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Distance learning for and against
Essays about distance learning
Benefits and challenges of distance learning
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Recommended: Distance learning for and against
Face-to-face education is slowly becoming a thing of the past, while “convenience” is becoming more common. Many students are trying to find a balance between family, work, and school therefor participating in online courses has made it easier for students to accomplish their goals, while still maintaining their day-to-day lives. Although this sounds great for some students, distant learning is definitely not meant for all. Self-discipline plays huge factor when participating in online education, but what many people do not understand, is in order to truly grasp the concept of “self-discipline, one must have motivation, self-control, and persistence.
Online education is known to have a special concern when it comes to keeping students motivated. Having no set class schedule stating what times and days a student must attend, leaves so much room for one to fall behind. Communication through distant learning is a lot different then in person and is one of the main reasons why it is easy for online learners to lack motivation. Not being able to interact face-to-face with students who may be struggling to learn the same course
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Taking online courses may seem convenient for some students but for others, it is an everyday struggle finding the time to balance their day-to-day lives and still leave quiet time for study. Although it is easy for a student to make their own schedule and log in when it is convenient for them, it is just as easy to procrastinate and put it off another day. If students do not log in on a daily basis, they may fall short just on the simple fact of not understanding an assignment. With online education students are not able to raise their hand and get an immediate response. In fact, getting a response from an online professor can sometimes take up to 2-3 days, leaving you with less time to complete
In his article, “Can You Be Education from a Distance?”, James Barszcz effectively weighs the pros and cons of online education compared to the traditional method, while effectively supporting his position with factual information and statistics. While distance education proves to be convenient for students, Barszcz asserts that it eliminates valuable experiences necessary in order to get the most out of the material being learned.
Most of the time, a student cannot learn at their own pace of the subject because the teacher has a schedule and other students so that student can easily fall behind or not feel as if they are learning. Also, if a student misses a class due to an illness or some other sort of reason they will get behind in classes, while with online class the student can still work while sick or the class will not move on without them. Some schools do not offer some classes that students wish to take. For example, some schools may not present a language class that the pupil wishes to take but online they have a better chance of being able to take that
Not all students can adapt to virtual learning, as students have to be good readers and the online program may lack the auditory support found in traditional classes. They also must be self-motivated and organized so as to keep track of their work and assignment due dates. Students wishing to take classes that require direct instruction and use of materials not available at home, such as science classes requiring lab work or cooking classes, may have to enroll in classes elsewhere. There has also been some concern “that students who are enrolled full-time in online public schools may suffer from a lack of opportunities for socialization, and consequently may fail to develop important social skills” (Sivin-Kachala & Bialo, 2009, p. 2). There are both pros and cons to virtual learning.
There are likely going to be struggles when it comes to online school programs. There may be technical problems that might pop up at the beginning of a course or challenges related to a professor who doesn’t have a readily available office or office hours. This may stress some students
However, there are many challenges facing the average online student. It is a completely different learning environment compared to what most have become accustomed to. The advanced pace of
Hira argues that the sources of this momentum include distinct demographic trends in the developed and developing world, changes in the workJack Cunninghan (2010), in an article “Self-direction: A critical tool in Distance learning,” explained how self-directed learning is key to successful online distance education. In order for instructors and students to succeed in online learning, both must pay attention to motivation and self-discipline. He also described that self-directed learners are generally more adept at transforming learning into meaning and life application than students who simply listen to the professor. The role and necessity of self-directed learning in distance education is therefore discussed, and also principles for teaching in online distance education are
When students are deciding on where to go to college, they have the option of choosing between online classes and the traditional classroom classes. Today, some students are finding it much easier to maintain a job, family and start a college career, all by taking online classes. Although some students still prefer to stick with the traditional classroom classes, they still have the option to take online classes. Both online and the traditional classes will provide the educational requirements needed to obtain a college degree and opportunities in the work field. Although the online classes offer just as much as the traditional classes, they are completely different when it comes to teaching methods, course material and time.
