Category: Online Learning

Introduction

In the past two decades, learning has evolved tremendously due to the introduction of new technologies that have made education more accessible. In olden days, students relied only on courses offered in colleges, universities, and other institutions of learning in order to obtain their education. However, the situation has changed. Students can now obtain their degrees through online learning.

Universities and colleges have been forced to change their learning modes in order to accommodate students who prefer online learning (Ward, 2012). This mode of learning has attracted many people because it is affordable and convenient. Institutions of learning have introduced online learning through improvement of infrastructure, incorporation of new technologies in learning, recruitment of professionals who are conversant with new technologies, and revision of curriculums in order to accommodate new models of learning.

Online learning caters for students who cannot enroll for traditional learning due to busy schedules and lack of financing. E- Learning has changed education tremendously and increased students’ motivation with regard to earning degrees and pursuing careers.

Changes in learning

With the advent of online learning, learning activities and discussions took a new form. Unlike in traditional learning, online learning does not involve face-to-face interactions between instructors and students. Students develop schedules based on their availability to attend classes (Ward, 2012).

On the other hand, learners have freedom to work through course material only when they are available. Online learning gives students an opportunity to learn at their own pace thus ensuring that they grasp the content fully (Siemens, 2013). In addition, students do not sit for long hours listening to lectures.

E-learning requires high levels of discipline and responsibility on the part of the student because instructors are not present to give directions. Without discipline, many students waste their time and end up performing poorly in examinations. There are no face-to-face discussions, students decide when to attend classes, absence from class is not punished, and exchange of ideas and opinions is encouraged (Ward, 2012).

Online learning eliminated the need to commute to school every day to attend classes (Michels, 2013). Students go online and take classes at any time and from any part of the world. Focus shifted from discussions and teamwork to individual study (Siemens, 2013).

However, students can opt to join online group discussions that enable them to share information and knowledge with other students. Online discussion forums are not very common because many students prefer to be autonomous (Michels, 2013). Elimination of face-to-face interactions between students and instructors changed how learning is conducted.

However, focus is mainly on interactive lessons, discussion boards, games, and chats (Siemens, 2013). These platforms offer students an opportunity to interact with instructors. Students ask questions, get clarification on unclear matters, and submit their homework. Education materials are provided in different forms that include videos, audio files, e-mails, word documents, and PDF documents.

Students with families and jobs, and people who did not complete their education opt for online education. In the United States, some states have developed programs that enable students to complete their degrees through online learning. States like Oregon and Wisconsin have programs that allow students to turn their job skills into college credits and thus reduce the number of units required to attain their degrees (Michels, 2013).

In addition, the programs also enable students to complete their degrees by offering free online courses and examinations from certified colleges. The internet has many distractions that affect the learning experiences and outcomes of students (Michels, 2013). Therefore, students need to be highly disciplined and focused in order to benefit fully from online learning.

Changes in motivation

Factors that motivate students to register for online learning include busy schedules, family responsibilities, unavailability of resources, and convenience (Cull, 2010). People who wish to advance their careers while working usually enroll for online learning because they attend classes when they are free. In today’s world, more job opportunities are available to people who have pursued higher education such as master’s and postgraduate degrees (Cull, 2010).

The cost of higher learning has nearly doubled in the past two decades. High cost of education has played a grandiose role in denying many students an opportunity to get their education (Cull, 2010). Competing for job opportunities then becomes difficult because many employers prefer applicants who have pursued higher education. Education is one of the most important factors that facilitate the shift to middle class. Therefore, online learning helps students who cannot afford higher education to pursue their careers cheaply.

Many universities and colleges have been criticized for increasing the cost of education, offering low quality education, and being unwilling to embrace technology in order to offer opportunities to more students (Koller, 2012).

The declining quality of education has emanated from unavailability of sufficient instructors to handle the high number of students (Cull, 2010). The introduction of online learning enabled colleges to manage the sizes of their classes because many students opted for the new system. Traditional learning is very expensive compared to online learning.

Differences in cost emanate from the need to pay tuition fees, purchase learning materials, and remunerate instructors (Koller, 2012). However, costs such as purchase of online materials and tuition fees are non-existent in online learning. Students only pay registration fees, examination fees, and a small amount of money to cater for learning materials and the remuneration of instructors.

Another factor that motivates students to study online is the availability of information and the broad reach of online learning (McKnight, 2011). Universities and colleges are able to offer their services to people who are unable to attend classes at campuses. This has led to the elimination of boundaries for recruitment because the quality of education offered is of high quality.

The internet is awash with information that can be used by students for learning purposes (Koller, 2012). The ease of retrieving information and the diversity of learning materials render online education beneficial and convenient. Students do not have to spend money buying books or printing learning material. In addition, there are different types of teaching aids such as videos and audio files that make learning more enjoyable.

Students have different learning capabilities that are sufficiently addressed and accommodated in online learning (McKnight, 2011). Students create their own learning schedules and explore methods that ensure proper comprehension of learning material (Koller, 2012). In traditional learning, instructors do not tailor their teaching methods to accommodate the different learning needs of students. They use methods that they deem appropriate for all students.

This results in poor performance and low quality degrees. For example, some students understand better using visual aids (McKnight, 2011). The availability of different learning methods has made online learning very popular. Students are motivated to pursue their education because they decide how, where, and what they learn (Koller, 2012). The independence created by online learning is a great motivating factor.

Finally, e-learning facilitates sharing of knowledge and information by students around the world. Students can share learning materials such as videos, electronic books, journals, and PDF documents for learning purposes (McKnight, 2011).

On the other hand, they can use discussion boards and chats to discuss pertinent issues with professionals from different parts of the world. The internet contains many platforms that students can use to retrieve information. For example, Khan Academy is a platform that is used by students to obtain information on different topics that include history, mathematics, physics, and chemistry (Koller, 2012).

Conclusion

New technologies have contributed largely to changes in ways through which different people get their degrees from institutions of learning. Many students have access to education because technology facilitates learning in many ways. Online learning has changed how people obtain degrees in many ways.

It has motivated more people to pursue education by increasing independence, autonomy, and improving decision making. In addition, it has offered an opportunity to people who have families and jobs to pursue higher education. Many people prefer online education to traditional education because t is more convenient and cheaper.

There are innumerable online sources of information that students can access freely. For example, search engines like Google and Yahoo provide a platform that students can use to retrieve information from the internet. The availability of visual aids such as videos, graphs, and pictures make the learning experience enjoyable.

References

Cull, S. (2010). Student Motivation and Engagement in Online Courses. Web.

Koller, D. (Executive Producer). (2012). What we are Learning from Online Education(Video File). Web.

McKnight, K. (2011). Top 12 Ways Technology Changed Learning. Web.

Michels, S. (Executive Producer). (2013). How Free Online Courses are Changing Traditional Education(Video File). Web.

Siemens, G. (Executive Producer). (2013). Connecting Learners: Technology, Change and Higher Education (video file). Web.

Ward, D. (2012). Why Online Education has Gained Revolutionary Momentum. Web.

Introduction

Distance learning is defined as a program or course offered by a university or school that provides educational opportunities and is to be completed remotely.

Other terms defining distance learning include online learning, E-learning and distance education. In the modern world, majority of distant learning are conducted online by accessing a computer equipped with the internet services. In spite of this distance learning being a broad term, it also involves traditional correspondence courses that are completed through the mail (wiseGEEK, 2010).

