While most of us are used to taking classes the conventional ‘on-campus’ way, many students as well as educational institutions are migrating to an ‘online’ mode of education. Let us evaluate some of the pros and cons of pursuing a degree online.
ADVANTAGES
Access to world class educators – One of the key advantages of online education is that it provides you access to faculty and learning material from around the globe, which otherwise might not be possible.
Online learning can me more engaging than traditional classroom learning – Various studies on the efficiency of online learning have shown that students who took classes online, felt less intimated about participating in online discussions with professors, resulting in a higher quality of interaction between students and professors. An article by the Forbes magazine in 2019 stated that “online classes are more likely to present material in attention-grabbing, multimedia formats that may be better suited to today’s students”.
Online is cheaper – An online degree generally costs much lesser than a traditional on-campus program.
Online education offers schedule flexibility (a boon for working professionals) – One of the key advantages of online education is that you can take your classes as per your own schedule. This works best for working professionals who can attend lectures after/before office hours and on weekends and holidays. While some programs may require participation in online lectures at certain times, almost all lectures are generally archived for later reference.
DISADVANTAGES
Lack of access to a peer/friends network – One of the most arguable disadvantages of online education is the lack of interaction between participants that a typical on-campus program offers. While some program require you to participate in group projects, you still miss out on the ‘hanging out with your classmates’ aspect while studying online
Lack of teacher – student interaction – In an online classroom, since most of the lectures are scripted, it gives very little room for the teacher to seek feedback from students, be creative, and dynamically change the topics of discussion based on students’ questions and overall understanding of a topic.
Requires self discipline – Taking classes online requires a certain amount of self discipline. In a classroom mode, you have a fixed schedule to follow and are personally answerable to the teacher in case you miss classes or skip assignments. In an online mode, there is a higher possibility that one may tend to procrastinate in attending lectures and completing assignments.
Heavier in content – Most online degrees are comparatively extensive in content than the traditional on campus classes. As online learning is designed to cater to a geographically as well as demographically wider range of audience, the course content is generally extensive and in-depth in nature. As a result, some students might find online learning a little more difficult than traditional classroom learning.
Recognition & credibility of an online degree – Many doubt the credibility of an online degree especially on how potential recruiters view on online degree. I believe the scenario is changing. Many companies do recognize online degrees. In fact some recruiters view candidates who have completed their masters or post graduate certificates online more favorably as it demonstrates the candidate’s willingness to advance his/her knowledge, work hard, and multi-task.
While online education is definitely not for everyone, but is definitely an option worth considering. Before choosing between an on-campus versus an online degree program, I suggest analysis your situation, personal commitments, budgets, and the career objectives that you wish to achieve.
Jothsna is the co-founder of Academy One, a career guidance and study abroad counseling venture. Prior to founding Academy One in 2005, Jothsna worked as an IT and business consultant with companies like Motorola and Trajen Inc. in the USA. She holds an engineering degree in computer science from Andhra University and a MS from the University of Texas. She also received her MBA from the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University, USA.