As the world is becoming increasingly modernized, many areas are experiencing a clear transition, especially education. With the rise of social media, an expanding number of universities are offering online courses as an alternative to classes delivered on campus; however, many still question whether there are any realistic benefits to this method of learning or not. In my opinion, this is neither an entirely positive or negative development, but rather somewhere in between, for online classes present both advantages and disadvantages for learners.
From some perspectives, the rising number of online courses is a positive development, for it provides more educational opportunities. For instance, in Vietnam, quantum physics is not offered as a training program for students due to a deficiency of professors in this areas; nonetheless, in foreign countries, universities have specialized tools and experienced teachers to convey the complexity of quantum physics properly. Thus, if a student who cannot afford the costly tuition and living costs abroad but still desires to learn this subject, they may utilize online courses to achieve their goals. This proves the importance of online learning for some.
However significant online classes may seem, they still have major drawbacks. Some are concern about the potential health issues correlated with online learning. For example, online learning requires students to constantly looking at the screen since most of the educational material is uploaded on the internet. The frequent screen time causes permanent damage on various degrees to the eyes, and staring at the screen continuously damage the back spine of learners. Furthermore, learning online wastes a lot of natural resources. The electricity necessary to power devices for learning purposes comes from burning fossil fuel; subsequently, an online course taker will have to use a lot of fossil fuel throughout their learning journey, which is harmful to the environment.
In conclusion, online courses are not definitely beneficial or harmful. Rather, the level of good or bad it causes us depends on how we employ them.