Online learning

There is a truth that online courses have became a common feature of university education. Although there are some negatives of internet-based learning, I will argue that online studying have many more benefits.

A main drawback of trend towards university learning online courses is less direct interaction. Students may not have opportunities to contact face to face with their teachers, instead of relying on written forms of communication. Similarly, students who are learning online do not contact directly to each other. This may have negative impacts on peer support, discussion, and exchange of idea. For example, while students in traditional classes can take part in seminars and even discuss about the subjects when they are drinking coffee after classes, online learners are restricted to contacting through forums of websites. These learners also may lack motivation and competition element which face to face work group have.

Despite of some adverse points above, I still believe that online learning is a positive jump because of many reasons. Firstly, online learning allows people to study in flexible ways. This means that they can learn whenever and wherever they are comfortable, and they can also learn the material at their own pace. Secondly, university education costs may be significantly reduced, while the revenue of the universities can rise dramatically as more students are taught. Finally, online studying brings expansion opportunities for anyone who is at any age in any region with any ability and background as long as they have a spirit to study. For instance, my uncle who was 65 years old, registered a MBA online course in a foreign country recently. This is impossible in the period when there had not been have internet- based education.

In conclusion, while I recognized potential disadvantages of online learning, I still consider it is a positive development.