knowledge in a real time. As a consequent, remote education can make it challenging for attendees of outlying regions.
Moreover, online education negatively affect on the soft skills of people. Spending more time on online platforms, regardless of purpose, makes them to be isolated from the society. As an outcome, many of online participants are becoming introverted due to the scarse of social interaction. This, in turn, reflects on their employee productivity, since team work and communication skills are considered one of the main requirements.
To conclude, dintance learning provides apportunities for many students in acquiring essential competencies. However, it also has some disadvantages, such as lack of training sessions and social interaction.