In today’s world, the educational landscape is changing. People are moving from the traditional route to embracing the online route that maximizes digital technology. This was not the case before, and online education had a starting point that came with many advantages. However, the inscription on the other side of the coin reads “disadvantages of online education.”
Online education has been around since 2013 but when COVID-19 came, it acted as a springboard that shot online education up the sky. Today, 4.9 million students take college classes exclusively online and that’s about 26% of the entire package.
Regardless of how it helped the world to continue learning in the heat of restricted movement back then, we must accept that online education has limitations. Online education has its Achilles heel, and you must understand how far it can help you go. In this article, we will explore the disadvantages of learning online.
Let’s get started!
Online Education 101
Before we list the disadvantages of online education, let’s walk you through a familiar path. There’s a slim chance that you have not heard about online education, it’s simple. Online education is the same thing as what happens in a classroom – the only difference being the materials used for the learning activity.
Online education is the delivery of instruction and learning over the Internet, making good use of digital technologies and platforms. Examples of these technologies and platforms include Zoom, Google Meet, Coursera, and Oracle.
Traditional education involves teachers, notebooks, pens, a class, a board, and a management system. However, online education involves the same materials as the traditional method but takes a different approach.
Instead of having a teacher walk to a physical room to teach you with a board and a marker, we have classes that take place without the normal student-sitting arrangement in a physical classroom.
Today, technology has also rolled out platforms that act as classrooms coordinated by a tutor for online learning.
Now, let’s look at the disadvantages of online education.
Disadvantages of Online Education
It is always important to consider both sides of the coin before you delve into any project but since our focus is the disadvantage, let’s head straight into it.
#1. Lack of face-to-face interaction
This is one of the major disadvantages of online education. With traditional education, you see your teacher and fellow students, unlike in online education where you only interact with tutors and fellow students online.
The absence of face-to-face interaction makes it almost impossible for some students to interact, share ideas, and engage with tutors and students in physical meetings.
Learning physically creates a sense of community in students and teachers which is an important factor. Online learning can prevent someone from engaging in community services.
#2. Distraction
Yes, we all agree that regardless of the platform or mode of learning, distraction is one of the disadvantages of online education. However, it is more possible to be distracted when learning online than when you are learning in person.
While it is a plus for you to learn online in the comfort of your space, other platforms and digital notifications can come up, shifting your attention away and causing you to dump your studies.
Additionally, some students can be distracted by games and other tempting applications that tend to suck them into their thrills.
#3. Dependence on technology
The rise and success of online education are solely based on the advancement of technology, and while it’s a good thing, it should not be the case 100%. For example, imagine writing an exam that determines if you will get admission into a university online, and midway, your laptop or tablet goes off. What will you do?
Of course, it is important to check and ensure that measures are in place for a seamless experience but anything can happen. A simple malfunction of technology can disrupt the learning process, cause loss of learning materials, and valuable time that is spent on solving the issue.
#4. Compromised communication skills
Communication is vital for survival in society, and it’s one of the skills we learn while engaged in traditional education. Apart from the major course you signed up for in school, the technical knowledge, and the practicals, the school teaches you other things.
However, with the presence and shift towards online learning, communication between people taking the same course online is reduced and hampers their relationship with society afterward.
Your engagement with online education might prevent you from communicating with your fellow students, sharing ideas, and participating in physical interactive sessions.
#5. Health issues
Every action we take or engage with plays a role in our health, and the same goes for online education. First, there is the case of extended screen time. Why is it a concern?
The time you spend on your screen is something to be considered because the light from your screen shines on your face and that light is called “blue light” which can affect your eyes if exposed to screens too much.
Your time with screens can also cause eye strain and other health-related problems that affect your eyesight. Also, there is the mobility issue which happens as a result of sitting in a place for a long.
#6. Limited feedback
It is one thing to engage in a task, but it is another thing to hear from an instructor what they think about your approach and mode of operation. Traditional education easily provides feedback because the teacher can give immediate face-to-face feedback. Students can also decide to meet their teachers privately and get more based on the teacher’s assessment of their capacities.
On the other hand, online education does not offer much when it comes to feedback. Sometimes, there is feedback, but if you look at someone else who did the same thing, it might be that the feedback you receive is the same as theirs – a lack of personalized feedback. This disadvantage is solved with the use of video platforms like Google Meet and Zoom that allow visual interaction between the instructor and the student.
Wrap-Up: Disadvantages of Online Education
We have walked you through the different disadvantages of online education. From lack of face-to-face interaction to compromised communication skills, distraction, dependence on technology, limited feedback, and health issues, online education has a list of disadvantages that is visited every day by researchers.
Online education is not at its best but have helped people gain access to programs and training that they would not have been able to join due to location barriers. This is where we have a mid-point. Online education is not in itself bad, but it is essential to employ a balanced approach – combining both methods.
By combining online education with traditional methods, the educational system, students, and tutors can cancel more disadvantages and further moderate the reliance on technology for education. Students and tutors can make use of Google Meet, Coursera, or international student online programs like the Harvard online program. However, it should not take away the place of traditional education.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
#1. What are the biggest challenges in online education?
Students and learners alike encounter different challenges in online education. These challenges include technical issues with the platforms used in learning, limited social interaction in contrast to what happens with traditional knowledge, and the feeling of isolation. Most students who start up a course online cannot finish it due to lack of motivation, and it is common amongst online learners – traditional learners can get an extra push from their physical environment.
2. How does online learning impact mental health?
Online education can impact the mental health of a student in several ways. It causes stress, anxiety, and social isolation which is a result of putting learners away from a physical learning environment. When students learn physically, their brains are exposed to activities that might not happen when engaged with online learning. Additionally, the amount of learning materials online can lead to information overload which affects the students’ mental capacity.
#3. Is online education as effective as in-person education?
The effectiveness of online learning and in-person education is not based on one factor alone. Yes, online education can be as effective, but it depends on the academic outcomes, cost, learning environment, and fostering of interpersonal interactions which happens naturally in in-person education.
#4. Can online learning fully replace traditional education?
Not really. Online learning can not fully replace the joy and principles of traditional education. This is because learning online and learning in person have unique characteristics that make them worthwhile. Debates might ensue on the importance and advantages of online learning over traditional education but the truth is that online learning can never replace an in-person learning experience.
Conclusion
If you’re struggling to keep up with traditional education, online learning offers a flexible alternative. By understanding and addressing the disadvantages of online education, one can maximize their potential and achieve academic success in the digital age.
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