The Purpose, History and Benefits of Online Education

Today, online education has become a very popular trend. More and more institutions are offering online courses and online programs to earn degrees. Online learning supporters offer many benefits, such as greater flexibility, more opportunities for work and academic-life balance, no need to attend college or university, and better customization of study programs to meet student needs. Despite these advantages, however, the online learning process has serious drawbacks that can affect the learning outcomes of most students.

The main problem with online learning is the lack of interaction. Students can not communicate directly with instructors and classmates. Unlike face-to-face learning, students often miss many opportunities to learn new knowledge because they often can not ask questions right away. Unlike students who are learning in the traditional way, online students who need to participate in many projects and present results to potential clients can not develop their speaking skills. Because non-verbal communication is not available in online learning programs, students can spend more time and effort in understanding the instructor's comments. For most people, nonverbal commutation is as important as language communication (Deane 11). This problem can be solved by a video lecture, but direct communication with instructors and classmates is still a disgrace to traditional learning environments.

Online programs offered by colleges and universities may not be properly certified or recognized, especially after transferring to another state or country. While traditional degrees and degrees are recognized almost everywhere, rules for online programs are not firmly established, and taking online courses involves risks associated with possible accreditation or certification issues.

Despite potential certification issues, online program costs are quite high (Deane 12). These costs may be lower than the cost of brick and mortar training, but the price does not fit the value of the service provided. Traditional educational institutions offer many facilities such as gymnasiums, libraries, computer labs, and access to ongoing research, stores for students and special discounts. Students have access to additional equipment needed during the study and can participate in a variety of activities. All of these facilities are not available for online courses. In addition, much of the online curriculum offers low-quality materials, lots of text evidence without substantial impact, and ineffective organizational learning sessions. So most online courses are too expensive.

Finally, networking and team building opportunities for online courses are reduced. In traditional brick and mortar training, students work in teams, form subgroups, and experience business interactions in real-life conditions for the first time. This powerful networking can not be implemented in online programs. In addition, students often have important professional relationships with their classmates, other courses and instructors while studying, and these connections are not established online.

Overall, the main disadvantages of online education are the lack of interaction, lack of non-verbal communication, problems with certification and recognition, high cost and reduced networking opportunities that many students are having with this type of learning. Online classes should not be viewed as a full-fledged alternative to traditional face-to-face learning, and students choosing an online learning program should carefully consider their weaknesses before making a final decision on online education.