online education merits and demerits essay

The pros and cons of online learning

What to look for in an online course.

By: MIT xPRO

If you’re at a point in your life where you’re considering continuing your education, you may wonder if online learning is the right path for you.

Taking an online course requires a notable investment of time, effort, and money, so it’s important to feel confident about your decision before moving forward. While online learning works incredibly well for some people, it’s not for everyone.

We recently sat down with MIT xPRO Senior Instructional Designer and Program Manager Luke Hobson to explore the pros and cons of online learning and what to look for in an online course. If you’re waiting for a sign about whether or not to enroll in that course you’ve been eying, you just might find it here.

Pros of Online Learning

First, let’s take a look at the true value of online learning by examining some of the benefits:

1. Flexibility

Online learning’s most significant advantage is its flexibility. It’s the reason millions of adults have chosen to continue their education and pursue certificates and degrees.

Asynchronous courses allow learners to complete work at their own pace, empowering them to find the optimal time to consume the content and submit assignments.

Some people are more attentive, focused, and creative in the mornings compared to the evenings and vice versa. Whatever works best for the learners should be the priority of the learning experience.

2. Community

When Luke asks people about their main reason for enrolling in a course, a common answer is networking and community.

Learners crave finding like-minded individuals who are going through the same experiences and have the same questions. They want to find a place where they belong. Being in the company of others who understand what they’re going through can help online learners who are looking for support and motivation during challenging times and times that are worth celebrating.

Some learners have created study groups and book clubs that have carried on far beyond the end of the course-it’s amazing what can grow from a single post on a discussion board!

3. Latest information

“Speed is a massive benefit of online learning,” and according to Luke, it often doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

“When we say speed, we don’t mean being quick with learning. We mean actual speed to market. There are so many new ideas evolving within technical spaces that it’s impossible to keep courses the way they were originally designed for a long period of time.”

Luke notes that a program on Additive Manufacturing , Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality , or Nanotechnology must be checked and updated frequently. More formal learning modalities have difficulty changing content at this rapid pace. But within the online space, it’s expected that the course content will change as quickly as the world itself does.

Cons of Online Learning

Now that we’ve looked at some of the biggest pros of online learning, let’s examine a few of the drawbacks:

1. Learning environment

While many learners thrive in an asynchronous learning environment, others struggle. Some learners prefer live lessons and an instructor they can connect with multiple times a week. They need these interactions to feel supported and to persist.

Most learners within the online space identify themselves as self-directed learners, meaning they can learn on their own with the right environment, guidance, materials, and assignments. Learners should know themselves first and understand their preferences when it comes to what kind of environment will help them thrive.

2. Repetition

One drawback of online courses is that the structure can be repetitive: do a reading, respond to two discussion posts, submit an essay, repeat. After a while, some learners may feel disengaged from the learning experience.

There are online courses that break the mold and offer multiple kinds of learning activities, assessments, and content to make the learning experience come alive, but it may take some research to find them-more on what to look for in an online course later in this article! Luke and his colleagues at MIT xPRO are mindful of designing courses that genuinely engage learners from beginning to end.

3. Underestimation

Luke has noticed that some learners underestimate how much work is required in an online course. They may mistakenly believe that online learning is somehow “easier” compared to in-person learning.

For those learners who miscalculate how long they will need to spend online or how challenging the assignments can be, changing that mindset is a difficult process. It’s essential to set aside the right amount of time per week to contribute to the content, activities, and assignments. Creating personal deadlines and building a study routine are two best practices that successful online learners follow to hold themselves accountable.

Experience the Value of Online Learning: What to Look For in an Online Course

You’ve probably gathered by now that not all online courses are created equal. On one end of the spectrum, there are methods of online learning that leave learners stunned by what a great experience they had. On the other end of the spectrum, some online learning courses are so disappointing that learners regret their decision to enroll.

If you want to experience the value of online learning, it’s essential to pick the right course. Here’s a quick list of what to look for:

• Feedback and connection to peers within the course platform. Interacting regularly with other learners makes a big difference. Luke and the MIT xPRO team use peer-reviewed feedback to give learners the opportunity to engage with each other’s work.
• Proof of hard work. In the online learning space, proof of hard work often comes in the form of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) or specific certifications. MIT xPRO course participants who successfully complete one or more courses are eligible to receive CEUs , which many employers, licensing agencies, and professional associations accept as evidence of a participant’s serious commitment to their professional development.

Online learning isn’t for everyone, but with the right approach, it can be a valuable experience for many people. Now that you know what to look for in an online course, see what Luke and the MIT xPRO instructional design team have to offer by checking out the latest MIT xPRO courses and programs .

Originally published at http://curve.mit.edu on August 8th, 2022.

The pros and cons of online learning was originally published in MIT Open Learning on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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Essay On Online Education: In 100 Words, 150 Words, and 200 Words

• Updated on  
• Apr 26, 2024

Online education has emerged as a significant transformation in the global education landscape, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic . This essay explores the various facets of online education, from its inception to its advantages and disadvantages and its impact on learners and educators alike. The evolution of online education presents a new horizon for accessible and flexible learning .

Table of Contents

• 1 Essay on Online Education in 100 words
• 2 Essay on Online Education in 150 words
• 3 Essay on Online Education in 200 words
• 4 Short Essay on Online Education

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Essay on Online Education in 100 words

Online education is a modern educational paradigm where students access instructional content through the internet. This innovative approach has gained immense popularity, especially after the pandemic, owing to its convenience and adaptability. It has enabled students of all ages to acquire knowledge from the comfort of their homes, transcending geographical barriers. Online education offers a diverse range of courses and resources, fostering continuous learning. However, it also presents challenges, such as dependency on technology and potential disengagement from the physical world.

Also Read: The Beginner’s Guide to Writing an Essay

Essay on Online Education in 150 words

Online education marks a revolutionary shift in how we acquire knowledge. It harnesses the power of the internet to deliver educational content to students, making learning more flexible and accessible. Technology advancements have accelerated the development of online education, enabling educational institutions to provide a wide range of courses and programmes through digital platforms.

One of the primary advantages of online education is its ability to cater to a diverse audience, regardless of geographical location or physical limitations. It eliminates the need for commuting and offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional classroom learning. However, online education also comes with its challenges. It requires self-discipline and motivation as students often learn independently. Additionally, prolonged screen time can have adverse effects on students’ physical and mental well-being, potentially leading to social disconnection.

Essay on Online Education in 200 words

Online education has witnessed remarkable growth in recent years, with the internet serving as the conduit for delivering educational content. This transformation has been accelerated, particularly in response to the global pandemic. Online education transcends the boundaries of traditional learning, offering students the opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills from anywhere in the world.

One of the most compelling aspects of online education is its flexibility. Learners can access course materials and engage with instructors at their convenience, breaking free from rigid schedules. Moreover, this mode of education has expanded access to a vast array of courses, allowing individuals to pursue their interests and career goals without geographical constraints.

However, it’s important to acknowledge the challenges associated with online education. It demands a high degree of self-discipline, as students must navigate the coursework independently. Prolonged screen time can have adverse effects on health and may lead to a sense of disconnection from society.

In conclusion, online education represents a significant shift in how we approach learning. It offers unprecedented access and flexibility but also requires learners to adapt to a more self-directed approach to education. Striking a balance between the benefits and challenges of online education is key to harnessing its full potential.

Also Read: Essay on Fire Safety in 200 and 500+ words in English for Students

Short Essay on Online Education

Find a sample essay on online education below:

An organised argument backed up by proof and examples is the key to writing a convincing essay. Create a clear thesis statement at the outset, follow a logical progression of points, and then summarise your main points.

To improve readability, use clear and concise language, break your essay into paragraphs with clear topic sentences, and vary your sentence structure.

