Essay on 'Online Education' | General English | A/L

Online education is becoming more and more popular. Some people claim that e-learning has so many benefits that it will replace face - to - face education. Others say that traditional education is irreplaceable. Discuss both view and give your opinion.

Nowadays, there is an increase in trend of distance learning, especially due to the Corona outbreak. Some people believe that this method has a lot of positive impacts and it will alter conventional education while others argue that it is impossible to eliminate brick and mortar classroom. This essay will discuss both opinions.

Online learning of course, has its advantages. One such advantage is you can learn in the comfort of your home. The flexible learning hours are a boon for people who can’t afford to spend 6 or 7 hours in the classroom and tuition classes. Also, the internet has made it possible for learners to find teachers from any part of the island. So, for example, a student who wants to learn French can find French teachers online and learn from her home. She doesn’t have to go to France or find an institution that teaches French in her country.

Online learning has its disadvantages too. Since there is no one to supervise your work or evaluate your progress you need a great amount of motivation and discipline to complete your course successfully. Distractions are a real problem for students doing online programs.

By contrast, classroom learning does not have many of these drawbacks. The best thing about classroom learning is that it creates an ambiance conducive to learning. In a class we are surrounded by other students who also want to score higher grades. This encourages us to work harder. In addition, subjects like medicine and engineering cannot be taught online because the emphasis is on practical not theory.

To conclude, online learning may have its benefits, but I still feel that classroom learning is superior to online learning. That said, the internet and information technology has endless possibilities. Both students and teachers will benefit a lot if they take advantage of the power of the internet in the classroom.

(You can of course add more points for both sides according to the requirements of the exam)