Nowadays, offers to the enrolment of online courses at higher education is on the increase. Although it is believed that online classes pose downsides and unequal access for some learners, I agree with the idea that distance learning can bring more benefits and opportunities for diverse learners.
Firstly, online learning is flexible. Nowadays, online courses are not only equipped with online meetings but also with asynchronous tasks that can be opened anytime and anywhere. In this case, students can be empowered to build their study-time management. They can find the best time for them to consume the content and submit assignments. This is because every learner has different mood for learning, some in the mornings, others in the evenings. Studying at their time convenience allows them to strengthen their focus and improve their creativity, resulting in high-quality of their task or project. So, if there is a view believing that distance learning will lower students’ motivation because it does not bring a live learning environment, this view can be debunked due to time flexibility that could trigger students to learn to the fullness of their potential.
Secondly, distance learning can contain a very wide range of students, even globally. Tertiary students have more opportunities to study across cities, even countries, by merely sitting in front of their computer, without spending extra effort for accommodation, transportation, and other related expenses. Some may disagree with this idea and think that distance learning is not suited to all types of learners because some of them, particularly extroverted ones, will tend to have an offline class, enabling them to have a face-to-face discussion and interaction with their peers. However, this is only a small problem that can be solved through creative and communicative approaches adopted by online teachers. Not only will they engage with their online peers from diverse cultures, they also can build their global perspectives and understandings as a result of their immersion in diverse communities in their online classes.
In conclusion, while online learning has some drawbacks, it can be outweighed by its benefits. This is because it can break learning barriers, promoting equality in accessing education beyond time and space, thus developing their knowledge and skills more than being enrolled in an offline class.