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Less than half a century ago, staring into a machine for hours on end might have been viewed as a ridiculous act. Yet, returning to the 21st century, computers and mobile phones have conquered the world by offering convenience in communication. Ultimately, the inventions of these complex and productive electronics have brought us into an era in which we can decide whether we want to visit a restaurant or simply have a meal delivered through browsing a menu online and dialing a number. A new industry has emerged from the booming advancements of communication: online education, which is shifting the ways we view teaching. Some may still find the act of staring at a screen and conversing electronically to be onerous and annoying, but from a more positive perspective, it allows a student to have flexible hours for learning, working, and reviewing. With education merely footsteps away from depositing students in a purely virtual world, online courses have taken part in a revolution that may change the way we learn and teach.
A few initial words of praise that a supporter of online learning might deliver would address how it has reduced the amount of time spent commuting to schools, increased efficiency of spreading education to rural areas, and also given students more freedom in choosing when and where to study. Supporters of online learning might even further argue that there are no downsides to online learning. It may sound convincing and appealing to the majority, as online courses do teach or even exceed standard education in schools, in terms of quality. Top universities including MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and Stanford offer positions in online courses that can even allow students to choose not to attend a traditional high school. As a result, many students choose to toss themselves into these trials, despite their lack of experience and knowledge in the field of online learning. Despite all of the attractive aspects of online learning, not every student will find success and achievement simply through their computer screens.
To many of those who view online courses as the holy grail of education, individual personality and behavior is not a factor that is taken into consideration. Personality and behavior appear to be linked to the process of learning on a minimal level, but when it comes to online courses, the individual will need to meet a handful of requirements. Undeniably crucial to online learning is having the mentality of persistence and passion. If a student taking online courses decides to go off track for a “break”, which may transform from a relaxing 20 minutes to a habitual 3-hour session, he or she may never learn anything from the course. Distraction has been a terror of the 21st century’s children, with addictions of web surfing resulting in procrastination or complete digression of a productive learning cycle. Education requires a consistent input and output. Therefore, a student needs to constantly review and practice learned knowledge on paper or mentally throughout short periods of time to have a solid memory of the knowledge. And with online courses, the ability to responsibly self-manage time and study sessions becomes a priority and mandatory task. To many, simply trying to focus on completing homework without any breaks in between can be challenging, making online courses an even greater obstacle to learning. On the other hand, a shy, introverted student may find comfort in the environment of a learning platform online since interaction between students will be mostly eliminated, allowing the student to fully commit to pure education. However, a sacrifice taken includes the lessening of social abilities between students and students, and students and teachers. The better choice of online courses and the traditional classroom must be determined by the student’s standards and expectations of learning.
Although online learning has its limitations, the benefits that root from the platform can be used as a revolutionary tool to educate those who pursue an education of greater distances. Take for instance, if Albert Einstein or Stephen Hawkings was able to grow up in the 21st-century era and have the opportunity to learn from online courses, either of them would able to speed through multiple grade levels in short periods of time, allowing them to exceed other students of a similar age with ease. By doing so, they would be able to learn faster and more efficiently, which may allow them to have greater results in the future. There are always going to individuals living in the present with similar intelligence to the geniuses of the past. Fueled with the technology of today, these individuals potentially may match or even exceed the achievements of Einstein at significantly younger ages, and give more in return through online courses.
Students either hate it or love it, which is what makes online learning such a dilemma for students who are willing to try the course. A strong tip for deciding whether to commit to online education would be knowing what kind of a person the student is, and how he or she learns. If the individual is looking for challenges, a flexible learning schedule, and is substantially passionate for what he or she is learning, then online education may be a good addition or even alternative to the traditional education in physical classrooms. However, if the individual is not certain about his or her ability to control themselves from surrounding distractions, or cannot fully put attention into the learning of a subject, then the individual is recommended to stay within the classroom. Every individual is different and unique in his or her own way, and by simply generalizing characteristics of individuals fit for online learning may or may not apply to others. AISG offers a solution to those interested or in favor of online learning through a certified IB education platform – Pamoja Education. It has been highly recommended for students who are truly willing to put effort into their interests, while repelled by others who rely on motivation by teachers and classroom environment. Online learning currently exists in a gray area of education, due to its unreliability for the general public, though it has shown promising results for a few. For those who are willing to take the risks of swimming and searching within the ocean of knowledge online, diving into online courses may lead to higher and more challenging education.
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