Factors affecting distance learning

Accessibility: Technology is a vital element in distant learning. The accessibility of the distance learning courses mainly depend on the awareness of the instructor to the accessibility issues and how the instructor can best handle the course with consideration of accessibility (Cook and Harniss, 2007). Difficulties in accessibility arise when the distance learning concerns people with disabilities e.g. the blind. Moreover, physical accessibility is successfully tackled by distance learning where one does not need to go to class for a lecture (college guide, 2010).

Opportunities: Opportunities unveiled by the distance learning are numerous. Apart from completing 100% of the course via the internet, one can attain knowledge and skills for field choices from the distance learning due to constant updating of the programs (Lloyd, 2007). in addition, opportunities provided by distance learning are not equal after all mainly due to lack of consideration of the disabled people by the educational institutions while selecting features of courseware packages that will suit their instructors and students (Cook and Harniss, 2007).

Barriers: Tipton (2007) cites Language and time differences as the main barriers, which affect the distance learning. This is because the internet has made the world a global neighborhood.

Advantages of distance learning

There are a number of merits associated with distance learning. First, there is no commuting, which means that the distance learning saves time and resources that can otherwise be put into better use. Second, in distance learning majority of the classes are asynchronous; that means it is not compulsory for one to attend a lecture at a stipulated time (college guide, 2010). Third, there is self-paced learning whereby, fast and slow learners are both considered in distance learning, where one can study at a convenient pace (college guide, 2010).

Disadvantages of distance learning

Despite gaining popularity in modern times, distance learning is constrained the following factors among others. First, the program is relatively complex and costly whereby, the program is facilitated by modern technical facilities, which are usually costly (college guide, 2010).

Second, there is social isolation whereby, majority of the students undertake the distance learning individually, thus making them feel isolated from the rest of the society (college guide, 2010).

The gap between “Haves” and “have nots”

In one way or the other, distance learning has contributed to increasing the gap between the “haves” and “have nots”. The high cost involved in enrolling and undertaking the distance learning discriminates the “have nots” from enrolling in the distance learning courses. In addition to this, the modern equipments used in distance learning may not be affordable to all, thus increasing the gap.

Conclusion

Despite the barriers and the disadvantages associated with distance learning, the world has embraced distance learning as one of the major component in the modern education system. Advancement of technology has also aided in advancing distance learning globally.

References

Cook, D., Harniss, M. (2007). Accessibility and distance learning: An overview. Web.

College guide. (2010). Advantage and disadvantage of distance learning. Web.

Lloyd, B. C. (2007). Distance learning. Web.

Tipton, J. (2007). What’s The Difference between Distance Learning and American Public Schools? Web.

WiseGEEK. (2010). What is distance learning. Web.

The decision to study online is significant, and an increasing number of people are choosing this route. Why should you consider this mode of education? The answers are different for every student, but convenience and flexibility are major reasons. Online classes could remove obstacles that have kept from achieving your ambitions.

For some folks, geography is a key factor. Is there a fine institution of higher education within reach of your home? If not, and especially if your other regional options are a bit lacking in reputation, you may be better off with a more prestigious online institution.

Is there a college nearby that offers the particular program that you seek? Specialized training is available online almost anywhere around the world, including for professional or continuing education coursework that is often required for ongoing licensure or certification in your field.

For many folks, physical access issues can pose a barrier to on-campus classes. If you have any sort of physical or mental disability, you know that classroom learning can be a tremendous challenge. Online classes eliminate most physical barriers, of course.

Additionally, many problems that people encounter in the classroom, such as distraction, can be eliminated. At home, you can create the learning environment that fits your learning style: whether this includes absolute silence, or a companionable hubbub.

If you have a diagnosed learning difference, it may be less onerous to accommodate your needs in a virtual classroom. Although many online classes include timed tests, it is worth it to find out whether extensions in time for assessments are negotiable.

Alternatively, you may be faced with invisible barriers to classroom learning. Some families may be reluctant to allow their youngster to attend a college, and mix with other students, for cultural or religious reasons. Online courses remove many of these objections.

If you are trying to hold down a job while pursuing a degree or certification, you are a prime candidate for online learning. Most programs will allow you to fit your studying in around your work schedule. Be careful not to overload yourself, however. Reputable virtual college coursework is going to be just as intellectually demanding as bricks and mortar classes.

The advantage of online courses for full or part-time employed individuals is that you can plan how you take your courses. If you need to take only one course at a time, you can find a program that will permit this.

Folks who have responsibility for child care or elder care can also benefit from web-based classes. You can be listening to a lecture while your charges are sleeping peacefully.

Students who are very shy or lack confidence in themselves can overcome this obstacle through online classes. The virtual classroom offers opportunities to shine without having to speak in front of a crowd full of curious pairs of eyes. Some currently very successful professionals once cringed and panicked at contributing to a classroom full of strangers. With the confidence gained in an online course, a shy individual might prepare themselves to eventually enter a bricks and mortar classroom without terror.

Online classes also introduce students to a variety of web-based tools and techniques that will be very valuable later on. Many classes use features such as GoogleDocs to share and collaborate on projects.

The experience of online learning is also almost purely educational. While many students would argue that the time spent hanging out with schoolmates in the dorm, library, cafeteria, or lounging on a lawn, is what makes college awesome, parents paying the tuition might beg to differ. All that down time, whether spent knocking back Jell-O shots or solving the world’s problems over a latte, may be delightful, but it does detract from the hours available for study. Online classes remove at least one temptation to neglect the books.

There are some other efficiencies offered by this method of getting an education. Consider transportation. Even living at home and commuting to a local college consumes relatively significant amounts of time. On some campuses, dorms are so far from the classrooms that the daily commute really adds up. For many students living on campus, there are several days each semester eaten up by travelling home during vacations. All this is an expense in time and sometimes money that is avoided by online learning.

Additionally, students living on campus must take care of all the details of laundry and, sometimes, food shopping and housekeeping. This is an immense distraction and often a major time-waster. Online courses mean you can stay at home where these chores are already being taken care of.

The quality of online courses available is increasing each year. Just recently, a number of top-flight universities have begun offering courses online, some for free. This allows students to pit their brains against some of the best professorial minds in academia. Although most such programs are non-credit, there are plans to eventually make it possible to convert a non-credit course to a full-credit one, perhaps with the payment of a fee.

All these advantages of online coursework warrant a careful consideration!

Background

The 21^st century has been marked by major technological advancements due to improved technology. The education sector has not been left behind and has developed a major tool for learning commonly referred to as electronic learning (e-learning). According to Dublin (2003, p. 7), e-learning is a term not easily understood especially for those outside this industry and also within the diverse sectors where it has different meanings. E-learning has many benefits to the students using it. It produces improved performance in the coursework for higher education students in comparison with face-to-face courses (Means, 2009, para.4). It provides increased access in that knowledge can be shared across borders by many intellectuals thus allowing students to attend their courses without limitations of physical, economic, or political boundaries. It is also convenient and provides the learners with flexibility. This is because e-learning is available 24/7 thus learners can schedule themselves in the most convenient way. Finally, learners using this system of education are able to gain digital literacy skills that are important for their courses and professions. For the quality learning process, e-learning has been developed to use different approaches to ease the process of learning. The common approaches used include the following; Computer-Based Learning (CBL) which refers to the use of computers for teaching purposes, the second is Computer-Based Trainings (CBT) which are learning activities that are available through the use of computers or other handheld devices. The resources for learning are presented in a linear style. They are used just the same as reading an online book or journal. CBTs have more benefits than traditional classroom contexts since it incorporates visual aids in learning hence increasing understanding. The third approach to e-learning involves the use of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL). This has greatly improved learning as modern ICT is applied and multiple users can be invited at the same time.

