Higher educational institutions provide their internet-based courses to society for remote study. In my opinion, I believe they bring more disadvantages than advantages due to declining learner motivation and adverse effects on eye health.
Some individuals may view virtual courses from different universities as beneficial. For them, it may expand learning opportunities because students can explore subjects not available at their own school. For example, Harvard University uploads technology-related subjects on their website, attracting numerous students from different colleges interested in these fields. This enhances their self-learning development. Additionally, it benefits students who are busy with their studies or part-time jobs, allowing them to access online courses in their free time. Therefore, virtual courses from universities can be advantageous.
However, I believe there are significant drawbacks. One obvious disadvantage of studying online courses is that learners may not fully understand the lecture because they lack interaction with lecturers to clarify misunderstandings. It takes learners a lot of time to find solutions to their problems due to the lack of immediate feedback. For instance, The New York Times reported that 60% of IELTS learners find it challenging to write essays independently without guidance, leading to a decline in learner motivation. Additionally, excessive screen exposure from online learning courses offered by universities can affect eye health. People find it difficult to concentrate on reading text on screens due to the harmful blue light emitted by smartphone screens, causing dry eyes. Therefore, spending excessive time on online courses can be challenging.
In conclusion, I firmly believe that the disadvantages of studying virtual courses offered by universities outweigh the advantages due to decreased learner motivation and adverse effects on eye health.