The argument of traditional vs. online classroom learning presents negative impacts for both teachers and students alike, such as the loss of interaction and socialization between students and their teachers. The teacher’s ability to quickly respond to student’s questions during online learning when performing research, requesting assistance for technical reasons or asking for feedback can be an issue when a response is needed. The response often times is received twenty four to forty eight hours later. This alone can prevent the student from completing work until a response has been
Online education, while offering clear advantages such as supporting a self-paced learning experience by allowing learning on an on-demand basis rather than a strict class schedule, also has significant drawbacks. Students in an online only course may struggle with structure and content without hands-on instruction, which can help motivate students who otherwise may be distracted or have difficulty working independently. The traditional structure of classroom education is effective, but also comes with a set of obstacles, particularly for nontraditional students. The best way to bridge this gap is hybrid education, which combines technology and personal interaction to support efficiency and self-paced learning while keeping students motivated, social, and connected to their professors and their peers through face to face interactions. While this newer learning model is still under investigation, there is evidence to prove that hybrid courses can lead to academic success.
There are so many students in college and high school that believe there are all of these myths about an online course so they will take the course and believe the wrong statements or they will not take the course because they believe statements that are untrue. According to a recent study, 5.3 million students in the United States took an online course in the fall of 2013. Although that number is growing, there are still many students that believe the wrong information which keeps myths abundant. A common myth that is believed is that an online course is easier than an on campus traditional course. This is very untrue because in reality, online courses take much more time management. There are other assignments due in other classes so a student will have to find a time to do those as well as the online assignments. (Williams, 2015) Many students also believe that they can take as much time and they want on online assignments.
In a K-12 setting, distance learning or traditional learning requires careful planning that must take place in order for the educational process to work for the students. When we look at both forms of education there are still pros and cons to both. Although online learning has made a major impact in the world of education, many people have not accepted this form of education. One of the reason for their concerns is that students cannot get fast answers to their questions about the assignment from the teacher. Another concern is that the students cannot perform effectively in a group collaboration that is taking place online. Also, students may not effectively do their homework from an online program. Lastly, some families do not have the technology at home for online learning.
When a person enters the real world and gets a job, they will not always have a lot of time on their hands that would allow them to go to classes. The ability to take their classes at anytime possible is one of the most appealing factors for distance learners (Flanagan). Another reason as to why distance learning is a perfect match for men and women taking classes while working is the motivation factor. Both Snell and Mariani agree that in order for a person to succeed in distance education, they must be highly motivated, which does not describe the ...
With everything else there are pro’s and con’s in taking online courses. Some of the advantages of taking online courses include completing all assignment at your own pace. Some people may take a little longer than oth...
Furthermore, some may suggest that online learning is benefiting our students in society. There has been a breakthrough in time and geographical limitations of education via online courses (Ho, 2009). Online education is cost-effective, efficient, and easily accessible (Schmeeckle, 2003). Online classes are used for individual and independent learning in which the student can learn at their own pace (Gonzalez, 2009). Not only is online education beneficial for breaking down barriers, online education has the potential to help students learn material more efficiently. Students are more likely to seek help from their instructors when the material is taught online (Whipp & Lorentz, 2009). Computer use in statistical classes could help decrease math anxiety (Gundy, Morton, Liu, & Kline, 2006). In a study that measured online students’ ability to achieve the same efficiency of course material as face-to-face students, at least 98% of students reported that they had, so one may be lead to believe that online learning is just as efficient as face-to-face courses (Liebowitz, 2003). With all of the positive aspects of online education, one may wonder why there is any debate as to whether or not online education is beneficial for
I believe that Face to Face learning is better than online learning because students have access to various learning resources on campus verses off. Face to face allows students to have instant gratification with answers and help. When a student is in class they can ask questions while it is fresh on their mind or help with a particular problem. If the student was at home online they would have to wait for the instructor to email them back. Is that really more conducive to a person’s education and learning?