Jordan has a population of six million and is one of the small countries in the Arab world. It has limited natural resources in comparison to the other neighboring countries. Education has for long been acknowledged as a tool for national development leading to its development at all levels. The Jordanian government undertook major reforms to boost economic development by maximimizing utilisation of human capital through educating its citizens (Dirani, & Yoon,2009, para 5). This has led to development of ODL in its universities to cater for the growing demand for tertiary education.

E-learning is a novel idea in most of the Arab world and it has come with its benefits and challenges (Al-Jaghoub, 2009, p.2). Many universities in Jordan are situated in the metropolitan areas due to limitation of accessibility in the rural parts where access to higher education is often hindered. With this limitations of accessibility and the ever increasing demand for higher education in Jordan, e-learning has provided the answer for those keen on further pursuing their education. According to Knowles’ theory of adult learning, e-learning gives the learners a better control of their education through timing themselves and choosing the places where they think is most convinient to them as regards their other commitments in life (Knowles, 1984, p.20). Most universities in the Arab region set out their own policies, curriculum and different areas of specializations according to what each countries needs and not considering cross-national needs. As noted by Jamlan (1985, p.37), this has hindered the development of Open Distance Learning (ODL). The growth of e-learning has also been faced by major challenges in these countries. These challenges includes the following; in some universities there is limited technological infrastructure to support e-learning effectively, there are negative perceptions by the students and the society at large on online degrees and the learning process and also the problem of frequent unstability in our socio-political environments that hinder development. Studies carried out on the process of e-learning reveals that there is need for coordinated efforts between the different players. These are the learners, the university structure which must be strong and the e-learning instructors (Owen & Demb, 2004, p. 660). For an effective e-learning program that is in tandem with other nations, there is need for strong policies that are supportive to the process and strong institutional changes to encompass and harbour e-learning process (Bailey, 1999, p. 14).

Research proposal and research questions

The following research intends to assess the status of e-learning on the education system of Jordan. It will focus on effectiveness and the challenges or the obstruction e-learning faces during its day to day use in Jordan. The title of this research paper is Exploring Online Learning in Jordan Universities: Effectiveness and Obstruction. The research questions for the study will be as follows:

• Is e-learning an effective system of learning in Jordanian Universities?
• What challenges/obstruction has e-learning faced during its implentation in Jordan universities?.
• What are the personal opinions of the students and the instructors on the best way to improve e-learning process so as to minimise the challenges faced?

Due to the rising number of distance learning students across Jordan, e-learning has become handy to fill the gap in higher education and to decongest the learning institutions. There is little literature existing that takles the issue of effectiveness and challenges met along the way in implementing e-learning. Therefore, to fill this knowledge gap this research will answer the questions needed and provide improvement strategies to e-learning. The research questions selected covers the main factors of the title of the research hence their selection.

Case setting and context

As previously mentioned, Jordan has limited natural resources, unlike other countries in the Arab world; this led to the country to rely much on its human resources to support economic growth. The government was encouraged to develop the ICT sector after the throne of King Abdullah ii in 1999. The people of Jordan have been encouraged to embrace education as a compensatory measure to the lack of natural resources. According to the UNDP report (2008, p. 10), Jordan is one of the countries in the world with the highest rates of adult literacy scoring a 91.1% adult literacy rate in the year 2007/2007. Many universities have been established both public and private to cater for the high number of students seeking higher education in Jordan and its environs. Many universities have embraced the use of ICT and e-learning to increase coverage and reduce competition.

Al-Ahliyya Amman University (AAU) is one of the first and leading private universities in Jordan and is located in Amman. Professor Maher Salim is the president of this university which was founded in 1990. It is organised into seven faculties which helps it meet its overall objectives. These faculties are; faculty of engineering, nursing, pharmacy and medical sciences, information technology, arts and human sciences, law and finally faculty of finance and administrative sciences. It follows the credit-hour system where learning takes place in two semesters yearly and each semester is 16 weeks. E-learning project commenced its implementation in 2006 with its president being its champion. E-learning program at AAU aims at offering online degrees, accessing new markets across nations, offering academic certificates in the majors that the university is offering in its faculties, and make collaborations with other universities. It also aims at sharing of academic knowledge between various members of staff at the university and hence enriching the educational process by enriching both the staff and students with skills relevant to serve the community better. In laying out and implementation of e-learning at AAU, the university coordinated with experts whose role was to train its staff and offer technical advice until success is achieved. AAU is very active in provision of higher education in Jordan and its environs which include other countries like Saudi Arabia (Georgina, & Olson, 2007, p. 5).. Its population consists of both genders although men are slightly higher compared to the females. For this research to produce credible results, AAU provides the best settings. By the fact that it was the first private university in Jordan and also among the first to start implementation of e-learning adds up to the context of this study. Finally AAU is also a fully accredited university by the Council of Higher Education of Jordan and it enjoys wide recognition from both the arab world and internationally. It also enjoys the prestige of being a member of the renowned Association of Arab Universities (Kelly, Ponton, & Rovai,2007, p. 92). This attributes clearly places AAU as one of the best place to carry out this research since the data obtained will cover the views from an accredited institution, staff and students who are mixed in sexes and citizenly.

Study design and study population

A qualitative design approach will be utilised in this research. This is due to the ability of qualitative researches to have an in-depth understanding of various human attributes and analysing the various reasons that help in defining this attributes (Yin, 1994, p. 23). This method is also cheap in terms of resources used since smaller and focused samples are utilised for data collection to investigate the whys and how of choicing a certain decision. A case study of AAU staff and students’ perception on e-learning majoring on its effectiveness and the various obstructions it faces will be carried out. The data will be generalised to give the impression of the status of e-learning in Jordan Universities. The study population will consist of the university president, 5 staff members who are student instructors on e-learning program and a total of 112 students. The students will be selected randomly to ensure each has an equal opportunity of participating in the study but after meeting the following criteria; in each year of study four respondents will be selected, two from each gender. Then this will apply to all the seven faculties in the university. By so doing it ensures all interests are represented in the study and selection bias is minimised. The AAU president will give a background on the laying out of e-learning at the university and the various administrative challenges that may have been encountered during the implentation stages. The instructors are expected to be very resourceful for this study since they handle e-learning implementation at the university. They will give provide information on how effective e-learning has been since its enrollment and the major challenges it has faced. They will also give personal views of how best they think the program can be improved in order to minimise the challenges that they face. Finally, the students are instrumental in providing a personal judgement on how effective they think e-learning is in comparison to the traditional classroom learning. They will also provide information about the challenges they encounter on accessing information during the learning process using e-learning technology.

Method

The research will utilize qualitative data collection approaches on the respondents. The following data collection tools will be employed; interviews using structured questionnaires, focused group discussions and observation. The president will be interviewed to give background details about the laying out of e-learning at AAU, the challenges that might have been encountered and how they were able to cope with these challenges. He will give the effects e-learning has in boosting higher education learning and in meeting with the ever increasing demand for tertiary education. The president will also be interviewed to provide information on the future prospects of e-learning program outling the developments expected to be achieved. The second interview will involve the student instructors on e-learning. Since they are incharge in implementation they are a great resource and will be sought to give information on the effects e-learning has achieved since it was rolled at AAU. They are also in contact with the students and hence have direct contact with the students. This gives them a better position of understanding the difficulties that the students encounter on accessing learning materials online. Focused group discussions will be formed by the students each group being represented by each academic year and each faculty at the university. The groups will tackle questions on what they think are the effects that has come with e-learning and how best it has made the learning process easier. Personal views will be sought and recorded and the groups point of view. This will give information on the students’ perceptions of the program, their attitudes towards e-learning and their opinions about the learning process via e-learning. Finally, the researcher will have an opportunity to personally observe the e-learning process by visiting the various resources available at the university. This will be of importance in forming a personal informed opinion and will be used to recommend various ways of improving the program. All interviews will be conducted on one to one basis and this helps the researcher to judge the degree of truthfullness of the information given and thus increasuing the credibility of the research. The questionnaires will be filled by the researcher and will give a guide to the interview. Also the guidelines provided for interview questions and incoorporating data sources (triangulation) from different areas were also used (Merriam, 1998, p.20).

