Merits and Demerits of Online Education: All you need to know

In the midst of the pandemic, the world is resolving to an online mode of education. Read the article below to know about the merits and demerits of the online mode of education.

We all are locked down in our homes due to the coronavirus pandemic situation prevailing in the country. Many institutes, colleges, and schools across the country have begun giving importance to online classes so that education is not obstructed due to COVID-19 and students can learn each day. Every day there is a rapid increase in online education. Not only educational institutes but other online platforms are also providing online certification and training to everyone. Having said that, we know that every coin has two faces and everything can be viewed with two different aspects, so, here in this article, we are illustrating some of the factual benefits, architecture and impact of online education.

Online Education: Architecture

The objective of teaching may vary with the kind of students we are dealing with. The main aim of teaching at the school level is to provide knowledge and learning whereas higher education is to encourage students for self-learning, a professor will only guide them on the given topic. Online education is the knowledge transfer process from a teacher to students on an online platform instead of physical classrooms.

Below is the architecture of online education

1. Teacher— Teachers and schools have to choose an online platform to deliver lectures. Now, the teacher has to wisely prepare their e-lecture to deliver during the online class.
2. Online platforms— Various platforms such as YouTube, Zoom and many others are technology at its best. Such online platforms are being used to deliver live sessions to students. These platforms are providing a way by which we not only present a lecture online but can set up virtual classrooms. Many of these platforms are free while some are paid.
3. Students— The students have to understand the online platform and get familiar with it so that they can make the best use of it and join the teacher during the lecture. Students are asked to use an online platform to join the teacher in the virtual classroom.

Merits of Online Education

In this section, we will discuss the merits of online education:

Benefits of Online Learning

• No Time and Space Constraint: In the physical classrooms, there is a time limitation but this online education is not bound to time. The lecture can be provided anytime and can be attended from anywhere. Online education provides a balance between studies and family. Through online education, the students and teachers can have the flexibility of the schedule. The online mode of learning will also allow schools to reach out to a bigger network of students. The online teaching method has the advantage of recording lectures and sharing them in the future which the students can access at any time as per their convenience. 
• Better Scope Of Improvement: As we know, there is a concept of micro-teaching in which with the help of a teacher, the scope of improvement of teaching is introduced. With online education, all delivered lectures can be recorded and the students can ask the teacher to watch it again or to improvise. The students can proactively reach out to the teachers and mentors and complete their assignments on time. This will also help them to plan ahead. Also, the students can watch these recordings if they have missed any point or if they want to understand it again.
• Cost Efficiency: The online learning system has reduced the cost that is incurred on education. It is far more affordable and economical than the physical mode of teaching. Since the classes are happening virtually, the cost of transportation, meals and space has been cut off. The study materials are available online, some are free and some are paid. The paid courses' fee is not very high and can be easily afforded. 
• Improved Technical Skills: The online mode of education will give the students the scope to hone their technical skills. These may include using online platforms, new software, performing in-depth research online, communicate effectively via online mediums, etc. These skills will amp up the students' resumes by adding the skills needed for jobs. 

Demerits of Online Education

Check out the points below to know the limitations that accompany the online mode of education:

• No Focus on Students: It has been observed that even in a physical classroom it is difficult to have full focus on all the students present in the class. Moreover, in the virtual classroom teacher can only watch a maximum of six to seven students at a time. The students might take advantage of this and may indulge in indiscipline in the virtual class, so, lack of focus may happen from both ends. It may also be difficult for the students to give long hours on the screen. There are high chances of students getting distracted by social media or other websites. Hence, the teachers must make an effort to keep the class engaging, interactive and crisp.
• Technological constraint: Another challenge in the online mode of education can be lack of understanding and usage of an online platform. Ill-training of understanding the technicalities of the online platform may give rise to confusion among the students as well as teachers. Not every student can join the online classes. They rely on free education. So, for the economically weaker section, it is not a feasible solution. One of the major technological constraints could be internet connectivity. Though the internet has reached many places far and wide, uninterrupted and good-speed internet connectivity still remains a challenge. This may result in a lack of continuity of learning and can be detrimental for the education process. It is important for the schools to provide the teachers too with proper training of using an online platform and acquaint them well with its working. 
• Lost Sense of Connect: It is true that students learn well when put in a physical learning environment with their peers. In a virtual setup, there is almost negligible physical interaction between teachers and students which results in the loss of connect among them. There is a sense of isolation from the physical learning environment and among peers. 
• Health Concerns: The screen time has inevitably increased due to the shift in the online mode of education. Many parents are concerned about the health issues that are arising in children due to increased screen time. It may be regarded as one of the biggest disadvantages of the online mode of education. Due to prolonged hours on the screen, students may develop issues such as bad posture, weak eyesight and other physical problems. Hence, there must be plenty of breaks during the online lectures to refresh the mind and body.

These are first-hand student accounts of how our young population is managing to keep their exam prep or college coursework going from the confines of their homes. In case you want to share your lockdown study experience, write to us at publish@shiksha.com.

Q: What is online education?

Q: What are the merits of online education?

Q: Are there any limitations with online education too?

Q: Is online education good for children in the long run?

Q: Is the traditional mode of education better than online education?

About the Author:

Dimpy Bansal is currently pursuing MTech (CS) from GGSIPU - Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University