The Advantages Of E-Learning: The Benefits Of Online Learning

Improved Essays
Online Learning Technological development has brought more opportunities in education, in particular through online. Online learning (e-Learning) can be defined as “learning utilizing electronic technologies to access educational curriculum outside of a traditional classroom” (“What Is ELearning?”). Jeff Seaman, the Co-Director of the Babson Survey Research Group, said, “The rate of growth in online enrollments remains extremely robust, even as overall higher education enrollments have shown a decline” (“Babson Research Study”); this reveals that there are more people choosing online learning. Online learning has more benefits than its drawbacks because it has low cost, enables students to become global citizens, help develop initiative and …show more content…
Additionally, most colleges and universities have started to accept credits from free massive open online courses (MOOCs), which help students to satisfy their general education requirements at extremely low cost (“10 Advantages”). By using the Return on Investment (ROI) calculator, it shows that online learning is much more cost-saving than our current methods of education (“Calculating ROI”). Secondly, online learning allows more interaction and increases participation. Online learning is constantly reaching out globally; thus, students all over the world can take part in discussion of these courses. Moreover, it is a great opportunity for people in developing countries to participate. Shy students can engage in discussions or chats more easily than face-to-face class sessions. Some students commented that online courses are easier to concentrate because they are not distracted by other students or other activities in class (Serlin 8-9). Thirdly, students can develop initiative and technical skills through internet courses. For most internet …show more content…
Firstly, academic dishonesty can be an issue in online courses. Typical internet courses do not have proctored exams; thus, there might be students who may cheat on these exams. Procrastination is another concern. Computer problems or slow and unreliable internet connection can cause students to miss assignment deadline (Serlin 8-9). Secondly, online courses lack face-to-face interaction. When someone is teaching, they may use hand gestures and facial expressions that are occasionally important; however, because there are no face-to-face meetings, it might be difficult for people to understand. Also, there are students who underestimate the impact of never meeting a teacher and other classmates. “The Trouble with Online Education”, a New York Times article, written by Mark Edmundson, an English professor at the University of Virginia, states:
Online education is a one-size-fits-all endeavor. It tends to be a monologue and not a real dialogue. The Internet teacher, even one who responds to students via e-mail, can never have the immediacy of contact that the teacher on the scene can, with his sensitivity to unspoken moods and enthusiasms. This is particularly true of online courses for which the lectures are already filmed and in the can. It doesn’t matter who is sitting out there on the Internet watching;

Related Documents

  • Great Essays

    As we all know, technology is constantly evolving. The perfect example of technological advancements is online learning. Online learning is something that has been around for some time now, but has just recently become much more significant. There are a lot of benefits and supporters of this new learning approach and likewise there are also many disadvantages and opponents. In this essay, I will be talking about two different perspectives on online learning.…

    • 1202 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Teacher Immediacy Theory

    • 1883 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The applications of immediacy to educational settings introduces the idea that a teacher, through the use of certain cues, can reduce the perceived distance between instructor and learners and thereby influence certain classroom outcomes, especially student learning (Allen, Witt, & Wheeless, 2006). Teacher immediacy represents a behavior that an instructor can be trained to exhibit and/or increase. Some examples of verbal immediacy behaviors include using personal examples, asking questions, using humor, addressing others by name, praising others, initiating discussion, and using inclusive pronouns (Kidd & Song, 2008). With the same line of thinking, there is also nonverbal immediacy. These behaviors typically include looking toward someone, leaning toward someone, touching someone in a non-threatening manner, sitting near someone, smiling, and speaking in an animated way (Planalp, 1993).…

    • 1883 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Petrofirst Case Analysis

    • 1407 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Every year many startups are entring into the e-learning domain boosting its growth. Study by Sloan Consortium US, found that 6 million stdents are taking at least one online course in US. In higher education, enrollment grwth in online learning is 10% compared to 2% of overall rise. One of the major reasons why nline education considered to be next big thing is higher education increasingly becoming costly resulting in trillions of dllars of education loan all over the world. Online education costs less as well as allows benfits like learning from home while still in job.…

    • 1407 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    (Hauser) On the other hand, online courses seem to work better for others. Over a five year span, over fifty percent of students preferred to repeat the online experience. (Delfino) Students that are more organized and have less time to actually attend class due a job or children, find that online learning is the best option. Horspol researched how online and face-to-face courses differ in many aspects of student behavior.…

