With the onset of the fourth industrial revolution, it is nearly impossible to imagine the world without the involvement of technology. As the nature of learning is evolving, so is the usage of technology in implementing various e-learning online courses.
Today, online learning has made flexible learning possible with the use of several attractive learning styles like microlearning, adaptive learning, virtual learning, etc. Online learning is the way future education will be imparted. But is it a good investment? Is it something you should implement in your organization? What are the advantages and disadvantages of e-learning?
Let’s find out.
Advantages Of E-Learning
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Saves Time
Saw this one coming, didn’t you? Well, the most common advantage of taking e-learning online courses is that you get access to learning material anytime, anywhere, setting your own pace and training whenever you have spare time. Also, you don’t need to travel to training centers, so that’s another bonus.
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Cost-Effective
Obviously, with no traveling costs, no exorbitant tuition fee, you can now focus solely on your learning and upskilling. E-learning online courses require only training software. Maximum engagement and knowledge retention are guaranteed. These programs even include games and quizzes to make things interesting, allowing you to improve and grow while having fun.
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Improved Efficiency
With Online certification courses, students can now train at home, in their free time that can lead to better performance and higher efficiency, especially because online learning software enables them to revisit any information or topic they need.
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Better Collaboration
Every online certification course provides a solid combination of useful communication and collaboration tools. These tools are essential for knowledge upliftment and building a strong collaborative workforce, which can lead to increased engagement as well as a comfortable learning environment.
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Access To Training
Online education helps students in learning with advanced resources as a means of updating and honing one’s approach to constantly upskill, in turn making skill development a daily activity.
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Cloud Computing
The anytime-anywhere accessibility to the information stored in a cloud server makes it possible for students to access courseware from any device and at any time. Virtual reality and augmented reality have come as a big boost to this technology-driven education system. This has led to good student engagement, traction, as well as better learning output.
Disadvantages Of E-Learning
- In developing nations, like India, there is a lack of high-speed internet access and trained IT personnel in rural areas that limit access to online education.
- Since every student is different, the e-learning material requires frequent updates as per the needs of students. This can be an exhausting task.
This technology-driven education has changed the entire traditional approach to education. In simple words, technology has given teachers and learners access to a new and enhanced way of interacting during the learning process. Technology has surely a profound impact on today’s youth.
These advantages of taking online certification courses are so many that the disadvantages can easily be repressed if you use your discretion to choose the right one.
There are several online professional courses available today that impart online learning options to students. These courses are delivered to their respective students all over the world using technological platforms specially designed for learning management. These are known as online learning systems or learning management systems. The objective of any such platform is to provide the right environment to enhance the productivity of such e-learning modules.
Various colleges and universities are providing online learning classes these days. All of them deliver their education programs across the world by means of internet technology and a strong online learning system that is built on state of the art technology. This system enables the educator to provide multimedia contents varying from text to voice, video etc. It also aids a smooth flow of communication from both ends – the educator as well as the student. This means that an online learning system provides an interactive medium of communication for both parties.
An online learning system is also a way to access online resources that the educator might be providing. For example, a college can provide access to an online library or an e-library to its students through an online learning system. Through this, students can access white papers, projects, thesis and other such academic works for their educational purposes, anytime and from anywhere. These days all major universities are putting their libraries in an online format due to its longevity, flexibility and maintenance-free format.
An online learning system also serves as a tool for collaboration among its users virtually. Hence, there are no barriers in working on projects closely together, without having to be in the same location. The format of learning can be an e-learning course or just an e-learning lecturer placing the course contents at a designated location. This system helps in providing a well-defined structure to the course, keeps the students on track by measuring their performance with respect to other participants in the course and keeps the channel of communication going.
Students on an online learning system can also do their own self-assessment and peer assessment without taking up extra class hours. This helps them reflect on their own performance and identify weak areas.
In the end, an online learning system also gives a final score and a certificate as the case may be. It will keep track of all the courses a student takes and his performance in all those courses versus other students. All these features make it an extremely useful tool that makes learning efficient and results oriented.
More Information:
Top 5 Advantages of Online Classes
What is the Online Learning System?