IETLS TASK 2: Should universities offer online courses as an alternative to conventional classrooms?

Question

Some universities offer online courses as an alternative to classes delivered on campus. Do you think this is a positive or negative development?Nowadays, there is a number of universities that provide their courses on online learning platforms instead of the traditional classroom setting. In my opinion, although online learning can offer great benefits such as flexibility, and reduced costs, this trend can have adverse effects on undergraduates’ social connections, performance, and employability in the long run.  On the one hand, it is true that online courses can be advantageous in some ways. Firstly, they allow students to have a flexible schedule. Unlike conventional classrooms where people are required to go to the class within a certain time frame, online classes can be attended anytime and anywhere, enabling students to be more proactive in their studies. Secondly, by digitalizing the subjects of a course, universities can cut back on expenditure, especially teacher costs and facilities. This is because the courses are presented on the internet, making the contents more personalized and digestible for the learners. As a result, online courses obviate the need for lecturers and teaching tools.On the other hand, classes on campus are irreplaceable for various reasons. To begin with, online courses are devoid of face-to-face interaction which is crucial for the development of interpersonal skills of undergraduates. More precisely, by only studying online, they are deprived of an interactive environment where they can establish relationships with their peers and further expand their social circle. Furthermore, online learning requires intense discipline and self-direction as students are expected to study by themselves as well as decide which subjects to study. With regards to the former, students’ performance is likely to be hindered since they cannot bring themselves to study properly, especially when teenagers often lack self-discipline, unlike adults. As for the latter, it would be unlikely for undergraduates to choose the correct course to take for their future careers as they don’t have the guidance of an experienced and knowledgeable teacher.To conclude, while it is undeniable that studying online can have a wide range of benefits in terms of flexibility and reduced costs, I still firmly believe that the use of online courses as a replacement for traditional classrooms will do more harm than good.

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

You wrote about 350 words. The minimum is 250. You will not lose points for writing more; however, longer essays generally do not get high band scores. And there are many reasons for this.

First, the longer the essay, the more chances you have to make errors, and you will lose points for each of those errors.

Second, your writing may be repetitious and wordy. This will cost you points in task response or coherence and cohesion.

Third, you will likely stray off-topic, and examiners will deduct points if you are not focused on the topic. Do not write about things that are not specifically given in the task. You will also be tempted to use weak or unsound arguments or even lose your direction and contradict yourself. Develop just two or three argument points with examples and personal experiences. It is much better to have two well-developed and fleshed-out argument points than to have four which are just individual separate statements.

Fourth, you will spend a lot of time writing, and not have sufficient time left over to proofread your essay. You will miss the silly mistakes, which everyone makes, and that lowers your score.

Fifth, pity the examiners who have to read all the IELTS essays individually. There are hundreds of them. If they read your long essay when they are tired at the end of the day, they will score extra hard and not be very generous when scoring.

Sixth, you will not have enough time for Task 1, and get a lower score there. You should allow 40 minutes for task and 20 minutes for Task 1. The word counts are designed so that you have ample time for brainstorming and then writing the two parts.

Aim to write 270-290 words for Task 2. Practice writing a lot of essays so you get a feeling for the length.
You can use this word counter: https://www.ieltsscore.com/word-counter/

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Nowadays, there is (wrong verb from - the subject is plural.) a number of universities that provide their courses on online learning platforms instead of the traditional classroom setting. In my opinion, although online learning can offer great benefits such as flexibility, and reduced costs, ~~this trend~~ it can have adverse effects on undergraduates’ social connections, performance, and employability in the long run.

You did not answer the prompt clearly: Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

Do not sit on the fence. This is NOT a "discuss both views" essay. It is NOT an advantages/disadvantages essay. You have to approach different essay types in special ways. Otherwise, you lose points for "task response."

For opinion essays, agree with either one side or the other. In body paragraph 1, write about the first reason for your opinion. In body paragraph 2, write the second reason. Do not give favorable remarks to the opposing side. That will cost you a lot of points.

