What_Are_the_Benefits_and_Drawbacks_of_Doing_an_Online_Course_

What are the benefits and drawbacks of doing an online course' Due to the pervasive use of the computer technology has inaugurated a new era for human being, online course is becoming a familiar term. According to Sharma(2010), “the delivery of the online part of the course is usually through learning technologies”, including a “Virtual Learning Environment” and “the use of synchronous and asynchronous electronic tools”. Therefore, online course can be described as a new education mode combined with advanced Internet techniques. This article focuses on discussing of the online courses from advantages and disadvantages perspective. It is widely believed that the online course exerts a profound impact on education method. First and foremost, people can choose the class time freely. Online course is created to meet the needs of workers who want to learn online when they are working (sharma, 2010). Secondly, it no longer confined to age impediment. For example, a 60 years old people can get the same study materials with an 18 years old learner online. Thirdly, a great many of study skills can be learned through online course. Hockly is a firm believer that teachers should teach students some basic skills for the sake of new environment. It is increasingly apparent that the ability of information processing helps people save time and enhance the efficiency. However, the online course also has its own disadvantages. To begin with, one specific system may not suitable for the other one because of “material incompatibility” (Mobbs, 2003). For instance, some Apple software may not be downloaded by Android system. In addition, interaction between learners and e-tutor is less than real class teaching (mobbs, 2003). Due to the absence of face-to-face interview and communication, learners are going to be, geographically isolated from others, which further makes people lose the capability to communicate. Besides, online course, to same extent, is expensive. It is generally acknowledged that the materials are hard to get on account of the cost. Consequently, people may have no appetite for online learning. To put all into a nutshell, the application of online course comes with some unpleasant drawbacks. Nevertheless, its positive effects outweigh its negative ones. As long as people suit the remedy to the case, online course will become a popular educational mode.