A Studymind tutor explains the pros and cons of online studying to all seeking to enroll in it.
StudyMind.co.uk is a great service that provides online courses that help students prepare for the most important exams in their lives, with Study Mind A Level Biology and Study Mind A Level Chemistry being the jewels among our programs. In these Study Mind biology and Study Mind Chemistry programs, we are committed to delivering the education services of highest quality to our students.
Still, a lot of people remain skeptical about online studying, often citing various issues with it. Read the article to learn about objective advantages and disadvantages of online studying, and then make a decision for yourself.
The Pros of Online Studying for the students
Even when the students are only choosing a program, they already destined themselves to various advantages.
A Large Selection of Courses
On the internet, a person can acquire any knowledge and skills he wishes – for example, opportunities to learn a foreign language, master a digital profession, learn applied skills and hobbies are always open. Thus, a person can choose where and from whom to get this knowledge – from free courses to programs of the best specialists for big money.
Practical knowledge
Online courses are most often run by practitioners who work in large companies and have a good understanding of what they are talking about and how it really works in practice. On the contrary, in the traditional universities, tutors are often theorists that were employed by university right after graduation, without having boots on the ground even for a single day.
Naturally, the knowledge they convey may differ from reality – after all, it is not for nothing that at the first workplace it is usually said “Forget everything you were taught at school and college”.
Budget savings
Online courses are pretty much often cheaper than face-to-face courses, since training organizers do not need to pay for the premises and equipment. Additionally, there are many free courses. Plus, you don’t need to buy study materials – all grants are provided digitally.
No discrimination
Online education is open and available to everyone. For example, distance learning is a great opportunity for people with disabilities to get an education on par with healthy people. Everyone learns on equal terms, and the teachers have no favorites, treating each and every one of the students equally.
Voluntary learning rate
The student himself is allowed to choose the pace of learning – he can either quickly master a new skill and get a profession, or vice versa, study at a calm pace. Nobody rushes him – or slows him down. For example, it is not at all necessary to suspend your main activity in order to gain additional skills.
Instant knowledge check
After studying the lectures, the student performs practical tasks to consolidate the new material. For example, he answers tests and open-ended questions. Having answered the test, he immediately receives its results and is free to conduct a work on mistakes.
Open communication with the tutor
The student can contact the teacher at any time to ask him a question. For example, he can do it in a chat, in a private message, or in the comments to the lesson. You no longer need to catch the teacher between lessons.
Ability to review lectures
It is not easy to understand complex topics and keep in mind all the information learned after just one watch. Therefore, it is convenient that you can always return to previous lectures and practical exercises.
The Cons of Online Studying for Students
We learned the advantages of online studying, and what are the disadvantages?
Unmet expectations
A beautiful course cover and big serious words do not guarantee that the course will be useful and you will get the promised results. Good advertising often hides not very high-quality materials behind itself.
Solution
Before taking a decision on purchasing a course, get to know its author or tutor – attend several webinars or trial lessons. If you benefit at this stage, you can decide to purchase the main course. In order to issue official certificates for the students, the organization must have a license for educational activities. Check for this license before purchasing a course from it.
Little live communication
The student may not have enough personal contact with the teacher and other students. This is especially true when the course consists only of recorded lectures, and the student cannot get an answer to the question of interest from the teacher at the time of studying the material.
Solution
If this is important to you, choose courses with synchronous learning – when the teacher leads the lesson in real time. First of all, such a format is necessary for teaching preschoolers and schoolchildren.
Inability to independently organize the learning process
Effective online learning is based on the discipline, responsibility and motivation of the student. Otherwise, there is a chance to spend all the time allotted for training on social media.
Solution
Define your motivation – why are you going through training, what good and valuable things will you get after it. Remind yourself regularly about why you are learning. To avoid being distracted by notifications and social media while you study, put your phone away (or at least mute it) and eliminate other distractions.
Overload on information
Since the student independently regulates the pace of learning, to speed up the results, it may be tempting to complete a six-month course in a month. There is then so much information that there is an overload and the desire to learn fades away.
Solution
Stick to the recommended learning rate. For each course, it is individual and is set by its author. It is important to allocate a certain amount of time for the assimilation of new knowledge.
Conclusions
Now you know what awaits you on online studying. Note that any shortcomings of the online format can be overcome if the training is properly organized. Use the information you receive to choose the right format and have fun learning!