Data collection and analysis

The interviews conducted will provide the researcher with information on the adminisrative structure employed in e-learning, the whole process in steps by step flow hence bringing out the effects of the program on learning in Jordan. The focused groups discussion provides the personal opinions of the students and group opinions of the program. the researcher after observing the process will form an opinion about the program and this will be important as an analysis tool of qualitative data. The impression gained will be reported in quantitative form hence giving an impression of effectiveness of the program. The data collected through interviews and focused group discussions will be coded and analysed using quantitative methods. Frequency tables and graphs on respondents perceptions about the program will be employed (Berg, 1998,p.60). Finally, pie charts showing the various obstacles to e-learning will be utilised. This techniques of data analysis are simple and give a pictorial representation of data hence easily understood and interpreted. They are used in this research so as to quantify the data and give a clear picture on the effectiveness and the obstructions that are faced by e-learning in Jordan Universities.

Management of data

To collect data that is viable and credible, this research is expected to last for about three months. The first month will involve carrying out a pilot study in a different university with the same settings. This will enable test of the collection tools for their effectiness and relevance for this study. The second month will involve organising for the resources needed for the study and visiting AAU for orientation and to get familiarised with the various respondents to the study. The final month is data collection, analysis and presentation. Various limitations are expected to be encountered during the research period. These includes the following; lack of enough resources, language barriers and uncooperative respondents. To minimise these, sponsoring of the research will be sought from interested parties, use of interpretors in situations when language barrier is encountered and finally informing the respondents the expeced benefits from the research and using coercive language to increase their cooperation. Various measures will be taken to minimise the bias expected. For example, the respondents will be picked randomly to ensure equal chances for participation and therefore reducing selection bias. This increases the credibility of the data collected and ensures trustworthiness.

Reference

Al-Jaghoub, Saheer. E-learning Adoption in Higher Education in Jordan: Vision, Reality and Change. European and Mediterranean Conferaence on Information Systems 2009. Web.

Bailey, D. (1999). Mainstreaming equal opportunities policies in the Open University: Questions of discourse. Open Learning, 14(1): 9-16.

Berg,B. (1998). Qualitative research methods for the social scinces. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Dirani, Khalil & Yoon, Seung (2009). Exploring Open Distance Learning at a Jordanian University: A Case Study. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 10(2). Web.

Dublin, Lawrence (2003). If You Only Look Under the Street Lamps…Or Nine e-learning Myths. The e-learning Developers’ Journal, 5 (2): 1-7

Georgina, D. & Olson, M. (2007). Integration of technology in higher education: A review of faculty self-perceptions, Journal of Internet and Higher Education, 11(2): pp. 1-8.

Jamlan, M. (1995). Proposal for an Open University in the Arab world. The Journal, 22(6): 53-57.

Kelly, H., Ponton, M., & Rovai, A. (2007) A comparison of student evaluations of teaching between online and face-to-face courses, Journal of Internet and Higher Education,10(5): 89-101

Khwileh, Ahmad & Fanous, Zied (2008). E-Learning. Al-Ahliyya Amman University. Web.

Knowles, M. (1984). The adult learner: A neglected species (3rd ed.). Houston: Gulf Publishing.

Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R.,Bakia, M. & Jones, K. (2009). Evaluation of Evidence Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies. Web.

Merriam, S. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Owen, P. & Demb, A. (2004). Change dynamics and leadership in technology implementation. Journal of Higher Education, 75(6): 636-666.

United Nations Development Program UNDP. Arab human development report 2003: Creating opportunities for future generations. New York, NY: United Nations Publications.

Yin, R. (1994). Case study research: Design and methods (2nd ed.). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publishing.

There are over 500, 000 students in high schools and other institutions of higher learning enroll for online classes either as full-time students in the online schools or as part-time students for specific tutorials. I wish to submit to you that the need for extra input in terms of study has caused many parents to enroll their children in online study classes to supplement the knowledge they get from class (Areskog, 1995).

It is also evidently clear that most people have had the opportunity to get degrees from credible universities oversees by simply enrolling through the online degree programs for such institutions of higher learning. However, in this speech, I intend to prove to you, as parents, that enrolling high school students to online class can help boost the performance of the child greatly.

First, I wish to submit to you that online classes are helpful in terms of inculcating a study mentality upon the children, thus boosting their overall performances in their respective schools. In the age of computing and technology, it is quite clear that most students generally fail their exams as a result of too much concentration on computerized games, movies and music. Quite frankly, it has proven difficult to keep the children away from handling computers. The result of this has been linked to poor performance of these students in class since they spend a lot of time in computer-related leisure activities and fail to study for their exams.

Allow me to inform you that introducing such children to online classes would be helpful in terms of giving them a chance to improve their performances (Wolfe & Wolfe, 2001). Since these children are so addicted to computer-related activities, it would be wise to initiate them into an activity within the computing world that would help them improve their studies. Studies have revealed that 60% of high school students who enroll for online classes as supplementary part-time programs improve their overall academic performances by over 50% ever year (Hiltz, 1990).

Secondly, online classes provide variety of the knowledge through internet searches that expose students to high volumes of information which can boost their studies. It is a reality that class work given by tutors is limited to the syllabus for the schools. This limits the capability of these students to gain adequate knowledge concerning the respective topics they cover in class. Online classes expose the children to internet searches through online libraries which contain variety of books and articles which can help boost and supplement information provided in the classroom.

With the increase in search engines in most browsers in computer programs, it has become easier to navigate through various online libraries to get supplementary information regarding certain subjects. Research reveals that over 40% of the information given to the students in physical classroom set-up is actually derived from the online sources (Lipsitz, & Reisner, 2000). The improvement of technology through internet provides the tutors with a chance to derive their teaching materials from online sources. It would, therefore, be helpful to the student to use the same methodology to improve in studies.

Lastly, I wish to indicate that I will enroll one of the students into online classes for tutorials in as a case analysis that online classes are rapidly becoming so significant in terms of helping students to pass their examinations every year.

In conclusion, I wish to reiterate that enrolling high schools students to online class can help boost the performance of the child greatly. This is through provision of help in terms of inculcating a study mentality upon the children, thus boosting their overall performances in their respective schools, as well as, provision of variety of the knowledge through internet searches that expose students to high volumes of information which can boost their studies.

References

Areskog, N. H. (1995). The Tutorial Process – the Roles of Student Teacher and Tutor in a Long Term Perspective. London: Prentice Hall Publishers.

Hiltz, S. (1990). ‘Evaluating the Virtual Classroom’, in Harasim, L. (ed.) Online Education: Perspectives on a New Environment. New York: Praeger.

Lipsitz, L., & Reisner, T. (2000). The Computer and Education. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.

Wolfe, C., & Wolfe, C. R. (2001). Learning and teaching on the World Wide Web. San Diego, Calif.; London: Academic.