Do not "partly" agree or sit on the fence. Only the most skilled essay writers successfully answer an opinion essay with their view somewhere in between.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

On the one hand, (wrong transition phrase.) ~~it is true that~~ (Delete. Avoid these useless "dummy-it" clauses. They are only "filler" words and your essay is too long already.) online courses can be advantageous (You are off-topic. This is not an advantages/disadvantages essay type. ) in some ways. F~~irstly~~, First, they allow students to have a flexible schedule. Unlike conventional classrooms where people are required to go to the class at a particular time, ~~within a certain time frame~~, online classes can be attended anytime and anywhere, enabling students to be more proactive in their studies. (That does not follow. "Proactive" does not have the right meaning.) ~~Secondly,~~ Second, by ~~digitalizing~~ (wrong word. It is not correct here.) ~~the subjects~~ creating and publishing videos for each lecture in a course, it can be reused for many years. In that way universities ~~can~~ cut back on costs ~~expenditure~~, especially ~~teacher costs~~ labor and facilities. This is because the courses are presented on the internet, ~~making the contents more personalized and digestible~~ (That makes no sense. It is the same lecture for every student.) ~~for the learners.~~ (wrong word. "learner" is a very specialized term that is seldom used. It is not natural here.). As a result, online courses obviate the need for lecturers (That is not true. They still need lecturers to create the courses and adapt them. ) and teaching tools.

If your opinion is "It is a positive development", then the next paragraph is off-topic. You shoot your position down. If you argue against your view, that is very bad, and you lose a lot of points.

If your opinion is "It is a negative development" then delete the preceding paragraph. It is irrelevant to your position and only undermines it.

On the other hand, classes on campus are irreplaceable for various reasons. To begin with, online courses are devoid of face-to-face interaction which is crucial for the development of interpersonal skills of undergraduates. More precisely, by only studying online, they are deprived of an interactive environment where they can establish relationships with their peers and further expand their social circle. Furthermore, online learning requires intense discipline and self-direction as students are expected to study by themselves as well as decide which subjects to study. With regards to the former, students’ performance is likely to be hindered since they cannot bring themselves to study properly, especially when teenagers often lack self-discipline, unlike adults. As for the latter, it would be unlikely for undergraduates to choose the correct course to take for their future careers as they don’t have the guidance of an experienced and knowledgeable teacher.

To conclude, while it is undeniable that studying online can have a wide range of benefits in terms of flexibility and reduced costs, I still firmly believe that the use of online courses as a replacement for traditional classrooms will do more harm than good.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Sample essay

Many universities began experimenting with online courses several years ago, when the internet became widely accessible. When they had to close due to the pandemic, having them available certainly was a blessing. So in my opinion this is an incredibly positive development, but like all good things, there is a limit. They should not completely replace classroom instruction.

The advantages of online classes became blatantly obvious when the pandemic hit. Students could continue their coursework uninterrupted and graduate on time. My cousin was able to get his degree and start his career, which would have been delayed by a year if there were no online option. Next, students can opt to take advanced level courses from the best professors in the world. Most schools accept credits transferred from prestigious universities. Besides, students can review recorded lectures that posed difficulties several times and do it on their own schedule. It also allows those who are working full time to support themselves to get a college degree, simply by taking courses at their own pace whenever they have free time.

However, traditional courses given on campus must not be totally eliminated. Unlike their virtual alternatives, students reap personal rewards from assisting each other and interacting directly with the professor; a student can approach him after class and ask questions for clarification. But these relatively minor issues can mostly be overcome in the design of the online classroom. For example, professors can offer one-on-one consultations online, and students can meet with their classmates on Facebook.

In conclusion, the provision of college-level classes over the internet is a very positive development. But schools need to offer in-person lectures along with the virtual ones.

IETLS TASK 2: Should universities offer online courses as an alternative to conventional classrooms?

Some universities offer online courses as an alternative to classes delivered on campus. Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

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