Introduction to MasterClass.com
With the rise in world digitization, online education has seen grown on multiple horizons. This has provided universities to make proper use of digital platforms and make the most of this opportunity to empower technological advancements and get rid of these traditional and conventional methodologies.
Online education can be a very powerful tool in the longer run of time. It has a lot to provide if implemented properly and used effectively. A MasterClass is a great help in this regard since it provides reviews on different ongoing issues. In this article, we will take a look at different aspects of online education so that the viewers can get a better understanding of the process.
The need for Online Education
With the advancement of science and technology, the world has changed drastically. Students are more inclined towards getting an education online than through conventional methods. According to a survey conducted by Erasmus, almost all the schools have switched to some form of distance teaching since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic. Over 60% believe that schools are not going to be the same, even if reopened. This shows the extent to which online education has replaced the traditional school practices. Moreover, technology has converted this world into a global village which makes the use of Internet and computer very profound. Without them, it is very difficult for students to grow. Now that online education has been normalized, this obstacle can be overcome quite easily, and students can become quite tech-savvy, which is accommodating in a longer period of time. Let’s take a look at the positive as well as negative sides of the normalization of online education.
Pros of Online Courses
- Flexible and Comfortable Learning Environment
For many students, the flexibility of scheduling the classes and the comfort of the learning atmosphere has been the key feature of online education. Students can focus on other daily life aspects too, along with getting an education. This provided students with growth in multiple directions. In schools, students usually focus on traditional education they get, thereby ignoring all the other learning from society. Online education has incredibly dealt with this issue by providing a more flexible way of getting an education.
- Shortened Finances
The reduction of finances has been a great prospect for lower and middle-class families. It has reduced transport expenses entirely. Moreover, many students belong to remote areas and stay in towns just to get an education. Now that online education is there, they can save their living cost too and stay at their homes no matter how far that is. All these things provide students with an opportunity to focus on education in a more disciplined way since they do not have to worry about education cost anymore.
- Networking Prospects
Online courses give students the chance to network with people and organizations living in different parts of the world. This can help the young generation in terms of collaboration and better future opportunities. Students can take different freelance projects from various countries which can eventually be very productive for the professional career of the students. The world is in dire need of professionals in different fields, and online education can be a big asset in this regard.
- Documentation and Drafting
Drafting and documenting in a hard form of paper bring several problems at times. The data is misplaced often, and this becomes a serious problem for the students. With the help of online education, documentation can be carried out in a more suitable way. All the information can be saved in an online database which is safe and secure. This helps the students to have better access to information and training materials through emails and other digital platforms.
- Augmented Instructor-Student Time
Students in conventional classes may not get enough time for the proper understanding of concepts and the topic as a whole. When it comes to online education, students get relatively more time with the teachers since they have the chances to be in direct contact with the instructor. With the help of video calls, emails and audio messages, students have the opportunity to get augmented instructor-student time which can help them a lot in learning various concepts properly.
- Greater Access to Know-how
Online education provides students with greater access to information and expertise. The Internet has been a hub of education since quite some time now. It has literally everything one wants to learn. Online education brings students in more contact with the Internet, which helps students to learn the way to grasp knowledge from there. This can be a big prospect of online education since most of the young generation do not know the ways to grasp knowledge from the Internet; they consider the Internet to be a source of entertainment only. Online education can be a big asset in breaking these stereotypes and showing students the longer frame of things.
- Advanced Career Options
Online education provides students with a plethora of learning opportunities. They learn a number of things other than their field of education. This way, the students, alongside having a degree, have other skills too, which help them in earning through freelance projects or starting some business vendor. Online education has advanced the careers of students. With the increasing unemployment in many countries, this feature of online courses can turn out to be very lucrative.
- Ease in Enhancing Skillset
Many students remain unaware of the use of technology when they are busy getting an education in traditional ways. Online education provides an open season to enhance the skill set of students by bringing them closer to digital platforms. Students are now learning different software, the ones they never used before. All these provisions can help the students a lot in their growth as proper professionals. This makes them achieve their goals in the field of their choice by acquiring various skills, be it technical or social.
Cons of Online Courses
- More Time Taking
Online courses may require more time than normal classes at schools. It is mainly because of the question of availability of Internet and other necessary requirements. Students living in remote areas have always complained about the slow Internet and longer time duration of classes because of it. This makes students tired, and they start procrastinating eventually. This has been a major setback of online education, and the worst part is that no country can do anything about it. It will be very hard for third world countries to ensure the availability of quality Internet across the entire country.
- Unnecessary Freedom
The bad part of online courses is that it provides students with more freedom than they can actually handle. It gives students a chance to be their own guide and decide their own path. Ideally, it is really good since students can get to explore different things, but practically, it can exploit students in multiple ways. Students of young age should not be given such freedom. At this age, they need proper guides to help them decide their way. Online education has given students the chance to grow, but it has also given them an equal chance to exploit their freedom without the consideration of any consequences.
- More Work
Online education makes students more stressed since they have to do everything themselves. They have to read and comprehend different assignments without the help of their schoolmates which can eventually cost students a lot in terms of workload. Most students do not have good time management and other necessary skills at such a young age. This has a great deal to consider in terms of exploitation of students. Though being very productive and lucrative, online education has been a real source of stress and anxiety for students.
- Requirements of Self-Discipline and Management
Online education requires a considerable amount of discipline and management related to skillset. Many students are gifted with these skills, but on the other hand, a wide majority of students lack these fruitful skills. When online courses are normalized, students with poor discipline and time management skills suffer the most, and that too without any way to come back on track. Even if one single lecture or concept is disrupted, students face a plethora of hurdles all around. In traditional education at schools, students have their classmates and peers all the time to help them through this situation. However, in online education, these chances are reduced to a significant number.
Conclusion
Online education has been a real deal for the world after the COVID-19 crisis. Be its pros or cons; it has been able to make its mark on the surface of the earth in a number of ways. MasterClass has worked a lot to research, gain information and provide the world with the review that can give the world a big picture of the issue in hand. This article has provided a significant amount of research and facts for the students so that they can see online courses in a more holistic way and work their way to harness the prospects and reduce the setbacks of online education and digital technology.