If you’re struggling to meet the word count, review your content to see if you can expand on your ideas, provide more examples, or include additional details to support your arguments. Additionally, check for any redundancies or irrelevant information that can be removed.

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We hope that this essay on Online Education helps. For more amazing daily reads related to essay writing , stay tuned with Leverage Edu .

Manasvi Kotwal

Manasvi's flair in writing abilities is derived from her past experience of working with bootstrap start-ups, Advertisement and PR agencies as well as freelancing. She's currently working as a Content Marketing Associate at Leverage Edu to be a part of its thriving ecosystem.

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Online Education: Pros and Cons Essay

Introduction, works cited.

Online education has recently taken its place in modern society and no one could deny that it is a rather important part of any educational system of today. Nevertheless, the use of online study still arises a lot of controversial points of view because some people support the method of online education and give their arguments, while other people oppose this method and give their own arguments that are not less trustworthy.

Our aim here is to consider both points of view in order to find out the answer to the following questions: “Can the online education provide the same level of knowledge that usual college education provides?” and “What are the main points that evidence for and against online education?” In order to answer these questions, we going to consider the arguments of both sides of the issue and make the essay more specific with the help of certain examples to support both points of view.

The supporters of online education, which is also widely known as distance learning, support their point of view by saying that online education allows a larger number of people to get a higher education degree. Besides, they say that a person does not always need a teacher to learn something, i. e. one can not be taught, he or she can only teach themselves. Concerning the first argument of the supporters of online education, it is quite trustful.

For example, this method of studying allows people who are employed or have families to study in higher educational establishments. They do not need to be physically present at all classes and study full-time. With the help of online education, they can plan their study themselves, taking into consideration their working schedule, family needs, and amount of spare time.

As for the second argument of this side, it is also good because people study themselves depending only upon their wish, and no teacher can make them study (Deane, 2005, pp. 34 – 54).

On the contrary, the opponents of distance learning, state that every student needs a teacher who would guide his or her studying process. They say that a person can learn the material her/himself but there is no guarantee that he or she learn it correctly. That is why a teacher is necessary to check the knowledge of a student and guide them in the right direction.

Another argument that the opponents of online education put forward is that it is accessible not to all people. They exemplify their point of view saying that poor people do not always have access to the Internet and that makes it difficult for them to take up distance education. What is more important is that people with physical or mental disabilities also not always can take up the online course because of the complexity of its application.

For example, a person with certain local losses of memory can not use very sophisticated systems of application the online study programs and due to this, the distance learning becomes inaccessible for him or her (Deane, 2005, pp. 56 — 75).

To express my personal opinion concerning the issue of online education, I should say that I support this method of education. I believe that it presents a wide range of options for people who do not have time for usual study due to work they have or families that they must feed. Besides, online education allows people from abroad to study in any educational establishment they wish without expenses on moving to that country and living costs there.

As for the drawbacks of online education for people with disabilities, I agree that such a problem exists and I am convinced that it can be solved. One of the ways to solve it is for the educational establishments to simplify the application of distance learning programs.

Deane, S. (2005). Online Education: Is It for You? Author House: New York.

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Essay Sample on Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Education

Due to the pandemic covid 19, a lot of students all around the world have to convert into online learning. Some people find it more effective to study online while some people disagree with this statement. In my point of view, online learning has its own positive and negative aspects. Some of the most significant advantages and disadvantages of online education will be mentioned in the following essay. 

Having an online course can bring numerable  numerous benefits.To begin with,  online classes can cut down major expenses which can help the students who have low economic situations lessen their burden. Therefore, they can focus more on their studies and have better performance. Moreover, learning online also creates a comfortable environment and flexible schedule.( By having   the  comfort of their own home, students can study more effectively.) ->  The more comfort of their own home, the more effective learning they get. It also allows students to learn with their suitable self-paced. Furthermore, a flexible schedule can help them to balance work, life and school. Therefore, they can learn how to manage time budgets as well, which is really essential for their future life. Besides that in order to have a smooth online lesson or to finish all the assignments online, students will have to learn a lot of IT skills and in this technology era, technical skills are always required. 

However, studying online also has multiple limitations and drawbacks. While learning online students may feel unable to focus on the screen. By feeling too comfortable due to the fact that they are at home, students will easily tune out. Students will be capable of being distracted by various factors such as their smartphone, loud noise or even because of themselves. In addition, an online lecture also can be interrupted by different reasons like unstable internet connection, or worse is power cut. This These occurrences will disturb the learning process of the students and bring countless disastrous consequences to their future. Last but not least, isolation is an unavoidable element when you study online  of online study . Since students do not have a chance to interact with other people, they perhaps lose their competent to communicate. Additionally, it will cut down the interactions between students and teachers as well.

In the century that people are more and more far apart from each other, and studying online even makes it worse. It raises a red flag for all the people worldwide. Personally, schools are always the most suitable environment to study.  I hope that the pandemic will soon end so the students have a chance to go back to school.

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Essay on Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Study

Online study has become a trend and more schools are opting for it with each passing day; more so, in the wake of COVID-19 lockdown. I am giving below three essays of varying lengths covering the advantages and disadvantages of online study.

Short and Long Essay on Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Study in English

You should go through these to know more about all the pros and cons of the online study:

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Study Essay 10 Lines (100 – 150 Words)

1) Online study refers to the process of gaining knowledge via the internet.

2) It is really the convenient way of studying.

3) Online study saves your precious time and money.

4) You can study online from any corner of the world.

5) Variety of courses are available while studying online.

6) In an online study a good study environment is missing.

7) Subjects that involve practical knowledge cannot be easily understood in online studies.

8) Sitting in front of electronic gadgets for a long time causes health hazards.

9) Online study lacks physical interaction between students and teachers.

10) Online study is for those students who can generate self-discipline.

Essay 1 (250 Words) – Online Study: Good or Bad for Students

Introduction

Online study is becoming popular due to its convenience and easy operation. In the essay, I have given below some advantages and disadvantages of the online study method.

The online method of study has several advantages. It is very convenient as both you and your teacher can interact from the convenience of your respective homes. You can also ask questions and raise queries as you use to do in the classroom.

The online study method becomes more important in case of a natural calamity of emergency. The perfect example in this regard is the recent COVID 19 pandemic that the world is still recovering from. To date, many schools are running online classes, for the safety of students. Online study is indeed a safer alternative to school education.

Disadvantages

Apart from numerous advantages, the online method of the study also presents certain disadvantages. It lacks the filled with enthusiasm kind of environment presented by a classroom. The lively and joyful ambience of a classroom is usually lacking in an online session. Teachers and students interact with each other only on subject matters on one by one basis.

Moreover, overexposure to gadgets presents its own health hazards like headache, weak eyesight and lack of concentration, etc.

Despite the disadvantages, the online study method proved to be beneficial in certain specific conditions. When it is not advisable to leave your home, or it isn’t convenient for you, then in that case online study becomes a blessing in disguise.

Essay 2 (400 Words) – Disadvantages of Online Study

The online system of education has both advantages and disadvantages. We will discuss the advantages in the next essay, in this essay we will concentrate only on the disadvantages. I have given below some of the main disadvantages of online study.

How Online Study is not Good for Students

Despite being advantageous in many ways, the online system of the study also has several disadvantages. Please find below some of the important disadvantages of online study.

• Self-Controlled

The success of an online session depends only on your own conduct that on anything else. How keen you are on learning things will decide whether the session was beneficial or not. Your teacher might not be able to see you, so you are at your liberty. It depends on how well you control your deflections and concentrates on the session.

• Depends on Honesty

This is a significant shortcoming of online study. While in the classroom you have the continuous attention of your teacher; he/she doesn’t have that liberty in an online class. He/she relies completely on how honestly the students attend the class. It isn’t possible for them to watch everyone in an online session.

• Only Course Related Communication

Often an online classroom session is only to the point where the only subject matter is discussed. The usual classroom atmosphere where the teacher personally interacts and crack jokes is absent. In a classroom teacher can talk about several other things while in an online class he/she only teaches the subject.

• Over Exposure to Screen

Online study requires electronic screen gadgets to conduct the classes. Students have to stare into the screens for long hours, sometimes 2 to 3 hours continuously. Such a long exposure top screen has its own impacts on health depending on individual immunity levels. However, it may cause headaches, vision issues in some people.

• Limited Interaction

Though the interaction between teacher and student in an online session is uninterrupted; nevertheless, it is also limited. The teacher has to attend to the queries of other students as well, so he/she may not be in a condition to give more than a couple of minutes to each student.

Nothing is perfect; nor is the online study method. It sure has its own disadvantages; nevertheless, it can prove really advantageous in certain critical situations. For example, in the wake of the lockdown following the COVID-19 pandemic, it came as a blessing in disguise for many schools and their students.

Essay 3 (500 – 600 Words) – How Online Study is Good for Students

Online study is a digital mode of education wherein the teacher and students interact using digital devices like laptops, smartphones, tabs, etc. This method of study has become a trend today as it is the best option in case of pandemic spread wherein it is advisable to not leave home. In wake of the COVID-19 pandemic many schools have taken up the online mode of studies and are doing fairly well.

How Online Study is Good for Students

Online mode of study has its own advantages. It is convenient and also a very cheap method of study. Given below are some of the main advantages of online study.

Online mode of study is a convenient method both for the students as well as the teachers. Both can actively participate in a knowledgeable session without even stepping out of their houses. They just need to have access to a good internet network and device to connect. You can sit comfortably in your room with the required textbooks and attend a class with your classmates.

Online study is pretty cheap that convention school education, due to a couple of reasons. Firstly, you need not to spend even a penny on your transportation to school and back; secondly, all the other miscellaneous expenses at school get reduced. Sometimes even the textbooks are also available online and are priced much lower than the hard copies. You can download one at your convenience and they all have the same content as real books. In fact, you only need to spend on the internet connection, that’s all!

There is absolutely no doubt that the online study is a safe alternative in case of a threat. It could be a blessing in disguise if it is too dangerous to step out of your house. We all are well aware of the COVID 19 pandemic that has put the entire planet under lockdown. Also, students don’t come in physical proximity with each other, thereby, reducing the possibility of disease spread. Thankfully, students are attending regular online classes and don’t have to fall back on course.

• Flexibility

Online study has tremendous potential in terms of flexibility of curses and curriculums. There are some universities that provide online certificate courses in whichever subject you chose. Everything from registration to exam is carried out through online mode. Also, there is flexibility in time. If you joined a little late, you need not to worry, as the session gets recorded and you can review it anytime.

Another advantage of online education that it reduces the use of paper. The paper requirement for a digital mode of study is almost negligible as compared to a classroom system. You only need to take notes in your textbook while your teacher can do well without any paper. Moreover, online study tests are also conducted online; thereby, reducing the possibility of paper use.

• Overcome Hesitation

Online study has much better student-teacher interaction than in the case of a classroom environment. Distractions usually present in a classroom, are absent in an online session, letting the students concentrate on the lecture. Moreover, students become more responsive in an online class as they overcome their hesitation in only a one to one interaction with the teacher.

An online mode of study is a fusion of technology and education. It indicates how well an education system can take advantage of new technology and strive for growth and improvement. This mode of education could be a step towards revolutionizing the education system in a never seen before form.

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

Ans . The University of Toronto introduced the first online course in the world.

Ans . Jonathan Rochelle invented the Google classroom app meant for online teaching.

Ans . The term e-learning was coined by Elliott Masie.

Ans . E-Learning begins in India in 2006 and was initiated through a project E-Gyankosh by IGNOU.

Ans . It enables the students to study from any place with a proper internet connection.

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The effects of online education on academic success: A meta-analysis study

• Published: 06 September 2021
• Volume 27 , pages 429–450, ( 2022 )

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• Hakan Ulum   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-1398-6935 1  

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The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of online education, which has been extensively used on student achievement since the beginning of the pandemic. In line with this purpose, a meta-analysis of the related studies focusing on the effect of online education on students’ academic achievement in several countries between the years 2010 and 2021 was carried out. Furthermore, this study will provide a source to assist future studies with comparing the effect of online education on academic achievement before and after the pandemic. This meta-analysis study consists of 27 studies in total. The meta-analysis involves the studies conducted in the USA, Taiwan, Turkey, China, Philippines, Ireland, and Georgia. The studies included in the meta-analysis are experimental studies, and the total sample size is 1772. In the study, the funnel plot, Duval and Tweedie’s Trip and Fill Analysis, Orwin’s Safe N Analysis, and Egger’s Regression Test were utilized to determine the publication bias, which has been found to be quite low. Besides, Hedge’s g statistic was employed to measure the effect size for the difference between the means performed in accordance with the random effects model. The results of the study show that the effect size of online education on academic achievement is on a medium level. The heterogeneity test results of the meta-analysis study display that the effect size does not differ in terms of class level, country, online education approaches, and lecture moderators.

Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

1 Introduction

Information and communication technologies have become a powerful force in transforming the educational settings around the world. The pandemic has been an important factor in transferring traditional physical classrooms settings through adopting information and communication technologies and has also accelerated the transformation. The literature supports that learning environments connected to information and communication technologies highly satisfy students. Therefore, we need to keep interest in technology-based learning environments. Clearly, technology has had a huge impact on young people's online lives. This digital revolution can synergize the educational ambitions and interests of digitally addicted students. In essence, COVID-19 has provided us with an opportunity to embrace online learning as education systems have to keep up with the rapid emergence of new technologies.

Information and communication technologies that have an effect on all spheres of life are also actively included in the education field. With the recent developments, using technology in education has become inevitable due to personal and social reasons (Usta, 2011a ). Online education may be given as an example of using information and communication technologies as a consequence of the technological developments. Also, it is crystal clear that online learning is a popular way of obtaining instruction (Demiralay et al., 2016 ; Pillay et al., 2007 ), which is defined by Horton ( 2000 ) as a way of education that is performed through a web browser or an online application without requiring an extra software or a learning source. Furthermore, online learning is described as a way of utilizing the internet to obtain the related learning sources during the learning process, to interact with the content, the teacher, and other learners, as well as to get support throughout the learning process (Ally, 2004 ). Online learning has such benefits as learning independently at any time and place (Vrasidas & MsIsaac, 2000 ), granting facility (Poole, 2000 ), flexibility (Chizmar & Walbert, 1999 ), self-regulation skills (Usta, 2011b ), learning with collaboration, and opportunity to plan self-learning process.

Even though online education practices have not been comprehensive as it is now, internet and computers have been used in education as alternative learning tools in correlation with the advances in technology. The first distance education attempt in the world was initiated by the ‘Steno Courses’ announcement published in Boston newspaper in 1728. Furthermore, in the nineteenth century, Sweden University started the “Correspondence Composition Courses” for women, and University Correspondence College was afterwards founded for the correspondence courses in 1843 (Arat & Bakan, 2011 ). Recently, distance education has been performed through computers, assisted by the facilities of the internet technologies, and soon, it has evolved into a mobile education practice that is emanating from progress in the speed of internet connection, and the development of mobile devices.

With the emergence of pandemic (Covid-19), face to face education has almost been put to a halt, and online education has gained significant importance. The Microsoft management team declared to have 750 users involved in the online education activities on the 10 th March, just before the pandemic; however, on March 24, they informed that the number of users increased significantly, reaching the number of 138,698 users (OECD, 2020 ). This event supports the view that it is better to commonly use online education rather than using it as a traditional alternative educational tool when students do not have the opportunity to have a face to face education (Geostat, 2019 ). The period of Covid-19 pandemic has emerged as a sudden state of having limited opportunities. Face to face education has stopped in this period for a long time. The global spread of Covid-19 affected more than 850 million students all around the world, and it caused the suspension of face to face education. Different countries have proposed several solutions in order to maintain the education process during the pandemic. Schools have had to change their curriculum, and many countries supported the online education practices soon after the pandemic. In other words, traditional education gave its way to online education practices. At least 96 countries have been motivated to access online libraries, TV broadcasts, instructions, sources, video lectures, and online channels (UNESCO, 2020 ). In such a painful period, educational institutions went through online education practices by the help of huge companies such as Microsoft, Google, Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, and Slack. Thus, online education has been discussed in the education agenda more intensively than ever before.

Although online education approaches were not used as comprehensively as it has been used recently, it was utilized as an alternative learning approach in education for a long time in parallel with the development of technology, internet and computers. The academic achievement of the students is often aimed to be promoted by employing online education approaches. In this regard, academicians in various countries have conducted many studies on the evaluation of online education approaches and published the related results. However, the accumulation of scientific data on online education approaches creates difficulties in keeping, organizing and synthesizing the findings. In this research area, studies are being conducted at an increasing rate making it difficult for scientists to be aware of all the research outside of their ​​expertise. Another problem encountered in the related study area is that online education studies are repetitive. Studies often utilize slightly different methods, measures, and/or examples to avoid duplication. This erroneous approach makes it difficult to distinguish between significant differences in the related results. In other words, if there are significant differences in the results of the studies, it may be difficult to express what variety explains the differences in these results. One obvious solution to these problems is to systematically review the results of various studies and uncover the sources. One method of performing such systematic syntheses is the application of meta-analysis which is a methodological and statistical approach to draw conclusions from the literature. At this point, how effective online education applications are in increasing the academic success is an important detail. Has online education, which is likely to be encountered frequently in the continuing pandemic period, been successful in the last ten years? If successful, how much was the impact? Did different variables have an impact on this effect? Academics across the globe have carried out studies on the evaluation of online education platforms and publishing the related results (Chiao et al., 2018 ). It is quite important to evaluate the results of the studies that have been published up until now, and that will be published in the future. Has the online education been successful? If it has been, how big is the impact? Do the different variables affect this impact? What should we consider in the next coming online education practices? These questions have all motivated us to carry out this study. We have conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis study that tries to provide a discussion platform on how to develop efficient online programs for educators and policy makers by reviewing the related studies on online education, presenting the effect size, and revealing the effect of diverse variables on the general impact.

There have been many critical discussions and comprehensive studies on the differences between online and face to face learning; however, the focus of this paper is different in the sense that it clarifies the magnitude of the effect of online education and teaching process, and it represents what factors should be controlled to help increase the effect size. Indeed, the purpose here is to provide conscious decisions in the implementation of the online education process.

The general impact of online education on the academic achievement will be discovered in the study. Therefore, this will provide an opportunity to get a general overview of the online education which has been practiced and discussed intensively in the pandemic period. Moreover, the general impact of online education on academic achievement will be analyzed, considering different variables. In other words, the current study will allow to totally evaluate the study results from the related literature, and to analyze the results considering several cultures, lectures, and class levels. Considering all the related points, this study seeks to answer the following research questions:

What is the effect size of online education on academic achievement?

How do the effect sizes of online education on academic achievement change according to the moderator variable of the country?

How do the effect sizes of online education on academic achievement change according to the moderator variable of the class level?

How do the effect sizes of online education on academic achievement change according to the moderator variable of the lecture?

How do the effect sizes of online education on academic achievement change according to the moderator variable of the online education approaches?

This study aims at determining the effect size of online education, which has been highly used since the beginning of the pandemic, on students’ academic achievement in different courses by using a meta-analysis method. Meta-analysis is a synthesis method that enables gathering of several study results accurately and efficiently, and getting the total results in the end (Tsagris & Fragkos, 2018 ).

2.1 Selecting and coding the data (studies)

The required literature for the meta-analysis study was reviewed in July, 2020, and the follow-up review was conducted in September, 2020. The purpose of the follow-up review was to include the studies which were published in the conduction period of this study, and which met the related inclusion criteria. However, no study was encountered to be included in the follow-up review.

In order to access the studies in the meta-analysis, the databases of Web of Science, ERIC, and SCOPUS were reviewed by utilizing the keywords ‘online learning and online education’. Not every database has a search engine that grants access to the studies by writing the keywords, and this obstacle was considered to be an important problem to be overcome. Therefore, a platform that has a special design was utilized by the researcher. With this purpose, through the open access system of Cukurova University Library, detailed reviews were practiced using EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) that allow reviewing the whole collection of research through a sole searching box. Since the fundamental variables of this study are online education and online learning, the literature was systematically reviewed in the related databases (Web of Science, ERIC, and SCOPUS) by referring to the keywords. Within this scope, 225 articles were accessed, and the studies were included in the coding key list formed by the researcher. The name of the researchers, the year, the database (Web of Science, ERIC, and SCOPUS), the sample group and size, the lectures that the academic achievement was tested in, the country that the study was conducted in, and the class levels were all included in this coding key.

The following criteria were identified to include 225 research studies which were coded based on the theoretical basis of the meta-analysis study: (1) The studies should be published in the refereed journals between the years 2020 and 2021, (2) The studies should be experimental studies that try to determine the effect of online education and online learning on academic achievement, (3) The values of the stated variables or the required statistics to calculate these values should be stated in the results of the studies, and (4) The sample group of the study should be at a primary education level. These criteria were also used as the exclusion criteria in the sense that the studies that do not meet the required criteria were not included in the present study.

After the inclusion criteria were determined, a systematic review process was conducted, following the year criterion of the study by means of EBSCO. Within this scope, 290,365 studies that analyze the effect of online education and online learning on academic achievement were accordingly accessed. The database (Web of Science, ERIC, and SCOPUS) was also used as a filter by analyzing the inclusion criteria. Hence, the number of the studies that were analyzed was 58,616. Afterwards, the keyword ‘primary education’ was used as the filter and the number of studies included in the study decreased to 3152. Lastly, the literature was reviewed by using the keyword ‘academic achievement’ and 225 studies were accessed. All the information of 225 articles was included in the coding key.

It is necessary for the coders to review the related studies accurately and control the validity, safety, and accuracy of the studies (Stewart & Kamins, 2001 ). Within this scope, the studies that were determined based on the variables used in this study were first reviewed by three researchers from primary education field, then the accessed studies were combined and processed in the coding key by the researcher. All these studies that were processed in the coding key were analyzed in accordance with the inclusion criteria by all the researchers in the meetings, and it was decided that 27 studies met the inclusion criteria (Atici & Polat, 2010 ; Carreon, 2018 ; Ceylan & Elitok Kesici, 2017 ; Chae & Shin, 2016 ; Chiang et al. 2014 ; Ercan, 2014 ; Ercan et al., 2016 ; Gwo-Jen et al., 2018 ; Hayes & Stewart, 2016 ; Hwang et al., 2012 ; Kert et al., 2017 ; Lai & Chen, 2010 ; Lai et al., 2015 ; Meyers et al., 2015 ; Ravenel et al., 2014 ; Sung et al., 2016 ; Wang & Chen, 2013 ; Yu, 2019 ; Yu & Chen, 2014 ; Yu & Pan, 2014 ; Yu et al., 2010 ; Zhong et al., 2017 ). The data from the studies meeting the inclusion criteria were independently processed in the second coding key by three researchers, and consensus meetings were arranged for further discussion. After the meetings, researchers came to an agreement that the data were coded accurately and precisely. Having identified the effect sizes and heterogeneity of the study, moderator variables that will show the differences between the effect sizes were determined. The data related to the determined moderator variables were added to the coding key by three researchers, and a new consensus meeting was arranged. After the meeting, researchers came to an agreement that moderator variables were coded accurately and precisely.

2.2 Study group

27 studies are included in the meta-analysis. The total sample size of the studies that are included in the analysis is 1772. The characteristics of the studies included are given in Table 1 .

2.3 Publication bias

Publication bias is the low capability of published studies on a research subject to represent all completed studies on the same subject (Card, 2011 ; Littell et al., 2008 ). Similarly, publication bias is the state of having a relationship between the probability of the publication of a study on a subject, and the effect size and significance that it produces. Within this scope, publication bias may occur when the researchers do not want to publish the study as a result of failing to obtain the expected results, or not being approved by the scientific journals, and consequently not being included in the study synthesis (Makowski et al., 2019 ). The high possibility of publication bias in a meta-analysis study negatively affects (Pecoraro, 2018 ) the accuracy of the combined effect size, causing the average effect size to be reported differently than it should be (Borenstein et al., 2009 ). For this reason, the possibility of publication bias in the included studies was tested before determining the effect sizes of the relationships between the stated variables. The possibility of publication bias of this meta-analysis study was analyzed by using the funnel plot, Orwin’s Safe N Analysis, Duval and Tweedie’s Trip and Fill Analysis, and Egger’s Regression Test.

2.4 Selecting the model

After determining the probability of publication bias of this meta-analysis study, the statistical model used to calculate the effect sizes was selected. The main approaches used in the effect size calculations according to the differentiation level of inter-study variance are fixed and random effects models (Pigott, 2012 ). Fixed effects model refers to the homogeneity of the characteristics of combined studies apart from the sample sizes, while random effects model refers to the parameter diversity between the studies (Cumming, 2012 ). While calculating the average effect size in the random effects model (Deeks et al., 2008 ) that is based on the assumption that effect predictions of different studies are only the result of a similar distribution, it is necessary to consider several situations such as the effect size apart from the sample error of combined studies, characteristics of the participants, duration, scope, and pattern of the study (Littell et al., 2008 ). While deciding the model in the meta-analysis study, the assumptions on the sample characteristics of the studies included in the analysis and the inferences that the researcher aims to make should be taken into consideration. The fact that the sample characteristics of the studies conducted in the field of social sciences are affected by various parameters shows that using random effects model is more appropriate in this sense. Besides, it is stated that the inferences made with the random effects model are beyond the studies included in the meta-analysis (Field, 2003 ; Field & Gillett, 2010 ). Therefore, using random effects model also contributes to the generalization of research data. The specified criteria for the statistical model selection show that according to the nature of the meta-analysis study, the model should be selected just before the analysis (Borenstein et al., 2007 ; Littell et al., 2008 ). Within this framework, it was decided to make use of the random effects model, considering that the students who are the samples of the studies included in the meta-analysis are from different countries and cultures, the sample characteristics of the studies differ, and the patterns and scopes of the studies vary as well.

2.5 Heterogeneity

Meta-analysis facilitates analyzing the research subject with different parameters by showing the level of diversity between the included studies. Within this frame, whether there is a heterogeneous distribution between the studies included in the study or not has been evaluated in the present study. The heterogeneity of the studies combined in this meta-analysis study has been determined through Q and I 2 tests. Q test evaluates the random distribution probability of the differences between the observed results (Deeks et al., 2008 ). Q value exceeding 2 value calculated according to the degree of freedom and significance, indicates the heterogeneity of the combined effect sizes (Card, 2011 ). I 2 test, which is the complementary of the Q test, shows the heterogeneity amount of the effect sizes (Cleophas & Zwinderman, 2017 ). I 2 value being higher than 75% is explained as high level of heterogeneity.

In case of encountering heterogeneity in the studies included in the meta-analysis, the reasons of heterogeneity can be analyzed by referring to the study characteristics. The study characteristics which may be related to the heterogeneity between the included studies can be interpreted through subgroup analysis or meta-regression analysis (Deeks et al., 2008 ). While determining the moderator variables, the sufficiency of the number of variables, the relationship between the moderators, and the condition to explain the differences between the results of the studies have all been considered in the present study. Within this scope, it was predicted in this meta-analysis study that the heterogeneity can be explained with the country, class level, and lecture moderator variables of the study in terms of the effect of online education, which has been highly used since the beginning of the pandemic, and it has an impact on the students’ academic achievement in different lectures. Some subgroups were evaluated and categorized together, considering that the number of effect sizes of the sub-dimensions of the specified variables is not sufficient to perform moderator analysis (e.g. the countries where the studies were conducted).

2.6 Interpreting the effect sizes

Effect size is a factor that shows how much the independent variable affects the dependent variable positively or negatively in each included study in the meta-analysis (Dinçer, 2014 ). While interpreting the effect sizes obtained from the meta-analysis, the classifications of Cohen et al. ( 2007 ) have been utilized. The case of differentiating the specified relationships of the situation of the country, class level, and school subject variables of the study has been identified through the Q test, degree of freedom, and p significance value Fig.  1 and 2 .

3 Findings and results

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect size of online education on academic achievement. Before determining the effect sizes in the study, the probability of publication bias of this meta-analysis study was analyzed by using the funnel plot, Orwin’s Safe N Analysis, Duval and Tweedie’s Trip and Fill Analysis, and Egger’s Regression Test.

When the funnel plots are examined, it is seen that the studies included in the analysis are distributed symmetrically on both sides of the combined effect size axis, and they are generally collected in the middle and lower sections. The probability of publication bias is low according to the plots. However, since the results of the funnel scatter plots may cause subjective interpretations, they have been supported by additional analyses (Littell et al., 2008 ). Therefore, in order to provide an extra proof for the probability of publication bias, it has been analyzed through Orwin’s Safe N Analysis, Duval and Tweedie’s Trip and Fill Analysis, and Egger’s Regression Test (Table 2 ).

Table 2 consists of the results of the rates of publication bias probability before counting the effect size of online education on academic achievement. According to the table, Orwin Safe N analysis results show that it is not necessary to add new studies to the meta-analysis in order for Hedges g to reach a value outside the range of ± 0.01. The Duval and Tweedie test shows that excluding the studies that negatively affect the symmetry of the funnel scatter plots for each meta-analysis or adding their exact symmetrical equivalents does not significantly differentiate the calculated effect size. The insignificance of the Egger tests results reveals that there is no publication bias in the meta-analysis study. The results of the analysis indicate the high internal validity of the effect sizes and the adequacy of representing the studies conducted on the relevant subject.

In this study, it was aimed to determine the effect size of online education on academic achievement after testing the publication bias. In line with the first purpose of the study, the forest graph regarding the effect size of online education on academic achievement is shown in Fig.  3 , and the statistics regarding the effect size are given in Table 3 .

The flow chart of the scanning and selection process of the studies

Funnel plot graphics representing the effect size of the effects of online education on academic success

Forest graph related to the effect size of online education on academic success

The square symbols in the forest graph in Fig.  3 represent the effect sizes, while the horizontal lines show the intervals in 95% confidence of the effect sizes, and the diamond symbol shows the overall effect size. When the forest graph is analyzed, it is seen that the lower and upper limits of the combined effect sizes are generally close to each other, and the study loads are similar. This similarity in terms of study loads indicates the similarity of the contribution of the combined studies to the overall effect size.

Figure  3 clearly represents that the study of Liu and others (Liu et al., 2018 ) has the lowest, and the study of Ercan and Bilen ( 2014 ) has the highest effect sizes. The forest graph shows that all the combined studies and the overall effect are positive. Furthermore, it is simply understood from the forest graph in Fig.  3 and the effect size statistics in Table 3 that the results of the meta-analysis study conducted with 27 studies and analyzing the effect of online education on academic achievement illustrate that this relationship is on average level (= 0.409).

After the analysis of the effect size in the study, whether the studies included in the analysis are distributed heterogeneously or not has also been analyzed. The heterogeneity of the combined studies was determined through the Q and I 2 tests. As a result of the heterogeneity test, Q statistical value was calculated as 29.576. With 26 degrees of freedom at 95% significance level in the chi-square table, the critical value is accepted as 38.885. The Q statistical value (29.576) counted in this study is lower than the critical value of 38.885. The I 2 value, which is the complementary of the Q statistics, is 12.100%. This value indicates that the accurate heterogeneity or the total variability that can be attributed to variability between the studies is 12%. Besides, p value is higher than (0.285) p = 0.05. All these values [Q (26) = 29.579, p = 0.285; I2 = 12.100] indicate that there is a homogeneous distribution between the effect sizes, and fixed effects model should be used to interpret these effect sizes. However, some researchers argue that even if the heterogeneity is low, it should be evaluated based on the random effects model (Borenstein et al., 2007 ). Therefore, this study gives information about both models. The heterogeneity of the combined studies has been attempted to be explained with the characteristics of the studies included in the analysis. In this context, the final purpose of the study is to determine the effect of the country, academic level, and year variables on the findings. Accordingly, the statistics regarding the comparison of the stated relations according to the countries where the studies were conducted are given in Table 4 .

As seen in Table 4 , the effect of online education on academic achievement does not differ significantly according to the countries where the studies were conducted in. Q test results indicate the heterogeneity of the relationships between the variables in terms of countries where the studies were conducted in. According to the table, the effect of online education on academic achievement was reported as the highest in other countries, and the lowest in the US. The statistics regarding the comparison of the stated relations according to the class levels are given in Table 5 .

As seen in Table 5 , the effect of online education on academic achievement does not differ according to the class level. However, the effect of online education on academic achievement is the highest in the 4 th class. The statistics regarding the comparison of the stated relations according to the class levels are given in Table 6 .

As seen in Table 6 , the effect of online education on academic achievement does not differ according to the school subjects included in the studies. However, the effect of online education on academic achievement is the highest in ICT subject.

The obtained effect size in the study was formed as a result of the findings attained from primary studies conducted in 7 different countries. In addition, these studies are the ones on different approaches to online education (online learning environments, social networks, blended learning, etc.). In this respect, the results may raise some questions about the validity and generalizability of the results of the study. However, the moderator analyzes, whether for the country variable or for the approaches covered by online education, did not create significant differences in terms of the effect sizes. If significant differences were to occur in terms of effect sizes, we could say that the comparisons we will make by comparing countries under the umbrella of online education would raise doubts in terms of generalizability. Moreover, no study has been found in the literature that is not based on a special approach or does not contain a specific technique conducted under the name of online education alone. For instance, one of the commonly used definitions is blended education which is defined as an educational model in which online education is combined with traditional education method (Colis & Moonen, 2001 ). Similarly, Rasmussen ( 2003 ) defines blended learning as “a distance education method that combines technology (high technology such as television, internet, or low technology such as voice e-mail, conferences) with traditional education and training.” Further, Kerres and Witt (2003) define blended learning as “combining face-to-face learning with technology-assisted learning.” As it is clearly observed, online education, which has a wider scope, includes many approaches.

As seen in Table 7 , the effect of online education on academic achievement does not differ according to online education approaches included in the studies. However, the effect of online education on academic achievement is the highest in Web Based Problem Solving Approach.

4 Conclusions and discussion

Considering the developments during the pandemics, it is thought that the diversity in online education applications as an interdisciplinary pragmatist field will increase, and the learning content and processes will be enriched with the integration of new technologies into online education processes. Another prediction is that more flexible and accessible learning opportunities will be created in online education processes, and in this way, lifelong learning processes will be strengthened. As a result, it is predicted that in the near future, online education and even digital learning with a newer name will turn into the main ground of education instead of being an alternative or having a support function in face-to-face learning. The lessons learned from the early period online learning experience, which was passed with rapid adaptation due to the Covid19 epidemic, will serve to develop this method all over the world, and in the near future, online learning will become the main learning structure through increasing its functionality with the contribution of new technologies and systems. If we look at it from this point of view, there is a necessity to strengthen online education.

In this study, the effect of online learning on academic achievement is at a moderate level. To increase this effect, the implementation of online learning requires support from teachers to prepare learning materials, to design learning appropriately, and to utilize various digital-based media such as websites, software technology and various other tools to support the effectiveness of online learning (Rolisca & Achadiyah, 2014 ). According to research conducted by Rahayu et al. ( 2017 ), it has been proven that the use of various types of software increases the effectiveness and quality of online learning. Implementation of online learning can affect students' ability to adapt to technological developments in that it makes students use various learning resources on the internet to access various types of information, and enables them to get used to performing inquiry learning and active learning (Hart et al., 2019 ; Prestiadi et al., 2019 ). In addition, there may be many reasons for the low level of effect in this study. The moderator variables examined in this study could be a guide in increasing the level of practical effect. However, the effect size did not differ significantly for all moderator variables. Different moderator analyzes can be evaluated in order to increase the level of impact of online education on academic success. If confounding variables that significantly change the effect level are detected, it can be spoken more precisely in order to increase this level. In addition to the technical and financial problems, the level of impact will increase if a few other difficulties are eliminated such as students, lack of interaction with the instructor, response time, and lack of traditional classroom socialization.

In addition, COVID-19 pandemic related social distancing has posed extreme difficulties for all stakeholders to get online as they have to work in time constraints and resource constraints. Adopting the online learning environment is not just a technical issue, it is a pedagogical and instructive challenge as well. Therefore, extensive preparation of teaching materials, curriculum, and assessment is vital in online education. Technology is the delivery tool and requires close cross-collaboration between teaching, content and technology teams (CoSN, 2020 ).

Online education applications have been used for many years. However, it has come to the fore more during the pandemic process. This result of necessity has brought with it the discussion of using online education instead of traditional education methods in the future. However, with this research, it has been revealed that online education applications are moderately effective. The use of online education instead of face-to-face education applications can only be possible with an increase in the level of success. This may have been possible with the experience and knowledge gained during the pandemic process. Therefore, the meta-analysis of experimental studies conducted in the coming years will guide us. In this context, experimental studies using online education applications should be analyzed well. It would be useful to identify variables that can change the level of impacts with different moderators. Moderator analyzes are valuable in meta-analysis studies (for example, the role of moderators in Karl Pearson's typhoid vaccine studies). In this context, each analysis study sheds light on future studies. In meta-analyses to be made about online education, it would be beneficial to go beyond the moderators determined in this study. Thus, the contribution of similar studies to the field will increase more.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of online education on academic achievement. In line with this purpose, the studies that analyze the effect of online education approaches on academic achievement have been included in the meta-analysis. The total sample size of the studies included in the meta-analysis is 1772. While the studies included in the meta-analysis were conducted in the US, Taiwan, Turkey, China, Philippines, Ireland, and Georgia, the studies carried out in Europe could not be reached. The reason may be attributed to that there may be more use of quantitative research methods from a positivist perspective in the countries with an American academic tradition. As a result of the study, it was found out that the effect size of online education on academic achievement (g = 0.409) was moderate. In the studies included in the present research, we found that online education approaches were more effective than traditional ones. However, contrary to the present study, the analysis of comparisons between online and traditional education in some studies shows that face-to-face traditional learning is still considered effective compared to online learning (Ahmad et al., 2016 ; Hamdani & Priatna, 2020 ; Wei & Chou, 2020 ). Online education has advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of online learning compared to face-to-face learning in the classroom is the flexibility of learning time in online learning, the learning time does not include a single program, and it can be shaped according to circumstances (Lai et al., 2019 ). The next advantage is the ease of collecting assignments for students, as these can be done without having to talk to the teacher. Despite this, online education has several weaknesses, such as students having difficulty in understanding the material, teachers' inability to control students, and students’ still having difficulty interacting with teachers in case of internet network cuts (Swan, 2007 ). According to Astuti et al ( 2019 ), face-to-face education method is still considered better by students than e-learning because it is easier to understand the material and easier to interact with teachers. The results of the study illustrated that the effect size (g = 0.409) of online education on academic achievement is of medium level. Therefore, the results of the moderator analysis showed that the effect of online education on academic achievement does not differ in terms of country, lecture, class level, and online education approaches variables. After analyzing the literature, several meta-analyses on online education were published (Bernard et al., 2004 ; Machtmes & Asher, 2000 ; Zhao et al., 2005 ). Typically, these meta-analyzes also include the studies of older generation technologies such as audio, video, or satellite transmission. One of the most comprehensive studies on online education was conducted by Bernard et al. ( 2004 ). In this study, 699 independent effect sizes of 232 studies published from 1985 to 2001 were analyzed, and face-to-face education was compared to online education, with respect to success criteria and attitudes of various learners from young children to adults. In this meta-analysis, an overall effect size close to zero was found for the students' achievement (g +  = 0.01).

In another meta-analysis study carried out by Zhao et al. ( 2005 ), 98 effect sizes were examined, including 51 studies on online education conducted between 1996 and 2002. According to the study of Bernard et al. ( 2004 ), this meta-analysis focuses on the activities done in online education lectures. As a result of the research, an overall effect size close to zero was found for online education utilizing more than one generation technology for students at different levels. However, the salient point of the meta-analysis study of Zhao et al. is that it takes the average of different types of results used in a study to calculate an overall effect size. This practice is problematic because the factors that develop one type of learner outcome (e.g. learner rehabilitation), particularly course characteristics and practices, may be quite different from those that develop another type of outcome (e.g. learner's achievement), and it may even cause damage to the latter outcome. While mixing the studies with different types of results, this implementation may obscure the relationship between practices and learning.

Some meta-analytical studies have focused on the effectiveness of the new generation distance learning courses accessed through the internet for specific student populations. For instance, Sitzmann and others (Sitzmann et al., 2006 ) reviewed 96 studies published from 1996 to 2005, comparing web-based education of job-related knowledge or skills with face-to-face one. The researchers found that web-based education in general was slightly more effective than face-to-face education, but it is insufficient in terms of applicability ("knowing how to apply"). In addition, Sitzmann et al. ( 2006 ) revealed that Internet-based education has a positive effect on theoretical knowledge in quasi-experimental studies; however, it positively affects face-to-face education in experimental studies performed by random assignment. This moderator analysis emphasizes the need to pay attention to the factors of designs of the studies included in the meta-analysis. The designs of the studies included in this meta-analysis study were ignored. This can be presented as a suggestion to the new studies that will be conducted.

Another meta-analysis study was conducted by Cavanaugh et al. ( 2004 ), in which they focused on online education. In this study on internet-based distance education programs for students under 12 years of age, the researchers combined 116 results from 14 studies published between 1999 and 2004 to calculate an overall effect that was not statistically different from zero. The moderator analysis carried out in this study showed that there was no significant factor affecting the students' success. This meta-analysis used multiple results of the same study, ignoring the fact that different results of the same student would not be independent from each other.

In conclusion, some meta-analytical studies analyzed the consequences of online education for a wide range of students (Bernard et al., 2004 ; Zhao et al., 2005 ), and the effect sizes were generally low in these studies. Furthermore, none of the large-scale meta-analyzes considered the moderators, database quality standards or class levels in the selection of the studies, while some of them just referred to the country and lecture moderators. Advances in internet-based learning tools, the pandemic process, and increasing popularity in different learning contexts have required a precise meta-analysis of students' learning outcomes through online learning. Previous meta-analysis studies were typically based on the studies, involving narrow range of confounding variables. In the present study, common but significant moderators such as class level and lectures during the pandemic process were discussed. For instance, the problems have been experienced especially in terms of eligibility of class levels in online education platforms during the pandemic process. It was found that there is a need to study and make suggestions on whether online education can meet the needs of teachers and students.

Besides, the main forms of online education in the past were to watch the open lectures of famous universities and educational videos of institutions. In addition, online education is mainly a classroom-based teaching implemented by teachers in their own schools during the pandemic period, which is an extension of the original school education. This meta-analysis study will stand as a source to compare the effect size of the online education forms of the past decade with what is done today, and what will be done in the future.

Lastly, the heterogeneity test results of the meta-analysis study display that the effect size does not differ in terms of class level, country, online education approaches, and lecture moderators.

*Studies included in meta-analysis

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Ulum, H. The effects of online education on academic success: A meta-analysis study. Educ Inf Technol 27 , 429–450 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10740-8

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Learning: IELTS Writing Task 2 Topic

You must write at least 250 words for IELTS Writing Task 2. You will be given a topic and evaluated on your abilities to answer by expressing and defending your viewpoint, explaining the topic, summarising facts, describing challenges, identifying potential alternatives, and illustrating what you write with explanations, claims, and specific examples from your own expertise or experience.

Today we will read about a very popular topic “Advantages and disadvantages of online learning essay”.

So, let’s get started.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Topic: Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Classes

Let us help you in your IELTS writing preparation with an interesting and informative topic. Read all the 3 sample answers and learn how to approach a topic in different ways.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Classes Sample Answer One for IELTS Writing Task 2

Online teaching and learning have grown in popularity among students in recent times, and this is viewed differently by different learners. Many students see this as a helpful learning tool, although others believe it is not as successful as classroom instruction. This article would explore the benefits and drawbacks of digital education.

Also Read: Importance of Art in Society: IELTS Essay Sample for IELTS Writing Task 2 Explained for Band 8

Advantages of Online Classes Essay

Students who study online have more flexibility in their schedules and spend less money on their education. They will study their desired courses and subjects at their own pace. This is a fantastic opportunity for learners to learn new skills and expand their experience while remaining in the comfort of their own home. For example, a Nepali student seeking an Australian degree in business administration does not need to travel to Australia; he can train and complete the course while remaining at home. As a result, distance learning is both cost-effective and time-efficient.

Disadvantages of Studying Online

That being said, online classes offer more emphasis on the analytical aspect of learning and there is less instructor and student contact. It ignores realistic learning elements and encourages passive learning. It is clear that students perceive it to be less successful than classroom instruction. According to a new survey, a larger percentage of students considered classroom instruction to be much more successful than digital education.

Conclusion: Merits and Demerits of Online Teaching

In conclusion, the ever-increasing availability of digital education has gained traction among young adults for many years and is viewed as helpful by many and less successful by others. The focus should be placed on its efficacy in order to identify it as the most cost-effective learning method other than classroom instruction.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Classes Sample Answer Two for IELTS Writing Task 2

Recently, the course has grown in popularity, resulting in more excellent learning options for students. While this movement may have some benefits, it may also have some risks and challenges as a result. Both sides of learning will be addressed in more detail in the following chapters. On the one hand, distance education has certain benefits. For starters, the simplicity of distance learning is essential.

Also Read: IELTS Essay in Writing Task 2: Here’s How to Organize it Well

There is no time constraint and the online classroom and teacher are (theoretically) accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As a result, students will stick to their schedules without impacting their learning outcomes.

Second, the advantage of learning is that it saves resources. Tuition at online schools is often smaller than at conventional universities. Building repairs, grounds maintenance, food service, class accessories, and other expenses that impact the cost of credits are not needed.

Learners, on the other hand, may suffer from a number of disadvantages of simulated learning. To continue, students can encounter technical issues, which can have a variety of implications.

