Advantages and disadvantages of distance education

Advantages and disadvantages of distance education

The strongest pros and cons of distance education, the pros and cons of distance learning in English, the requirements of distance education, the methods of e-learning, the characteristics of e-learning teaching, and the pros of distance education pdf, Distance learning is basically a means of disseminating knowledge, where The education environment separates the teacher from the students, and the transfer of the traditional environment of education from a university or school and others to a multiple and geographically separate environment is not only about benefits and advantages, there are other criteria that must be taken into account, and in this article we will introduce you in detail to a set of the most important pros and cons of distance .

Advantages and disadvantages of distance education

Existing learning environments take full advantage of new technology to make lessons more interactive and engaging. As a result, teachers see the benefits of distance learning and find ways to include these opportunities in their curricula, So what are the pros and cons of distance education?

Advantages of distance education:

• Raising the efficiency of education and the culture of society and achieving greater job opportunities for learners, especially those who are unable to adhere to traditional education methods.
• Distance education is important for students who have difficulties concentrating and receiving information because of the possibility of repetition.
• It fills the needs of the educational authorities, covers the negatives and weaknesses in educational institutions and centers, and provides support to training agencies and organizations.
• Not stopping at a certain limit in education, acquiring skills, and providing the opportunity for those who missed it to complete education or learn new scientific aspects without the presence of age or work obstacles.
• An opportunity to build social relationships with students and important and specialized personalities, as well as relationships that arise with personalities of other nationalities, that enhance the possibility of providing job opportunities, establishing joint research projects, or collaborating on special projects within the scope of this educational program.
• Saving the learner's effort and time by committing to some work and not incurring large costs compared to the expenses of traditional education.
• Increasing the scientific balance of the individual and giving him the opportunity for free learning without impositions or obligations in specific aspects and self-reliance in choosing the sources from which he will receive the information.
• The certificates offered by distance education platforms have become reliable and accredited in the labor market and are no less valuable than their traditional counterparts. Indeed, studies indicate that the future of distance education will cover and end the existence of traditional education methods in some sciences.
• Flexibility in distance education is one of its most important advantages and characteristics, in addition to the impact it leaves, especially because it is a system based on teaching according to the student's desire, away from compulsion and routine in traditional education.
• Acquiring skills, raising educational and achievement capabilities, opening up to new horizons, and constantly keeping pace with the requirements of the labor market.
• Ways of learning are broader and greater in relation to some areas that may not exist within the framework and borders of the learner’s country, and introducing training courses that can increase his knowledge and are related to these sciences.
• Distance education is characterized by its suitability for all ages and job levels, even for lecturers who are constantly developing their sciences.

Disadvantages of distance education:

• Questioning the credibility of education: The direct interaction between the teacher and the learner in the usual teaching methods is of great importance in the course of the education process, as the teacher constantly reminds his students of their duties and exam times. In tracking his work and study duties.
• The complexity of the teaching method for some: One of the most important problems of distance learning is that the teacher often lacks sufficient experience in distance teaching, and sometimes he lacks the ability to deal with Internet devices, For another reason, there is a section of students who find it difficult to understand the educational material. without contact with the teacher.
• Lack of social interaction: Students' relationship with their teachers is limited to electronic teaching aids, chat rooms, or e-mail.
• Low level of interpersonal skills: the lack of direct interaction between students with each other on the one hand, and between them and teachers on the other, weak social interaction, in addition to the low level of interpersonal skills necessary to form these relationships.
• Internet problems: In the distance learning process, the student needs some things and tools that are essential to this process. He needs a computer, an Internet connection, and the availability of a camera. Without these tools, the learning process cannot take place, and information cannot be communicated to the student.

The pros and cons of distance learning in English

Advantages of distance learning in English:

• The classroom atmosphere familiar to today’s children is likely very different from the atmosphere their parents were accustomed to when they were students. Many of these changes can be traced to technology, which has gradually increased its presence in the classroom over the last several decades.
• But technology has not only changed the classroom experience for kids, but thanks in large part to the Internet, it has also changed the way kids approach their schoolwork at home. Though a potentially valuable learning tool, the Internet also poses some problems for today’s students. The following are some of the advantages and disadvantages of relying on the Internet to complete schoolwork.
• The accessibility of the Internet can be a significant benefit to students. Students have a wealth of resources available to them online, and those resources can make it easier for kids to understand key concepts in nearly every subject. Whereas students might once have been forced to trek to the library to research a given subject, now they can do so from the comforts of home. And unlike the library, the Internet never closes, so information is at students’ disposal regardless of when they sit down to do their schoolwork.
• Another advantage to using the Internet to complete schoolwork is that the Internet can be an extension of the classroom beyond school walls. Educational Web sites abound on the Internet, and many of these sites are written and monitored by professional educators. These sites can be valuable resources for students who may find themselves struggling with certain lessons.
• Many of their questions or concerns may already be addressed, and certain topics may be more easily explained on a Web site written by a professional educator or scholar in a given field. Rather than waiting to address an issue in class, students can visit such Web sites to answers to their questions immediately.

Disadvantages of distance learning in English:

• As beneficial as the Internet can be to students, it’s not always what it’s cracked up to be. Much of the concern about using the Internet to complete schoolwork is the reliability of the information on the Internet.
• Many sites offer reliable and well-researched information, but many do not. Students, especially younger students, may not be capable of discerning fact from fiction and will simply take the written word on the Internet as truth. That may land students in hot water or make it more difficult for them to understand their subjects.
• Another significant disadvantage of using the Internet to complete schoolwork is that students may be tempted to cheat. Because the Internet is so vast, students might be tempted to cut and paste answers to homework problems from the Internet or copy information from Web sites and claim it as their own, feeling as if there is no way their teachers will ever find out.
• Some students may not even understand that such cutting, pasting, or copying is wrong. But in addition to being wrong, such behavior, whether students are caught or not, also makes it harder for students to learn the material, which will make it more difficult for them to grasp key concepts going forward.
• The Internet can also be a significant distraction for students. Social networking sites can quickly distract kids from their schoolwork, costing them valuable time they should be devoting to their studies.

Distance education requirements

When any educational institution adopts the method of distance education, a number of basic requirements must be met. Therefore, we mention the most important of them:

• The existence of a connection between the network providing the information and the recipient, and allowing students to access the raw computer.
• Allow programmers access to the mainframe and create interactive web pages.
• Securing the video server in the event of visual educational materials.
• Providing programs that help programmers maintain and develop web pages on a regular basis.
• A server computer must be available with sufficient speed and space, to accommodate the information to be stored on it.

E-learning methods

E-learning appeared and spread in many countries, after the Corona pandemic struck the world and obliged students to stay at home and not return to schools and universities until further notice.

• Simultaneous e-learning: It means when the students and the professor meet at the same time via the Internet to exchange information, put forward ideas and interact with each other.
• Asynchronous e-learning: It is when the student listens to the recorded audio or video of his teacher without committing to any specific time.

Characteristics of e-learning teaching

Among the characteristics that we can refer to in terms of virtual education or e-learning, we can refer to:

• Rich user experience and ease of use of materials.
• Synchronous (live and immediate) and asynchronous (delayed access to multimedia material) modes
• Always available.
• Physical separation of teacher and student.
• It can be accessed from any device (laptop, PC, tablet, or smartphone) available.
• In distance learning, the presence of the teacher is not necessary.