While educational institutes closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of India has been encouraging online education to maintain academic rhythm. Most private and public institutions have made the switch smoothly using online platforms such as zoom, google meet, google classroom, Microsoft teams, etc., while many of the institutions still find it a herculean task to handle. The challenges of online education are multifaceted. It is time that we Indians, as a society, understand the realms of online education in India India.
Online education allows learners to learn something beyond the norms. In online learning, learners have access to unlimited topics and world-class experts in niche-based subjects, which is otherwise not affordable or imaginable for many.
E-learning has become the new era in the field of education. Various courses are also available worldwide, just for the learner’s comfort. And as we all know, like a coin has two sides, e-learning also has its advantages and as well as disadvantages. Online learning is caused by the classes being held virtually through live or given emails and video conferencing. It’s not mandatory that someone has to purchase the courses only, but they can also learn from the other sources too which are free. There are many options provided by the various platforms, just free classes, demo classes, monthly trials, scholarships where one can learn for free.
Some of the advantages and disadvantages of E-learning;
ADVANTAGES OF E-LEARNING
- Cost-effective
The learning in e-learning can purely focus on learning as it does not involve any traveling costs, tuition fees, and any other hostel fees. E-learning is mainly economical for the lower economic sector just because they can get access without any barrier.
- Time saver
The most crucial advantage of e-learning is that it saves time for individuals. They can sit at their home, set up their own place, access the material from anywhere, and they can do learning as they get their spare time. As nowadays time is most precious and here we could save our time and get something better in their day to day life.
- More availability of education
E-learning also offers various types of classes and courses as it is widely available to all learners individually, and they are accessible in all areas.
Online learners can easily gain knowledge in the place they reside, and it is much easier for the learner to learn the subjects which they like based on their niche.
- Improvement of efficiency
As we know, learners can learn through e-learning to improve their knowledge as well as skills which can enhance their efficiency, and the learners also take various courses at the same time. And as the learner works smartly and produces a different knowledge to enhance the efficiency in their upcoming life.
DISADVANTAGES OF E-LEARNING
- Feedback of students is limited
In the case of e-learning, there is not much feedback between students and instructors. And students sometimes could not fix their problems due to the lack of communication, and it may lead to dissatisfaction in the learner.
- Social isolation is caused.
Educators and the learning are involved in e-learning, as they are no longer attached with the social life as they cannot do any human communications or other social skills or competitions or talking with others as it serves the most massive problem for both the teacher and the student too. And many people lost communication because of online classes and becoming anti-social, which is not very healthy at all.
- Lack of self-motivation
E-learning is high in lacking in self-motivation as the learner is at their own lack and they face negligible competition due to this they have neither any of the determinate goals and as such, they become lazy too with no motivation and all as they can complete the learning at some of the other days and as it will lose their confidence of gaining knowledge with the lapse of time.
- Focused on theory neither practical based
As e-learning is based on theory-based learning, there are several assignments, but they are based only on writing. As this is the main cause that the learner only gets the theoretical knowledge rather than being selected for the practical subjects and they always stay behind in the practical skills and their respective field, and this will make a very serious situation in the future aspect of their life.
Online learning works as a great backup option of offline schooling as education must be received by every child regardless of their geography, language, and mode of knowledge transfer. Education is a weapon that completes the holistic growth of students, and in this crisis situation where the world is suffering from a covid pandemic, online learning works as a great option for continuous learning. But online education can’t replace offline schooling as apart from knowledge transfer from the best faculties, online learning won’t help in the overall all-around growth and personality development of students. Whatever the situation may arise, students should focus on learning, and teachers and parents should encourage students to learn, be it online or offline schooling.