Introduction

Distance learning (distance education) is one of the fields in education that deals with teaching methods using technology with the objective of delivering teaching without face to face contact between students and their instructors. In most cases this system is based on individuals, along with students who are not able to physically attend normal classes.

People have described it as being a process of creating as well as providing “access to learning when the source of information and the learners are separated by time and distance or both” (Moore& Kearsley 2005). Courses in distance learning that need physical on-site presence all times including exam times are called hybrid or blended courses of study.

Distance learning dates back as early as 1728; in the 19^th century, the process relied on postal services. Distance learning degrees however seem to have been initiated by the University of London. It established its external programs at around 1858. To date, this program is called ‘University of London International Programs’ and it has expanded so much to an extent that it includes postgraduate programs. In United State, distance learning programs were initiated by University of Chicago.

In the recent times, there have been developments in the field of distance education, as technology has moved the system from postal services to advanced communication technologies like instructional media projects. However, the most advanced technology that has really boosted this field of distance learning is the development of computers and internet. These two technologies have ended up making distributions and dissemination of information much easier and faster.

Uses of distance learning

Distance learning is mainly used in adult education particularly those in rural settings. It was mainly used for short courses in helping farmers as well as small scale business people to learn new technologies. However, this has remained being the most common use of distance learning in the current times.

Distance learning is also used in providing K-12 education. Distance learning is gaining application in the pre-University age group education in the U.S. This is used as program enrichment as well as ongoing communication projects. Due to these programs, middle schooled students are getting advanced courses for which their local schools lack enough resources to offer.

Distance learning has also gained usage in disabled and homebound persons. This group of people might be having some difficulties in travelling to attend traditional classes. Such people receive their education while in their homes. Distance learning is also being used by those who are not native speakers of a particular language.

This is particularly due to high rates of human migrations which have made many people to live in areas which they are not native speakers. As a result, such people are not in a position to attend traditional classroom lessons where the local communities speak native language (Moore& Kearsley 2005).

The impact on Universities and older people

According to Honeyman & Miller, 1993 distance learning has various impacts on Universities as well as older people. Through distance learning, Universities have been in a position to expand their accessibility. This is because distance learning has been in a position to help in meeting increasing demand for education and training from the general public along with business people.

Tabor (2007) argued that, the concept has allowed Universities to be very flexible in accommodating the many time constrains as a result of personal daily duties and commitments. As a result, older individuals having family commitments are also given an opportunity to continue with their education.

On the same note, admission to University has increased since the chances of accommodating more students is possible hence offering them education negating the traditional concept of admitting students based on bed capacities and available infrastructure such as classrooms.

Universities have been saved from the expenses of purchasing larger spaces for classes, accommodation facilities and offices. This is based on the fact that, distance learning does not require large infrastructural capacities, hence alleviating constrains arising as a result of such capacities. This is because distance learning activities are conducted online. As a result, institutions do not require infrastructures like buildings and pavements. Generally, availability of lands for infrastructural development have reduced and their prices very high.

Distance learning has made Universities to receive a lot of cash from the distance learning emerging markets. Honeyman & Miller (1993) stated that, many people especially the old, working class as well as business people have started to appreciate and accept distance learning programs as a means of providing lifetime education. Even after attaining an age which is beyond attending traditional classes, older people can still continue with their education through distance learning.

As a result, Universities can still get money in the name of fees from such people. In addition, Casey & Lorenzen (2010) sees distance learning as being an opportunity which has increased University sources of finance as it “creates new graduates who might be willing to donate money to the school who would have never have been associated with the school under the traditional system” (Casey & Lorenzen, 2010).

Learning institutions have also been transformed at a very high speed as a result of distance learning, which has been acting like a catalyst. This is because, due to stiff competition at the modern education marketplace, institutions are forced to change, be innovative and creative in their marketing strategies.

One of the strategies that most Universities are using to attract students is offering distance learning. People who might be committed somewhere else and those living far from Universities and overseas can be attracted to distance learning program (Distance Learning College Guide, 2005).

Though most people have only viewed positive impacts of distance learning on older people, according to Casey & Lorenzen (2010), older people undertaking distance learning have been affected negatively in one way or the other. For instance, the program exposes them to domestic distractions particularly if they still have children to take care of.

In addition, some older people are using technology systems which are unreliable; hence they have not been completing their courses. In addition, some of them are not acquainted with the current technologies hence face a lot of difficulties in the course of their education.

Advantages of distance learning

The first advantage is that distance learning does not need travelling; money and time that could have been wasted during travelling to and from Universities can be saved through this program. The program also allows participants to schedule their learning programs in a manner that they do not collide with other personal responsibilities and commitments.

As a result, one will continue living normal life while still undertaking his or her studies without sacrificing time scheduled for other responsibilities such as caring for children. It is stated by Moore & Kearsley (2005) that, distance learning offers an opportunity for students to complete their classes at their own conveniences.

It is worth noting that most classes in distance learning are asynchronous, meaning that there is no need for the student to attend lectures at a specified time and venue. Moreover, distance learning program allows students to review assignments and tests at their own free time and do them whenever they are free or even at their homes.

Distance learning program also allow participants to stay and study from anywhere. Due to the fact that there is no specific venue and time of attending lectures, distance learning participants can pursue education of their choice and in the University of their own choice. It is not a must that one has to stay near, in the same city or even country hosting a particular University to attend the University’s education programs; provided that they can access a computer and the internet (Distance Learning College Guide 2005).

Distance learning programs also offer extra knowledge as well as skills as compared to traditional classroom programs. During distance learning, individuals have to gain computer and internet skills, which they can apply in different areas including career life.

The program offers a self-paced learning opportunity; students differ in their understanding capabilities as there are those who understand faster, while others take time to understand. Due to the fact that in distance learning students are given an opportunity of studying and doing assignments at their own time, it reduces learning stresses as well as increasing learning satisfaction (Dickey 2005).

Accessibility is another advantage of distance learning. Since distance learning can be offered online, the issue of physical accessibility to individuals with mobility difficulties are considered. Participants have no worries about attending classrooms or even sitting on desks which sometimes are uncomfortable. In its place, participants can just use their comfortable furniture in their houses or offices while enjoying lessons (Distance Learning College Guide 2005).

Disadvantages of distance learning

The program calls for expensive and complex technologies. There are lots of hidden costs in distance learning, for instance one has to own a computer and connect to the internet. Moreover, involved technologies might be very complex to some users, for instance video communication requires technology acquaintance.

Additionally some of technologies being applied in distance learning might not be accessed by some people. On the same note, due to technological advancement which is very rapid, softwares that are currently in use are rendered useless so to speak within a short period of time. This translates to constant budgeting for new software and hardware.

Another issue is that, the program needs advance planning. Lecturers and students engaged in distance learning have to make sacrifices sometimes to ensure that the program succeeds in time; otherwise, students might not complete the course.

In distance learning programs, there is no immediate feedback as compared to traditional classroom system. In classroom set up, the performance of students can be assessed immediately through questions along with informal tests. However, in distance learning students are forced to wait till their work has been reviewed by the lecturer and make response to it before receiving feedbacks. According to Dickey (2005), this is not the best way to assess students because assessment is only based on exams and assignments.

There are also some courses which cannot be offered through distance learning; as a result, distance learning does not offer all necessary courses. This is for example, though history lessons can be learned through distance learning, it would be quite challenging for a clinical nurse student to accomplish the same online especially regarding practical sessions. Such classes need physical class attendance (Moore & Greg 2005).

