Online learning is a method or approach of education that students learn in an absolute virtual atmosphere or environment. Online learning can also be called E-learning, it is common in the higher education level enhancing students who come from various territories pursue in an academic institution with others online and learn easily at their own convenience aiming at a certificate or award.
Online learning is an Internet based learning atmosphere to that brings together student from different territories.
Online learning is an education that needs laptops, smartphones, computers and an Internet connection with high speed. It is an education that easy and convenient for everyone including working class individuals because they don'tont have to appear physically in classes. The Internet has even been designed in a way that every online student do not really need to be online at the same time a means of interaction has been created.
During the pandemic due to the fact that students could not physically appear in the classroom most nation's of the world bought the idea of online classes and iit became rampant. It became a new normal in the sense that it became more used as a tool of learning. The COVID-19 pandemic made learning to become a new normal.
In recent day, online learning also known as digital learning has become the new way of learning that has been adopted. Nowadays online lesson is not just for the academics alone but also are used for extracurricular lessons for the students too.
In recent years after the pandemic there has been an high demand for online learning and it has been seen that it will continue in the future.
Online learning has its teaching methods which is different from that of the physical learning, therefore it has its positive and negative sides.
Learning online has diverse advantages, the following are few advantages of learning online;
1 Priorities are being kept in appropriate place: online learning has a lot of flexibilities involved in which it will help the learner's gain liberty to arrange his or her own schedule around the priorities of their daily life.
2 It helps to save finance: online learning does cost much like that of the physical learning. Its tution fee are a bit lower because a lot of spending will be scrapped out like transportation, the meal, extracurricular activities fee etc.
It is lesser because by the time you find the difference between online and in person the difference will be clear.
3 It is flexible: this kind of learning .i.e. online learning can be done anywhere. So far you you do all necessary things like submission of assignment when necessary.
4 It reduces stress and save time: this means online learning helped to remove the necessity to commute to the place of learning. The time spent in traffic will be saved.
5 It helps to manage time: during the period of online learning the learner is responsible for time management. Due to the fact that the courses you offer has different credit load and then you have other responsibilities to meet up with, there will be a need to draw-up a time table that will help , then you apply the skills also to your profession to improve your productivity and efficiency.
6 Preferred learning style can be chosen: every learner learn or assimilate differently, some take extensive notes, some learn visually, some just need to hear and some use the combination of all the above listed. Online learning helps you make use of the learning method that best works for you.
7 E-learning is instantly accessible: learns have access to class documents, faculty and peers as the case may be. A learner offering the in person learning may not have these opportunities because you will have to wait classes to be fixed before you can meet with your peers, wait for the working hours to see your lecturer to have a conversation with them individually outside the classroom and can't access some school documents easily.
8 It gives access resources that support academics.
When there is an advantage of something there will surely be a disadvantage . The following are few disadvantages;
1 Limited to certain major or discipline: there are some majors that require you appear physically because they cannot be translated to the online format. There are some course that needs a one-on-one interaction and can easily be understood when it's done physically.
2 There are requirement technologically: a learner who opt in for online learning must have a computer, laptop or smart phone for the purpose of learning with a fast and reliable network connection. There will be a need to spend on getting faster or new model computer, laptop or smart phone to aid the learning. Since everything is online the learner will surely face technological issues like server error, network connection, power supply etc.
3 The learner will encounter distraction: there will be more of distractions. In the classroom distractions are minimized because the tutor will see and know when the student is attentive or not. In the online learning the learner is responsible for locating a n environment that he or she can learn without being distracted.
4 Not all the students can access the Internet due to the saying " all fingers are not equal" some may not be buoyant enough to get all the necessity for online learning.
5 Not all student will meet up with deadlines.
6 It is quite expensive.
