Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Education -Online learning 

Any form of learning that takes place via internet which offers a flexible instructional delivery system, comes under the purview of online education.

Educational  institutes all across the globe have  acknowledged the significance of online classes. Nobody can deny, the way forward is to go online.

Introduction of Online Education 

When we talk about offline courses, it comes with lot of constraints, it is no longer considered as the most potent form of teaching. It is still in practice, but there seems to be a lot of potential with online classes.

Covid-19 has wreak havoc on mankind, but there is a silver lining to it as well. It has taught us the  need to find out alternative source for carrying out various activities & education sector is not an exception.

This Pandemic has adversely impacted our life cycle. Education being an important sector needed an immediate attention. The flow of education cannot be stopped irrespective of the situation. Desperate situation needs desperate measures. Out of the box thinking became imperative as mankind has never experienced such a critical situation prior to this pandemic.

Under the given scenario of Covid - 19,  the only form of teaching that could have been prescribed, is none other than online mode of teaching. It takes away the risk of physical contact therefore, it is relatively safer in comparison to having offline classes, which can expose the students & teachers equally to this great threat.

It has been widely accepted that imparting knowledge digitally is the safest and the most  productive mode under the current situation.

It is as productive as having offline classes however, it offers plenty of privileges to the teachers as well as to the students. It will be unfair to challenge the relevance of offline classes, as it has been highly successful, but we must get innovative now.

The strategy adopted in the past in regards to education sector needs to be altered, so that students can be offered resourceful ways to make education more interesting and easier to understand .

Video Tutorial:Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Education -Online learning 

 The 5 Advantages of online education

1. Student can receive education from the teachers of their preference . Under this mode, distance in not a barrier. One can receive education from home . Students are no longer required to migrate from one place to another to pursue their the studies. The comfort of studying from home is a feature any student and every student loves to have.

2. When a student moves around / migrates to a different place, it adds up to his expenditure. One needs to find a proper accommodation in a new place. When we compare the education fees between an offline and online institution, we will see that  the fee structure is on the lower side in online institutions.

The contents made available to the students under online mode is far more superior and one gets access to lot of Apps,Videos and Mock tests as well.

3. In offline mode of teaching , if an academy remains closed for a certain period of time , then flow of education gets interrupted or hindered, which is not the case under online mode of education.

4. The students can access reviews / feedback about the course, teachers and system of education which enables the students to select the best course as per their requirements and area of interest.

5. Online medium of learning strengthens the networking of the learner's . The same networking opens up new avenues for them, as they come in contact with students belonging to different places & nationalities.

They network with peers across nation's, becomes culturally sensitive , gets to learn how to adjust & acclimatize with people representing a different system & environments.

They get exposed to other culture which makes them more equipped in handling people who are somewhat different from them, in regards to certain traits or way of living.

The 5 disadvantage of online education

1.Student can receive education by means of their mobile phones, but it also acts as a source of distraction. Handset is used as a tool to access new information, but it also diverts the attention from studies.

The span of attention can be easily reduced under this system. Focus gets  impacted negatively.

2. Another disadvantage of online classes  is that, there is very little scope to monitor the students. If the students lack self motivation in that event online platform of teaching, may not yield the desired outcome.

3. Online mode of learning can create  social isolation for the learner's. They may suffer from remoteness & lack of interaction. The same can lead to health issues like stress & anxiety. This medium curtails the scope of interaction to a great degree.

The students rarely gets to interact with other students , limited scope of interaction may not foster team work & quality communication, which could prove detrimental to the interest of students in the long run.

4. Online education makes it difficult to provide personalized feedback which is not the case with offline mode. Personalized feedback learning process, motivates the students to perform even better. This elements is missing in online education.

5. E- learning can optimise the academic knowledge , but it acts as barrier & hampers the development of communication skills amongst the learner's. Since face to face interaction is not possible under this mode of learning  therefore, it may not be very helpful in developing the traits of quality communication.

The bonding between peers , student & teachers always develops a conducive environment for learning which is found to be lacking under this method of teaching. The students can gain exposure & expertise, but will struggle to pass on the acquired  knowledge on account of poor communication skills.

Although it will be unfair to say that every learner receiving online education is poor in terms of communication skill, but majority of them tends to suffer , because of limited opportunities to develop their communication skills.

Why online learning is good?

It is good, as it is more convenient & offers more flexibilities to the learner's.

What are the good things about online learning?

The followings good things have been observed from student's point of view , under this instructional mode:

• Flexible schedule. 
• Reduced Course Fee.
• Self discipline.
• Networking opportunities.

What are the negative aspects of online education?

The following negative aspects have been noticed :

• Requires self motivation.
• Focus is mainly on theory & not so much on practice.
• It is not going to prove beneficial to people who are computer illiterate.
• It is somewhat difficult to prevent cheating under this mode.

Conclusion :

Online education has provided an option which appears very sophisticated . Online education  brings to the table plenty of choices to the learner's.This method of teaching has it's positives & negatives.Online education offers plenty of benefits, but at the same time suffer from certain constraints. The overall response & feedback regarding this medium of instruction has been healthy however, in some cases it hasn't been that successful.

We are living in a digital world. We must try to optimize the benefits of technical advancements & try to overcome barriers like difference in time zone, culture & other associated hurdles to make the process of learning, smooth & pleasant. Online mode of instruction certainly offers us that cushion.