Though students might complete distance learning program, some employers do not recognize distance learning certificates. As a result, students aspiring to work for certain organizations or companies have to ensure that they are aware of their prospective employers’ perception towards distance learning.

Students undertaking distance learning might lack oral communication skills because their program does not offer them an opportunity for interaction. This is because the program does provide very little verbal interaction opportunities among students and between lecturers.

Social isolation is another disadvantage of distance learning. In most cases, students undertaking distance learning do study alone; as a result, they might be isolated or even miss physical socialization that comes as a result of direct interaction among students in classrooms which is vital in developing social interaction skills important in future lives especially in work environment.

Problems arising as a result of distance learning

Most students have been failing to complete their courses because of technological failures. This is based on the fact that completing distance learning relies heavily on technology. It is worth noting that technology accessibility imposes extra costs and expenses.

Moreover, some students are uncomfortable or even not familiar with the ever changing technologies used in distance learning; as a result, they have been avoiding or even concentrating more on technology, other than the course content. At the end, such students end up not understanding the course concepts.

This program is faced with a lot of cheating during exams. Though technology has advanced to the level that examiners can monitor students while undertaking exams, this is not adequate to avoid cheating during exams as compared to traditional classroom environment.

There are times when students use their notes or even being directed on what to write by others who might be around the student or even outside the ‘classes.’ In addition, in case exams were sent through postal services, it is very difficult to deal with the issue of cheating in exams (Honeyman and Miller 1993).

Along this kind of cheating there is high chance of learners especially adult learners to engage in academic dishonesty. Due to the fact that every thing is done on-line and assignments sent in soft copies, students learning though distance learning are more prone to engage in plagiarism as compared to those in traditional classroom environment.

Another problem that arises as a result of distance learning is the lack of face to face or one on one contact between teachers or instructors and their students. It is a fact that there is no any other best approach than the traditional classroom setting that can help instructors clearly understand the needs of each of his or her students and craft ways to help such student improve.

On the same note, although there are individuals who are willing to enrol in such programs, lack of infrastructural development (power, computers and associated software) may not be available hence disadvantaging those who are especially in developing world.

Another problem is about the quality of instructions. As compared to traditional classroom education, the instruction quality provided through distance learning is comparatively low. Many instructors or lecturers perceive distance learning as being inefficient in the provision of required quality. Most instructors lack the will of inputting more efforts in distance learning.

As a result, students who have undertaken distance learning do not receive quality education as compared to their counterparts who have learned through traditional classroom sessions.

In addition, for distance learning to be effective, students are needed to have self motivation; however, the problem is that most students lack this quality. Most students lack the ability to schedule themselves and lack the will to take some responsibilities for their studies. As a result, such students do not achieve the broad objective of attaining education (Moore& Kearsley 2005).

Basic cases and statistics

In the U.S, around 66 percent of institutions offering postsecondary programs offer distance learning. It is stated that, “The overall percentage includes 97 percent of public 2-year institutions, 18 percent of private for-profit 2-year institutions, 89 percent of public 4-year institutions, 53 percent of private not-for-profit institutions, and 70 percent of private for-profit 4-year institutions” (Steven 2010).

It is reported that, around 65% of institutions offering collage level credit accomplish this through distance learning. On the other hand, 23% of such colleges do not offer distance learning. In general, a total of 12 million individuals in the whole world had enrolled for distance learning by the year 2007. Amongst them, 77 percent were undertaking it through online, 12% undertaking hybrid courses online, while the other types of distance learning recorded 10% of total students (Steven, 2010).

Conclusion

The paper has thorough looked into the concept of distance learning. Issues relating to basic cases and statistics, advantages and disadvantages, uses as well as the impacts on universities and older people have been succinctly covered. Distance learning is attributed to changing the manner with which education is being offered. The two major factors that pushed for this concept is the development of computers and internet.

References

Casey, A. & Lorenzen, M. (2010). Untapped potential: Seeking library donors among alumni of distance learning programs. Journal of Library Administration, 50(5): 515–529.

Dickey, Michele, D. (2005). Three-dimensional virtual worlds and distance learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 36(3): 439–451.

Distance Learning College Guide. (2005). Advantage and disadvantage of distance learning. Web.

Honeyman, M. & Miller, G. (1993). Agriculture distance education: A valid alternative for higher education? Proceedings of the 20th Annual National Agricultural Education Research Meeting: 67–73.

Moore, M. &Greg K. (2005). Distance education: A systems view. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Steven, P. (2010). How many postsecondary institutions offer distance learning programs? Web.

Tabor, S. (2007). Narrowing the distance: Implementing a hybrid learning model. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 8(1):48–49.

Nowadays, when people have to work a lot to support themselves from a very young age, and still have to acquire education distance learning became very popular all around the world. However, along with its numerous proponents there exist a significant number of opponents who argue that distance education is connected to a row of dangerous and problematic issues. Generally, distance education can be evaluated as a binary prospect: on one hand, it presents a row of advantages for the people who are busy with their work and family duties, and on the other hand, it is connected to a row of problems related to the quality of the received training especially for the occupations requiring particular practical skills such as medical professions, linguistic ones, technological engineering specializations and so on.

Speaking about the position of the proponents of distance education, it should be stated that it is based on numerous arguments supporting the benefits of such type of education. To begin with, such an education strategy is a solution for people who are busy working to support themselves but still want to strive for a better life, and thus, aim to acquire an education. Secondly, distance education can be mentioned as a wise solution for people from the most varied countries who dream about studying abroad but on the reason of their life circumstances are not able to go to another country to study. Such people are presented with a high-quality service of e-learning providing an educational experience that very often exceeds the level of quality of education in the person’s motherland. Thirdly, as distance education nowadays is mainly an online education, it presents many more advantages including the opportunity to be a part of the issues of gender, religion and race discrimination. Online education can be applied as a successful tool for overcoming social injustices such as discrimination and racial or gender prejudice presented by the process of globalization and the other development in the modern-day global society (Vander Valk, 2008). Virtual environments provide a healthy atmosphere for teacher/student interaction inspired by the highest academic values. In addition, the success that was achieved in the area of applying online technologies in distance education can be also mentioned among the arguments of proponents of online education. Online tutorial is a sure way to succeed in the development of education in the twenty-first century.

In contrast, the opponents of distance education argue that concealing one’s true identity while online studying is related to serious problems. For example, whoever knows who will be the student choosing to study the course of physics online; this person may well appear to be an Islamic terrorist aiming to learn how to make bombs or similar items threatening the peace in the world. Of course, this is a serious fact that should be taken into consideration. However, the developers of e-learning programs may consider this fact and harden the safety measures including identity checks for a row of special courses related to the knowledge that can be applied against people. For example, in the case of courses such as physical specializations, the set of requirements should feature the application of identity cards and the other important documents confirming the personality. The opponents also discuss the issues of cultural assimilation and language barrier which can be raised in the area of e-learning. According to Dillon, the Internet is dominated by the social and cultural exchange of the English language and Western cultural values (2007). In this vein, distance education is seen by its opponents as threatening to the local cultures.

. Finally, the position of opponents of distance education is mainly developed around the idea that such type of education can hardly help a person to qualify as a successful specialist in a row of spheres requiring practical skills such as medical specializations, linguistic ones, technological and engineering specializations. They argue that distance education lacks the opportunities which are rife with regards to the development of practical skills and abilities. This can be evaluated as a weighty augment; however, not every specialization requires significant practical abilities. The opponents of e-learning also address the practices common for the educational process which were created centuries ago and continue as a maxim in this area. Among such maxims is a healthy interaction between students and teachers from eye to eye. This live association is very important for training qualified and authoritative professionals. Furthermore, live student/teacher interaction serves for such important and traditional goals of the educational process as instructional and regulatory ones. These goals and their achievement are crucially important for raising deserving citizens which might become a successful part of society in the future. In distance education, the instructional and regulatory goals can be hardly achieved. The virtual conditions of such educational experience simply lack opportunities for a teacher to watch one’s student, and to exercise possible corrections based on such observations.

