Online Learning

Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary 2. Introduction 3. Body 4. Conclusion 5. Recommendations 6. References

Executive Summary
Today in any educational system one of the biggest challenges is how to provide quality instruction to the students who require it. Online learning for the teachers and the students is considered as the fastest growing trends in the educational system. Online learning (digital learning) can achieve its objective of reaching greater number of students by making the educational system move beyond the traditional way of teaching i.e. face to face. High quality education can be made accessible through online learning to students living in rural areas as well as under high poverty. On the other hand, the courses which are unavailable at local schools can be made available through online learning.
Introduction
Online learning came into existence since 1999 when during a CBT seminar a new word was used i.e. e learning which meant a method to learn via new technologies through the utilization of internet, intranet, CD-rom etc. The e learning tools expanded in 20th century with the introduction of computers and internet. In 1980’s the first Mac made people use computers at their homes which helped them to develop certain skills and knowledge.

In today’s era internet is regarded as the most important motivational tool of learning as well as technologies as it helps in making the online learning environment most resourceful (Corbett 1997). The websites on the internet provides a variety of information such as journals, articles, newspapers etc which can be very supportive for the users/students when they are in need. Online learning basically is a type of learning with the use of I pads, tablets, computers, laptops etc. Students can make use of CD-ROMs, videos or multimedia activities in order to learn and understand their courses. The main objective behind online learning is to create an environment of learning where students can learn from their comfort zones (homes) and that too at a minimal cost. On the basis of a survey done by A & M University, with online learning methodology more development is taking place in the education system. The growth is increasing sharply due to increased usage of internet.
The comparison between online learning and value of face to face learning was done by Solimeno et al.(2008). It showed that online learning can give a boost to student’s professional competencies as well as can help in providing innovative educational opportunities which will be appropriate for the students who face problems with their learning strategies or time management.
The purpose of this report is to identify the key benefits and issues associated with online learning as well as face to face learning. On the basis of it, I will come to a conclusion about the type of learning best for the education system in the future.
Body
Online learning has its own pros and cons. The biggest benefit students can get from it that students get benefit from distance i.e. they can gather information they require at any time and from any place with the help of internet. Online learning has made life much easier for the students and is gaining popularity worldwide. The students enrolled to online learning can get enrolled themselves at a cost much less than the cost of other educational institutions giving face to face education at their respective places. Another important benefit is the flexibility of online study as an individual can manage full time career side by side with the education which will in turn enhance the qualification of the person. It helps in interaction with the people globally and sharing of their knowledge and thoughts. It makes easy for people of any age group to enroll in a course of their choice. Individuals can grab a foreign degree by getting qualified online and by not even travelling.
Along with so many benefits, online learning consists of certain issues as well. The main issue is the knowledge of using computers, tablets, laptops etc is compulsory in order to opt for online learning. Another issue is the lack of faculty i.e. online learning has limited faculty so it is very important for the students to be self motivated in order to understand the concepts. There can be some technical issues as for online learning strong internet connection is required which can be a hurdle while learning if there is problem of network. Online courses demand lot of time and learning which becomes difficult for a working individual due to lack of time. Students should be self motivated and should hold a positive attitude if they opt for online learning so that they are able to overcome the challenges and follow the educational trends.
Technological literacy is a must for the students if they want to gain success through online learning. As far as face to face learning is concerned, we can have face to face interaction with more clarity on relative topic. One can make queries or raise queries if any. Face to face learning does not have any sort of network problems. But besides such benefits it is not better than online learning because flexibility is comparatively less i.e. one has to be at the classroom at the desired time. Students cannot gather information once the lecture is over. Face to face learning is generally a one way communication process therefore students are in a passive role rather than an active role in a class. Generally students do what their teachers tell them which make their role very mechanical. It does not enhances the innovative quality among students nor forces them to bring new ideas and thoughts which further makes them to be inactive.
Online learning has and will continue replacing the forms of face to face learning. The fact that distance is not the issue for online learning neither the material nor the timings is the biggest asset for online learning being better than face to face learning. For the future of the education system, it will be beneficial to completely replace the system of face to face learning by online learning.
According to Navarro and Shoemaker (2000) the learning outcomes from online learning was much better than the traditional learning and the satisfaction level was also higher in favor of online system. However on the basis of the study done by Riffell and Sibley (2005) where jean Luc, an archaeologist who was about to do a general science course found that doing online assignments was a much better task than going for traditional science course as it gave him time to think and he was able to apply his ideas thoroughly as well as to actively participate in his task. This made his performance above average and this positive story is a clear example why the education system should fully adopt the online learning system.
Below is a picture taken from a source which clears the importance of online learning. It is based on a survey among students.

Source: Study suggests high school students hold negative views of online education. 2016. Study suggests high school students hold negative views of online education. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/02/17/study-suggests-high-school-students-hold-negative-views-online-education. [Accessed 25 May 2016].
Conclusion
Online learning if compared with face to face learning helps in accessing the journals, resources, periodicals etc which are normally not easily accessible from library. A student can easily find a solution to the problem with the help of online resources and other free material easily available online. Students who face problems in traditional environment learning can gather help from online learning with more features and more options.
On the basis of the benefits being discussed above online learning would be a beneficial step for an economy as well and for the bright future of the students as well. It will be a career booster for the people who enroll themselves for the courses in order to gain a higher position in their respective companies.
Online learning is beneficial and if it follows the below discussed recommendations then the educational system can be taken to a new level. Moreover, it will be beneficial for people of all age groups.
Recommendations
* Online learning needs to be given more light especially in rural areas. * There is a need of making the internet connection much stronger and easily available especially in rural areas. * There is a need to make students completely literate with technological gadgets specially the computers, laptops, tablets etc. * More online faculty interaction is necessary so that students don’t face any type of stress or anxiety while their courses are going on. * Students should be given the facility of recorded lectures so that they can hear them at any time they want. * There should always be faculty available 24/7 for the students for their help. * Students should be provided in advance with the time management sheet and how they can manage their time effectively.
There is a hope that online learning can provide top education to anyone, anywhere and anywhere if they have a strong access to the internet. Some of the academies such as Brain teasers academy, Khan academy, coursear are making use of online learning as a way of educating people.
References
* TalentLMS ebook - eLearning trends, concepts and applications - E-learning 101. 2016. What are the types of learning management systems?. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.talentlms.com/elearning/types-of-learning-management-systems. [Accessed 25 May 2016] * eFront Blog. 2016. A brief history of elearning (infographic) - eFront Blog. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.efrontlearning.net/blog/2013/08/a-brief-history-of-elearning-infographic.html. [Accessed 25 May 2016]. * Eric Fredericksen. 2016. Is online education good or bad? And is this really the right question?. [ONLINE] Available at: http://theconversation.com/is-online-education-good-or-bad-and-is-this-really-the-right-question-35949. [Accessed 25 May 2016]. * Scribd. 2016. Classroom vs Online Learning. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.scribd.com/doc/239927186/Classroom-vs-Online-Learning. [Accessed 25 May 2016] * Scribd. 2016. Search | Scribd. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.scribd.com/search?payment=free&page=1&content_type=documents&query=online%20learning. [Accessed 25 May 2016].