subject: Alternatives of Traditional Education: Distance Learning [print this page] Alternatives of Traditional Education: Distance Learning
Some decades ago students could not even dream to attend a college or a university without leaving home. Today, it is possible. Online learning brings education in every home. This new way of getting education is growing more popular among the students. However, some of them still do not understand the essence of online learning completely. This article provides the main pros and cons of distance learning. Pros of online learning The core aim of online learning is the same as of traditional learning. However, it has a number of distinctions. Benefits of distance education are as follows: 1.Independence. A student can easily combine his/her studies and work. He/she can study any time it is convenient for him/her, in the morning or at night. 2.Flexibility. Online learning allows making up a personal schedule for studying. A student can make a plan and teachers will adjust to it, not vice versa. On top of that, students can start studies any time of the year. Online courses are not confined to any time limits. 3.Lower costs. Online education is much cheaper than traditional education. Moreover, a student does not have to pay for housing or other college expenses. 4.Distance. College location does not matter any more. Any student can study at any college he/she likes as everything is on the Internet now. Cons of online learning Alongside various benefits, there are some drawbacks of distance education: 1.First of all, a student is always on his/her own. Regardless of the fact that online colleges provide video chats, students do not have the feeling of community. 2.Then, students should have a number of technical skills to succeed in online learning. Computer and Internet access are inevitable tools of online education.
