In an effort to promote and enhance one's personality and career, a good educational background is necessary. Considering the busy schedules of working adults, the concept of obtaining online education becomes more and more reasonable, if not desirable.
Simply put, online education is a program where a student is not required to report for school daily, in order to obtain a degree, diploma or certificate. As such, learning is not restricted within the confines of a classroom. It is done through a computer that is typically connected to a specific network. It is synonymous with the following terms: online learning, e-learning, online education, distance learning and distance education.
The benefits of obtaining an online degree far outweigh its costs. As can be gleaned from the above, Convenience is one of its more attractive aspects. Because the need to be physically present in the classroom is dispensed with, the costs of commuting, as to time, money and energy are eliminated from the factors to be considered. It is quite obvious that this system will work well with people who are facing challenges in their mobility.
Another aspect would be flexibility in terms of what to study and the pace of studying. Available for one's consideration are the numerous programs to choose from. Moreover, once the program has been chosen, the student gets to decide the amount of time to devote to the topics/subjects. Clearly, online education is more student-centered than traditional educational institutions. As a result of tailoring of the program to suit its students, it has been noted in studies that there is greater retention of the lessons in online learning. There is also more room for collaborative efforts because the ambience for an online education fosters it. Because of less personal interactions, being part of the team becomes easier and more comfortable.
Notwithstanding the above benefits, there are also disadvantages when one avails of online education. Foremost among this is the possibility non-recognition, by the employers or other entities, of the degree, as well as the institution where the same was obtained. This goes hand in hand with the perception that an online degree is not as good as a regular degree. While this bias still exists, it is slowly changing because acclaimed educational institutions now offer e learning services, albeit still very limited. And lastly, there is a possibility that online education will not work if the student is not motivated and diligent enough.
Clearly, while online education may not suit everyone, there is a demand for the same, and in view of its benefits, such demand is increasing.