As a final point, distance education can be evaluated as a twofold opportunity: on one hand, it presents a row of opportunities for the people who are preoccupied with their work and family duties, and on the other hand, it is connected to a row of problems related to the quality of the received training especially for the occupations requiring particular practical skills. Still, a row of advantages cannot be overestimated with its numerous chances of overcoming numerous problems existing in the system of education today including discrimination, violence and gender issues. Thus, in the case of each particular occupation, the decision is to be made is based on all the advantages and disadvantages of distance education. Online education presents both a list of univocal benefits along with particular dangers and difficulties connected to cultural assimilation and an individual’s identity. Despite certain obstacles presented by the issues of cultural assimilation and identity authentication in online education, I believe the tendency to acquire education online will only continue in the future helping humanity to get to unlimited horizons of progress.

Works Cited

1. Dillon, Patrick et al. 2007. Pedagogy, Culture & Society. 2007. Web.
2. Vander Valk, Frank. “Identity, Power, and Representation in Virtual Environments”. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 4.2(2008): 205-210. Print.

Online learning has become a popular means of studying in the wake of COVID-19. Many educators have been reluctant and skeptical about it, but a majority have accepted it with open arms. The skeptics have put good enough reasons against it. Supporters say that the benefits far out way the disadvantages. Amidst that confusion, it would be important to take a deep look into the subject and see the disadvantages and the advantages of online learning.

Weaknesses of Online Learning

Online learning, like many other emerging technological advancements, comes with its share of problems. First, the technology needed for this learning is expensive, and many cannot afford the needed resources (Dhawan, 2020). Apart from costs, Online learning makes a student be left isolated, leading to poor interpersonal skills; hence most end up not being team players (Arkorful & Abaidoo, 2014). The absence of interpersonal interactions is also a major factor for dissatisfaction in online classes; this affects both students and educators and may lead to depression (Islam, Beer, and Slack, 2015). Lack of motivation due to the absence of the personal presence of fellow students and teachers is observed in online classes (al Rawashdeh et al., 2021). Online classes are also known to encourage some unethical learning behaviors like cheating.

Some students also don’t have self-discipline, making them less underprivileged than their fellow students. This can also be observed in some educators’ slight online classes, and thus interruptions become common. Some educators do not uphold the level of professionalism required in an online class but do in traditional classes. Apart from discipline, some students are deprived of proper technology. Some have low-quality devices, and some don’t have WIFI, and others are constantly disrupted by technicalities. Some of the other reasons why some educators are skeptical about online classes include; More screen time on computers leading to eye problems and insomnia. Other reasons include some educators not internet survey hence additional training is required, online classes make learners easily procrastinate, practical classes are not well supported by online learning, and perhaps some educators fear it may make them lose jobs.

Strengths of Online Learning

Despite the obvious disadvantages, the advantages that online learning comes with are clear. First, online learning reduces the use of traveling resources and other expenses such as the time one incurs when going to and from classes. In research from Mukhtar et al. (2020), “Faculty opined that online learning helped ensure remote learning, it was manageable, and students could conveniently access teachers and teaching materials” (p.3). Online learning has a particular benefit to university and college students compared to junior learning institutions. The benefits of e-learning to higher learning institutions are many and include: increased enrollment, learning online promotes the institutions, it increases productivity, saving time, and encourages innovation (Quyen & Phong, 2019). It would be interesting to see the benefits online learning brings to universities being transferred to eight-year old’s as they need more time with their parents.

Critics say that online learning comes with much freedom leading to negligence. Students are known to love being in control of their learning schedule, but some do not have discipline. This is the reason why many students are for it because they can learn when they want to (St. John Fisher College, 2015). This trait helps the students to achieve great work, school, and play balance, optimizing their productivity. Freedom can come with many benefits, including having time to spend with loved ones, exercising, and building good habits. Online learning also brings a degree of discipline to the learners. Since learners have to make their own timetable and office, a student is able to practice organizational skills needed in the workplace.

Online classes give students the choice of selection of preferred teachers. Assuming a school has three educators, in the traditional setting, students would normally be allocated randomly and freedom to change class minimized. In online classes, students can easily request a transfer online or just get a link to their preferred educator. The benefits are many and are not only associated with students but also educators, school management, and particularly online learning facilitators who get a source of income. For instance, lecturers can record more lessons than they would have time to in a classroom setting and send the link addresses to the students.

All advancements come with many disadvantages and gain a fair share of critics, and so does online learning. Nevertheless, with technological advancement, some of the disadvantages seem to be mitigated further with each passing day. The critics of the method of learning had their nails bitten in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, where the method stopped being an alternative but the main method of study. Having proved their use, more and more people are now more open to learning online. Some circumstances make online learning the ideal method, while others favor the face-to-face method. It is thus the role of educators to do research and find out the ones that best fit online learning.

References

Arkorful, V., & Abaidoo, N. (2014). The Role of e-Learning, the Advantages, and Disadvantages of Its Adoption in Higher Education. Journal of Computer and Communications, 3(12), 397–410.

Islam, N., Beer, M., & Slack, F. (2015). E-Learning Challenges Faced by Academics in Higher Education: A Literature Review. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 3(5).

Dhawan, S. (2020). Online Learning: A Panacea in the Time of COVID-19 Crisis.Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 49(1), 5–22.

Mukhtar, K., Javed, K., Arooj, M., & Sethi, A. (2020). Advantages, Limitations, and Recommendations for online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic era.

Quyen, L. H. T., & Phong, T. G. (2019). Roles of E-learning in Higher Education. Journal of Critical Reviews, 6(4), 7–13. Web.

Rawashdeh, A. L., Z, A., et al., (2021). Advantages and Disadvantages of Using e-Learning in University Education: Analyzing Students’ Perspectives. The Electronic Journal of E-Learning, 19(3), 107–117.

St. John Fisher College. (2015). Online Learning Revealing the Benefits and Challenges (Masters dissertation). Fisher Digital Publications. Web.

Introduction

Traditional learning and teaching usually consist of a physical classroom setup, where teachers can interact face to face with a group of learners. In this setting, teachers must be present, either to teach or facilitate discussions and interactions among the learners. Nevertheless, modern technology, heralded by the ICT revolution, has brought about a paradigm shift in the way teaching and learning activities are conducted.

Distance or online learning has revolutionized the education sector, which is becoming more versatile and accessible, even where there is limited access to traditional learning facilities. In distant learning, the teacher and learners do not have to be physically present in a class but instead use technology devices that can be connected to the internet to share information.

Both systems have the capacity to offer quality-learning programs, but given the flexibility and convenience of distance learning in the prevailing wave of globalization, this paper contends that it is the more adaptable and future-oriented system.

Comparing and Contrasting

The environments in traditional learning situations are tightly controlled and offer face-to-face contact with other students and the teacher. In addition, the curriculum taught in the traditional classroom offers teacher immediacy, which can be described as actions that facilitate physical and emotional proximity between the learners and teachers. In this context, students and teacher interactions are characterized by verbal behaviors like the teacher praising students, calling them by their names, and using visual aids.

Students come together at a pre-arranged venue and times to take part in lectures, discussion groups, laboratory activities, and sit exams. On the other hand, in online learning, the students partake learning individually, and in some cases, students doing the same course in the same college do not even get to know each other. There are no defined physical learning environments, although there are some instances where lectures are streamed live, and students and teachers have some real-time interaction, just like in “regular” learning.

Despite the seemingly individualized nature of online learning, it can, however, also be done in groups, where learners interact through video conferences using an application such as Skype and others that are custom made for education. Therefore, despite claims by critics that it is not friendly to group learning, there has been no concrete research data affirming this supposition. In fact, contemporary trends in communication might actually support more interactive learning through the online platform.

Most teenagers and young adults today with access to smartphones or computers regularly interact through various social media. Therefore, it is natural for them to engage each other in discussions remotely in the same way they chat and network.

The content of the curriculum is similar in both distance learning and traditional learning since some universities and colleges even offer their learners the option of pursuing a given course on a regular or distant basis. The quality remains the same in most cases, especially if the teachers are consistent, and the program has been professionally structured to factor in all the variables arising from using the non-physical platform.

The materials used in a traditional classroom are quite different from those that are used in online learning since the former student and teachers use physical equipment like books, pens, rulers, and markers, among others. In distant learning, the learner and the instructors use virtual platforms like emails, student portals, or academic websites. Assignments are submitted through Blackboard and dropbox and other such applications, and most of the notes are taken on PCs and read via E-readers.

One of the advantages of online learning has over the conventional techniques is that there is a wider scope of technological solutions that can be implemented that would not be possible in the “chalk and board” class.

There are analysts who believe that online and distant education can even be more convenient and effective than the regular system. These arguments are justified by claims that technologies such as bulletin boards, interactive presentation technology such as Prezi, as well as hypertext, enliven the learning process more than the traditional techniques.

Another advantage of distance learning is that, in most cases, it allows considerable learner autonomy since they get to choose from a wide variety of contextual and technical options. In distant learning, the learner is at liberty to attend to other things as they learn, for example, if they can have a job or wish to study more than one course at a time, perhaps even from different institutions.

They can also learn at their own pace, which allows them the freedom to determine the duration of the course, and this puts them at an advantage over the ones in traditional learning systems.

Conversely, in traditional learning, the student must finish the stipulated time of a course, and they do not have the option of working harder to reduce the time spent. Nonetheless, proponents of traditional learning had advocated for it based on the close interaction it facilitates between learns and teacher as well as the undeniable advantage or live and personal class situations.

Admittedly, in the same way, online education has facilities that cannot be matched in the classroom, the traditional system also has several unique and critical advantages, such as the earlier mentioned teacher immediacy. However, it is worth noting that despite the disparities, both of these systems have numerous similarities and derive a lot from each other.

The context for online and distance education is based on the class models, while even in traditional classes, the tools used in distance learning can also apply. However, taking the rate at which technology is developing as well as the reality of globalization, traditional classrooms may be in the near future faced with the same fate that paper books are currently grappling with.

The world is becoming smaller with every new technological education tool, and there is every chance that someday, people may attend most of their higher education remotely. Nevertheless, impossible to envision an exclusively online system since a degree of physical interaction must be present, especially in courses that require psychomotor skills such as surgery and physical education.

Conclusion

Ultimately, it is self-evident that distant education is at present the more progressive method or teaching and learning in view of the potential it has and the fact that it appears to be more adapted to contemporary impersonal networking tendencies.

Distance, learning system provides more opportunities for learners by allowing them access to a wide range of resource irrespective of geopolitical separation. Consequently, although it needs to be supplemented with elements of traditional learning in some areas, it is the most suited for modern times, as it has a better chance of addressing contemporary educational needs.

Introduction

The theme of this study chose distance learning, which is relevant in connection with the recent coronavirus pandemic. After the searches, the three most relevant articles were selected. Namely: University Students Online Learning System During Covid-19 Pandemic: Advantages, Constraints and Solutions by Purwanto, which covers all the aspects of distance learning in terms of coronavirus (570). Indonesia Education Readiness Conducting Distance Learning in Covid-19 Pandemic Situation by Churiyah et al. represents the Indonesian government’s attitude to this phenomenon (491). Moreover, in A Shift from Classroom to Distance Learning: Advantages and Limitations by Sadeghi, the author discusses distance learning in all its terms (80). All three articles cover the topic of distance learning in the context of the coronavirus and everyday practice. However, Sadeghi’s article seems to be the most priority among all three articles, as it reveals this topic in a pros and cons format that is understandable to everyone.

A Shift from Classroom to Distance Learning: Advantages and Limitations

This article consists of distance learning theory, its history, and its advantages and disadvantages. The article’s primary purpose is to familiarize itself since it does not prove anything but explains the complex in simple language. The author states that students participating in distance education may not always be present at a school (Sadeghi 80). In other words, students learn and pass their chosen subjects online without visiting a testing facility, a college campus, or a university building. The question of whether the provided education is as effective as it could be is raised because of its popularization.

Theories of Distance Learning

The same is valid for online education, just as no single learning theory has been developed for instruction in general. Many theories have developed based on the significant learning theories we previously covered. The convergence of four overlapping lenses — community-centeredness, knowledge-centeredness, learner-centeredness, and assessment-centeredness — is one of the theories discussed in this section of the article (Sadeghi 82). These lenses served as the framework for the author’s strategy for researching an online education theory because they considered the qualities and resources the Internet offers about each of the four lenses. The author also pointed out how all types of media are now supported and readily available on the Internet, which formerly existed only as a text-based environment (Sadeghi 82). They also correctly noted that the linking function of the Internet is best suited to how human information is stored and accessed.

Advantages of Distance Learning

Speaking of the advantages of distance learning, the author suggests that remote learning may not be ideal for some students, and there will be a list of disadvantages. The best thing about remote learning is that one can take it anytime and anywhere. According to Sadeghi, a distance education degree earned online or through another method may be significantly less expensive for any given program than an on-campus degree (Sadeghi 83). Thus, one of the advantages is the lower cost of higher education in this format. The author also points out that forms of distance learning enable students to design their learning schedules at their leisure rather than adhering to a fixed course of study (Sadeghi 83). These three advantages can be called the most significant since they are most very distinguishable by remote education from traditional one.

Disadvantages of Distance Learning

While more people have the chance to pursue higher education due to distance learning, there are also some drawbacks. According to the author, the likelihood of being distracted and forgetting deadlines is considered when there is no teacher for face-to-face interaction and no classmates to assist with ongoing reminders about pending work (Sadeghi 84). Additionally, because training is done online, there is almost no physical interaction between students and instructors.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the author states that while distance learning programs and courses are here to stay and will grow in the future, many unclear concerns still need to be defined and looked at. The author believes that the other significant issue is that employers still favor traditional college or university degrees over those obtained through online or remote learning. Summing up, one can note the deep work carried out in the study of the concepts of distance learning.

Works Cited

Sadeghi, Manijeh. “A shift from classroom to distance learning: Advantages and limitations.” International Journal of Research in English Education, vol. 4, no. 1, 2019, pp. 80–88., Web.

Churiyah, Madziatul, et al. “Indonesia Education Readiness Conducting Distance Learning in Covid-19 Pandemic Situation.” International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding, vol. 7, no. 6, 2020, p. 491., Web.

Purwanto, Agus. “University Students Online Learning System during COVID-19 Pandemic: Advantages, Constraints, and Solutions.” Sys Rev Pharm, vol. 11, no. 7, pp. 570–576., Web.