Advantages and Disadvantages of E-Learning

The internet has enabled an easier life in this day. Unlike in the olden days, where people depended on movie places to watch films, or game stores to play a nice game, people can gather at a common place like at a friend’s house.

Using the internet can be either constructive or destructive. It gets destructive when it is addictive. Games, movies, and other programs can render you glued to your screen. On the other hand, you can decide to use the internet for constructive purposes. For example, reading online, that is, eLearning.

Advantages

1. One advantage is that eLearning allows learners to have a flexible schedule. It is understandable that one might be busy. For example, if you have a family, and you are working, it would be hard to enroll for classes. However, eLearning helps you to choose the time and classes that are flexible for you.
2. Another advantage of web-based learning or eLearning is that you access web pages that lead you to more pages. These hyperlinks help to create a well of information for learners.
3. The other advantage of eLearning is that you get the materials you need for learning at the same time as the rest. Unless you miss a session online, you will always find the class notes and copies of your assignment. This saves you the hustle of having to get to your department for timetables and class schedules.
4. You have access to everything and this allows you to learn independently, and actively. This also helps you to learn anytime you want and from a place of your convenience.
5. Because it involves learning with video clips, you can always listen repeatedly for as many times as you wish so that you understand. The internet store for you these lecturers, therefore there is no loss when doing eLearning.
6. Also, you engage with other classmates online through the chats and discussion boards. This will help you alleviate any doubts about certain group work or even classwork projects.
7. The last is a benefit to the environment. It is environment-friendly because there is no much printing of papers. If we would all go the eLearning way, we would reduce the number of trees that would have to be chopped to make paper. Resultantly, we would conserve the environment.

Disadvantages of ELearning

1. Proving the authenticity of a students work is a tall order for an online class lecturer. Unlike with physical learning where you may discover different handwriting, eLearning has no obvious telltale signs that work has been done by another student. This is because someone else can do the work and submit it in their friends’ school credentials as per his or her request.
2. Computers and machines mark ELearning papers. This means they will be limited questioned that are knowledge based instead of being practically based on what the other student knows.
3. As a learner, you may find that the nature of questions on many of those assignments with eLearning takes an objective form. This is restrictive in the sense that people lack spot creativity that is required to make the learning experience interactive, fun and engaging.
4. Learning institutions should install measures enough to prove there is enough security. This is both for physical security as well as for surveillance to ensure that students produce their original work in while in the exam room. This should be availed at all times regardless of whether there are supervisors or not. Students who use eLearning feel like there is over surveillance in class.
5. There are qualities of other learners and the facilitators as well that you may not get through online learning. This is mostly understood and learned through interacting one on one with other people. Thus, it is a disadvantage because you do not get to learn important skills such as interaction skills or teamwork.
6. Sometimes, you may face challenges such as lack of required technical skills as a learner and therefore you cannot navigate through the lessons correctly. Also, sometimes the infrastructure for learning would be inadequate. Low internet may also cause learners frustrations to follow up on eLearning courses.
7. Lastly, sometimes, it is hard to get the drive and motivation to learn especially when you are alone and this is a disadvantage. Dissimilarly, when you are in a class, there is always a tutor to guide you and lead you through the class. In other words, they initiate the drive in a learner.