The past 50 years have seen a dramatic increase in the promotion of computers and the Internet in the process of learning. While some may laud its convenience, others argue that learning in schools with tutors is more efficient. In this essay, I intend to discuss both these perspectives and give my own opinion.
First of all, it is an irrefutable fact that technology has facilitated the process of learning. The prevailing utilization of electronic gadgets as well as the internet in the process of education has made attending schools or educational institutions redundant, resulting in saving time and energy for learners. For instance, in research conducted in several schools in Tehran, students admitted that during the pandemic of Covid-19 and prevailing remote education, two hours were saved for them during weekdays. Additionally, removing the commute between home and school diminishes air and noise pollution, resulting in ecological improvement. So, promoting online education is beneficial for both humans and the environment.
Nonetheless, I believe that face-to-face education with teachers’ supervision could not be substituted by online education. Attending schools, exposure to an educational question-and-answer atmosphere, and communicating with peers could be accompanied by more competition and encouragement to study more. According to statistics published by the World Education Organization in 2020, using online education during the coronavirus pandemic contributed to an exponential decline in students’ grades, especially in mathematics and physics. So, rather than underestimating the benefits of going to school, more emphasis should be put on conventional methods, which are sometimes the most effective ones.
By way of conclusion, I once again reaffirm my position that although attending schools may be accompanied by some inconvenience, its merits by far surpass those of online education. Furthermore, equipping public transport by governments could facilitate the transportation challenges for students.