    • 723 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    But, without their instructor face to face, students will have to come up with their own method of processing information. This academic freedom given to students can result in a lackadaisical learning technics. Figures indicate that the reduced effort results in a reduced commitment to the course. The distance learning division of Cornell University, less than a third of the respondents expected the quality of online course to be as good as the classroom course (Cornellius).…

    • 914 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Daphne Koller, a speaker at TED talked about how this phenomenon has its perks but also its drawbacks. Throughout her talk she emphasized the good side of how online education brought higher learning from a local audience to a global audience that promoted different types of thought and experiences, as well as revolution and learning for the system of online education itself (Koller, 2012). Though these systems bring new innovative and paradigm changing mechanics to the area of higher education, and all forms of education, there’s still a lot that needs to be worked on for the general…

    • 864 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The online classes are not presented by a series of computer generated algorithms but rather by professors that are actively teaching at a college campus and have real world experience in the areas that they teach. Therefore, the professors that head the learning experience for online students are among the best and know what is required to help a student advance in any setting. Additionally, Professor Neem and I have different viewpoints concerning the outcomes for students that attend traditional college vs. the distance learner because Neem contends that the future of the traditional student will be more advantageous because they will reap the benefits of having fostered relationships with peers and professors. I, on the other hand, believe that the student with the advantage is the student that is prepared, ready, willing, and able to put…

    • 1670 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Online Learning Technology

    • 1031 Words
    • 4 Pages

    I can speak from a personal standpoint, specifically from my own evaluation. I have taken many different traditional and online courses. I can say that my experiences are far better in an online setting, and as a result, my grades have shown that I am much more comfortable in an online setting. Without the need to adjust my schedule, but to simply just fit in when I will be taking a course, I have an added confidence in my experiences through the success that I have been able to accomplish thus…

    • 1031 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Online Classes

    • 779 Words
    • 4 Pages

    One of the main reasons people today go to college is to further their education. In today’s world students going to school are finding new ways to learn and be successful from using technology. Correspondingly, online classes have been making a significant impact on not only the education system, but for the students who take them as well. However, it is tough to say if taking classes online really benefit all of those who are taking them in college. The learning curve for every individual is based on personal preference.…

    • 779 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The convergence of learning and the Internet has facilitated the growth of an individualized, comprehensive in nature, dynamic learning content in real time. Factors that contribute to making e-learning the preferred choice for self-learning by a majority of youngsters are: • Courses designed according to…

    • 2106 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Stronger bonds between the teacher and the students are formed more easily in a traditional classroom than in an online class; students are also more involved in their social lives and activities. Alleyne says, “With face to face interaction you develop lifelong contacts, memories and experiences that are harder to foster in an online…

    • 857 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Students enrolling in college or universities today, have a completely new choice than last generation as to how they can pursue their degree. The choice given to them is taking classes the traditional method, by attending classes physically, or taking classes online, or a combination of both. Education differs today than in years past, giving students a whole new option to further their studies according to their own schedule, or by attending class in a traditional manner. According to the market research company, re:fuel, the percent of students taking online courses has nearly doubled over the last five years from 23% to 45%. Students taking online courses also average two per term.…

    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    College requires a lot of time, and some people do not have all the required time to go and attend one to three hour lectures every day of the week. The lecture time and the time of travel is a lot of time going into education. If a student has a busy schedule at work or being a dependent for someone, then they cannot spend all their time going to class, attending the class, and doing homework for that class. Online courses are perfect for students who lack time because online courses are convenient. According to Jung-Wan Lee, “Studies on online education demonstrated its potential as well as its positive impact on students owing to the flexibility and convenience offered by online classes” (Lee).…

    • 1099 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Students can rent laptops and other devices to complete their coursework, or they are able to use the technology available to them during campus hours. (Thirumurthy and Melanson 2010) There are however still plenty of drawbacks to the integration of technology in our education systems. Distance learning often lacks in classroom discussion, and students are also more likely to be preoccupied with their social medias rather than their classwork when not in a traditional classroom. Even in a traditional setting, students won’t pay attention in class, “using technology to ignore their learning sessions,” as stated in an article by Blankenship.…

    • 841 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Traditional students are more recognized than an online student would be because online students are often seen as lazy by society. The studies found prove that wrong. They show that students who take class online end up scoring better than students who are in traditional classes, which gives online learning the more favorable type of…

    • 1268 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays