Online Education’s Effect on Learning

Online education is a form of education where there is a physical separation between teachers and learners or students during instruction or teaching. Various technologies are used to facilitate teacher-student communication. In some cases, where the learning platform has a forum for students, they also use technology for student-student communication to achieve what happens in traditional classroom teaching.

Over the years, it has witnessed a boom. Its exponential rise in various forms; from mobile apps, massive open online courses (MOOC), and websites created with learning management systems (LMS) keep increasing. This method of education has both advantages and disadvantages such that it will be left to the learner to decide on which side to lean on.

One of the important benefits of online education is accessibility to education from anywhere a learner is, as long as he or she has an internet connection. Since there is no need for a physical structure, a learner can use his lunch break at work, be on vacation, be traveling, etc., and still be learning. This is a tremendous relief to career-minded people who would have otherwise taken a leave of absence to get further education.

An equally important benefit of this mode of learning is that it is often less expensive than traditionally structured learning in the classroom. A lot of online courses are cheap and easier to afford. There are even free courses where the learner still gets a certificate. This is an immeasurable benefit because it ensures more people are getting educated and upgrading their knowledge and skills and are putting it to use in their various endeavours. This promotes growth not just for the individual but for the employer, society, and the country at large.

In addition to the aforementioned advantages, online learning also helps in character development. Taking courses online calls for a certain amount of motivation and discipline; self-discipline is not needed in classroom learning. The learner needs to be motivated and disciplined and stay so, to finish an online course and by doing so, depending on the duration of the course adds some qualities to his or her character.

However, like a pendulum that swings both ways, online learning has its drawbacks.
Traditional classroom learning offers learners structure, support, and a standard system to groom students. This is lacking in online education thereby leaving learners to find their way. There is no one to hold the learner accountable and as such, those who are not good at managing time and themselves will suffer with meeting deadlines.

There is also the issue of technology getting in the way. Take a developing country like Nigeria where internet connection is barely affordable, unavailable to some and unstable in most places, a learner may miss a deadline or even an examination due to poor connectivity.
As online learning and traditional classroom learning continue to imbricate and become imminent, learning in whatever form it takes must be relevant, accessible and in tune with the changing times for the learner, teacher and society.