The internet is an extremely useful tool for communication, sales, and even education. Not only does it open a world of resources for students looking to find information and interact with others across the globe, it can also be a means of continuing one’s education through formal classes offered by colleges and universities. In fact, there are now institutions of higher learning that operate exclusively online. It’s a brave new world of technological innovations comingled with the craft of teaching, which is why it should be carefully considered as an alternative to traditional schooling. Here are just a few of the pros and cons you might want to weigh before you opt for the keyboard instead of the classroom.
PROS:
- Ease of use. The best reason to embrace this technological leap in learning is the ease of use. Online classes can be taken in the comfort of your own home, cutting down on all kinds of expenditures. The work can be done at the user’s pace, making it ideal for students who have to work or those with a family. Single parents, in particular, have found salvation and a chance to improve their lives through the advent of online educations.
- Lower cost. Because these courses require no teaching schedule, but rather only that an educator set, monitor, and grade assignments, the cost can be seriously reduced as opposed to traditional classes. This savings is often passed on to students. So if you simply can’t get the loan you need to pay for attending a university, consider an online school as an alternative to simply dropping out.
- Time-saver. Since you can more or less set your own schedule for assignments and study, and you don’t have to waste time on traveling to school each day, taking online classes is a great way to free up some time that would otherwise be spent in scholastic pursuits.
CONS:
- Lack of interpersonal interaction. Although online classes can make your life a lot easier, they can’t hope to offer everything a classroom can. Lectures often provide more information than what is available in the class text, and teachers can weave in their own knowledge, experience, and analysis to give you a clearer picture of the importance of a particular topic. On top of that, students can ask questions to clarify. And of course, material is often more interesting when it is delivered in a conversational and interactive form. Plus, getting to know the teacher gives you an opportunity to share your interest, meet a mentor, and possibly even influence your grade for the better.
- Less direction. Without a teacher to explain the finer points of assignments, you can easily feel like you’re stumbling around in the dark, only to end up misunderstanding and ultimately failing to meet requirements. Of course you can often communicate with an instructor through email, but you’ll never garner the same kind of understanding that you would through face-to-face interaction.
- Lack of recognition. Although many online institutions are becoming more recognized and some are even accredited in the same way that other universities are, you might still have trouble when you go to get a job or try to attend a traditional school for your next degree level. There is still a certain amount of stigma attached to online schooling and you might hit a professional wall when you walk into interviews with a virtual degree.
Mike Thimmesch writes for AdvanceMe, the nation’s leading merchant cash advance provider and credit card factoring company.
