Welcome to the pros and cons of distance learning for students to get a degree in 2021. Whether you are trying to get admission or graduate by studying remotely, this guide will help you understand its benefits and disadvantages. So, keep reading to get more info on distance online learning at the end.
Distance learning gives a lot of freedom to those who are busy with their jobs and also want to graduate or achieve higher degrees at the same time. However, as easy and comfortable it seems, it is not. Giving more flexibility and opportunities for students, online learning also has drawbacks. These factors depend upon the nature, type, and choice of the learner.
Pros and cons of distance learning – definition
Pros of distance learning
Distance learning offers many flexibilities as the student can decide their location and time to learn. They can choose their subject or faculty with instructors. Below are the pros of distance learning:
- Distance learning can be operated from anywhere. Thus, it saves time and energy for both students and teachers to reach the classroom.
- It saves fuel costs and avoids the stress of traveling.
- Most suitable for people with a busy schedule as they get the flexibility to learn at their own pace. Very little impact on the daily schedule.
- Gives you a degree or certificate and allows you to do a job at the same time.
- Fees are slightly cheaper as no physical location is involved and you don’t have to attend a university or college.
- Financially suitable and provides degree at a low cost.
Cons of distance learning
- There’s no physical interaction between the attendees and teachers. As some students find it more entertaining to attend physical classrooms, distance learning could be quite boring for them.
- Colleagues are kept isolated from each other which results in a lack of motivation, competition, and support.
- Students can’t get direct help unless their teacher comes online.
- Our social and conversational skills remain the same due to the limited environment to interact with.
- Most job providing companies love to hire those who have graduated via traditional methods of learning.
- There are chances of missing live classes and questions due to technical difficulties. Power cut, no internet, etc. could cause issues if you are living in a rural area.
- Time management is heavily tough.
- Hard to find genuine and most reputed distance learning programs with good reviews.
Frequently Asked Queries about Distance Learning
The main advantage of distance learning is that it provides flexibility to decide our time. We can study from anywhere and comply with our busy schedule. It is financially suitable as well, saves fuel & traveling cost with cheap studying fees. We can get degrees and certificates studying from home or working from our office.
The main con of distance learning is that we don't get to interact with teachers and colleagues directly through a physical medium. This affects the most when we have chosen a subject or course in which practical exercises are necessary. In that case, we might need physical help and assistant from a third person or the instructor to get the necessary skills. Also, most companies and employers love to hire those people who have graduated from traditional methods of learning.
Distance learners try things and experiment on their own which might lead to a lack of teamwork and desire to take help while in trouble. Students have to be highly disciplined in their manners, schedule, and timing to avoid procrastination. Due to a lack of social environment, there's less feeling of competition and encouragement to study more. Also, getting a response and answers to queries could be a headache because the teacher can only reply when they see the message.
The development of technology has helped millions of distance learners around the world get the opportunity to study from home. According to research published by Jerald Schutte, students who attended online classes scored 20% more than those in physical classes.
Conclusion
At a glance, the points listed above were the pros and cons of distance learning in 2021. It is good for those who want to get a degree and certificate on a budget with a busy schedule. However, we might not receive that higher level of support from the teachers as no physical classes are involved. We can only interact with our colleagues via audiovisual methods through the internet. Now, it’s your turn. Do you have any other benefits or disadvantages of distance education in mind? Let us know in the comments below as we will love to hear from you. [c ya]