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With the rapid increase in the popularity of online education, it is evident that it is proving to be a successful way of learning and thereby benefiting students more than a traditional education. There are countless advantages to learning online whilst also allowing individuals that may not have previously considered pursuing higher education with the opportunity to study and broaden their knowledge. This can only result in a more highly educated society and therefore inevitably have a positive impact on the economy. Below are some of the advantages of online learning:
Provides you with control
Conventional education allows the lecturer to decide how they will convey information to the class and teach students. However, online learning gives you the opportunity to become your own teacher, providing you with full control. People learn in different ways so this control could be the distinguishing factor of whether or not you achieve good grades. For example, in a classroom, the teacher may ask you to complete a task to learn something. With online learning, although there are tasks, you have the time to teach yourself concepts differently without the pressure to quickly provide answers to the teacher. This not only results in you understanding topics better but ensures that you explore different ways of learning, allowing you to fully retain information.
Create your own environment
Instead of having to sit in a classroom full of your peers, you can choose where you learn. This ensures that you are maximising your own potential and also helps you gain the most out of your education. For example, if you know that you work better in a library or in the middle of a coffee shop, you have the freedom to learn in these spaces. Creating your own working environment has a positive impact on the way that you absorb and digest information. Again, everyone works differently and so being forced to learn in a classroom setting is not always successful. Sometimes it is about finding the right space for you.
Lower cost
Although the cost of the course itself may not necessarily save you money, you will find that you are still able to save within other areas. For example, not having to travel to attend a class or purchase textbooks. Online learning also allows you to choose your own hours, therefore creating time for you to pursue other things such as a full-time job. Being able to earn whilst studying is often difficult to balance with a conventional education because classes can be spread throughout the day.
Flexibility
Online learning provides you with the flexibility to work at any hour of the day and coordinate your learning around your schedule. One of the advantages of this is that if you are put into a situation where something urgent arises such as your car breaking down, you do not have to worry about rushing to a class due to the fear of missing out on an entire topic. Instead you have the luxury of being able to re-arrange your time and learn later or on another day. This flexibility is non-prevalent within conventional education, in fact missing a class can often force you to fall behind your peers.
Connect internationally
Distance learning allows you to be a part of an online community and therefore helps you connect with other professionals in the field. This will provide you with a more in-depth understanding of the global industry, whilst aiding your education through reading and sharing relevant material. By placing you in a situation where you are responsible for networking and building connections, it can set you up for your future career where this is something that will be expected from you. Gaining different perspectives can also aid your thinking skills and therefore cause you to think more critically, a skill which is highly sought by employers.
Online learning can be responsible for improving many of your personal skills and is something that can benefit all areas of your life. For example, it will help to make you more punctual through your time management skills. This can then go on to impact you when attending social gatherings or even attending meetings in the future. There are countless ways in which online learning can help to enrich your life and develop into a well-rounded person.