Furthermore, some students are not equipped with the good internet access that online courses necessitate, and therefore fall behind their simulated classmates: poor monitors find it difficult to obey the course Management.

The system, as well as their learning process, becomes troublesome. Another downside to digital education is the scarcity of accreditation and the poor standard of instruction. The growing demand for digital education has resulted in an uncontrollable proliferation of colleges, including some unregulated schools, and there is no way to check the content of all courses. As a consequence, illegal organisations can con several students out of money.

Finally, online education can be helpful in terms of scheduling flexibility and reduced tuition. However, immersive learning has some drawbacks, including poor student conditions and a lack of quality control over classes.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Classes Sample Answer Three for IELTS Writing Task 2

These days, online learning is becoming increasingly popular. Many conventional colleges began to make their classes available for free. It represents a simple and convenient way to gain expertise in almost any area, from law and accounting to social sciences such as sociology, anthropology, and history. Digital education is a fantastic alternative to conventional universities, particularly for people who do not have the time or resources to attend traditional universities. So what are the benefits and drawbacks of online learning?

Also Read: Opinion Essay for IELTS: How to Plan and Write a Perfect Opinion Essay?

While many people still believe that traditional colleges are the only way to gain expertise and obtain a diploma, digital education has proven to be an excellent option. Students should study on their own time, and particularly for free. It is an excellent way to learn a variety of subjects while still increasing self-motivation. Online learning is so successful because students can complete their assignments easily, leaving more time for hobbies or job search.

Access to all of the opportunities of a typical course allows learners to practise wherever they are, giving them the opportunity to prepare wherever they choose. An individual may attend various courses with only an Internet connection. Students’ accountability and self-discipline are among the benefits of digital learning.

Limitations of Online Learning

An individual can only learn properly in a small group. Learners learn at school how to make new friends, be polite, deal with failure, and, most importantly, compete. Competition among colleagues can be very exciting, and students can learn greatly from it. Human contact is not possible for digital learning.

Another drawback is that online classes cannot handle the thousands of students who attempt to participate in debates. Furthermore, if digital education is intended for disciplines that need preparation, it can be challenging.

Conclusion of Studying Online

Finally, digital education can be seen as a supplement to and expansion to traditional ways of learning. Even the best online course cannot completely substitute physical interaction with an instructor or the human connections formed in a group. As a result, standard classes can not be replaced by digital learning.

Any essay can be satisfactory if addressed correctly. It is critical to remember in IELTS writing that each type of essay necessitates a different approach. In the case of an ‘advantage and disadvantage’ essay, a mixture of solid structure and appropriate data is a game-changer. As a result, in order to achieve a 9 band in your exam, you must devote some time to planning and structuring your essay.

If you need more assistance on this, you can simply visit IELTS Ninja .

Also Read: How to Write Agree and Disagree Essays in IELTS? Tips to Write the Perfect Essay

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Thank you for providing the advantages and disadvantages of the online learning, but many prefer online learning over self study, what do you think about it?

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Madhurjya Chowdhury, a web content writer in Ufaber EduTech has a very strong passion for writing and alluring the readers. You can find him writing articles for the betterment of exam aspirants and children. With immense interest in research-based content writing and copywriting, he likes to reach out to more and more people with his creative writing style. On the other side, he is an Electronics and Communication Engineer from LPU, Jalandhar. In his leisure time, he likes to play badminton or read about space discoveries. Apart from this, he is a pro gamer on PC, PS and Mobile gaming platforms.

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Essay on Online/Digital Education – Advantages and Disadvantages in English

Table of Contents

Introduction

What will be the basic outline you will draw if you are asked to write an essay on digital education?

An essay is a comprehensive format that is repeatedly asked by prominent universities worldwide. The most basic yet essential format allows students to investigate, learn, and prepare the entire topic based on the demands of the question. However, if you decide to write an essay on digital education, reading this blog can help you in many ways.

What we will be covering in this entire essay on digital education includes:

• What is digital education?
• The contrast between digital education and online learning?
• The goals of digital education. Approaches to digital education.
• Questions regarding the successful implementation of digital education policies.
• How digital or online education is changing the entire dynamics of modern academics?

Online education refers to the use of the most innovative tools and technologies to allow students access to educational resources, documents, and lectures irrespective of their position on the globe. Such tools can be a projector that can convert a simple classroom lecture into a smart one, or it can be a tablet that allows flexibility to learn.

A basic term called digital learning also refers to the learning process that is guided by the use of online and digital devices like computers, smartphones, tablets, and nearly all the devices that enables students to learn and read as well as can connect with the internet.  

Since the first online course launched by the Computer Assisted Learning Campus in 1994, the entire dynamics of traditional classroom projects have changed. Why have we seen an exponential increase in the number of students preferring online courses? Of course, there are many reasons that are visible to us and are among the compelling reasons for this trending phenomenon. Read more about this in the benefits section of the blog.

For now, learning the primary objectives of digital education is necessary. Some of the primary objectives of the assignments can also be showcased as its benefits. Well, some common advantages of digital education for students include:

• The deeper involvement of teachers and parents: Along with the digital education strategies, data management and recordkeeping has also improved with the help of a unified system. Parents and tutors can assess the progress of the learners online and can also communicate and interact frequently to discuss the strategies.   
• Better engagement rate : Among some of the standard benefits of digital learning, it is seen that students and learners of young age find it more engaging. Online videos with informative content and graphics tend to enhance engagement and improve the learning experience.
• Makes students more accountable: Online learning offers prominent guidelines to the students and comes with various features like a tracker, real-time analysis, timer, and online tests to understand and analyse the grasping power of the students. Now monitoring the attendance and time spent in the classes will make students more accountable in terms of learning.
• Extensive learning opportunities : Digital education also covers working professionals and offers them a chance to upgrade themselves. However, the course offers them the flexibility of time and duration that can be modified according to their convenience. Various open learning institutes that were targeting distance learning programs have got a major boost with the emergence of online education.
• It makes students smarter and motivates them: As mentioned above, the significance of informative videos that provide visual illustration and practical experiences to the students cannot be imagined until you have seen them yourself. Have you ever tried learning Pythagoras’ theorem through an online lecture? Try it once.

Apart from the points mentioned earlier, personalized learning experiences and hands-on working practicals with modern technologies and tools are also some of the most common benefits of modern digital education.

Successful implementation of digital education policies?

Although there are 5.3 billion mobile internet users worldwide, the potential of contemporary digital learning can prove to be a strategic yet potential change in the entire learning system. However, we have specific points that can be considered by the students for essay writing . Such factors refer to the effective use of digital infrastructure and practices which you can rely on for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the policies implemented for digital education.

The availability of high-speed connectivity infrastructure in schools as well as at the grassroots levels of society is a must to cover each and every child into the ambit of online learning. The network towers, high-speed Wi-Fi connection and home internet access at vulnerable places will assist the faster implementation.

The combination of three magical terms, including leadership, teaching, and assessment, can create a revolutionary change. To implement the above-mentioned infrastructure, efficient leadership is a must to reach the zenith of this revolution. At the same time, the quality of tutors and final assessments must be well analysed by the experts.

One of the best examples to prove this is the assignment section that has been a part of the modern educational system and its effectiveness in promoting qualities like discipline and time management among the learners. However, in the case of digital education, tracking the assignment’s progress and effectively checking the updates and grades has become effortless.

Is digital education the future of education?

The way covid-19 pandemic has impacted various aspects of society, it urged a fundamental change in society. Traditional activities that were not competent enough to meet the global lockdown trends are rejected by society. The growing work-from-home culture is the most prominent example of such a necessity that is acknowledged by the modern working class.

The same is the case with online learning and digital education. Now students are pretty comfortable with the online courses that save sufficient time and offer them an opportunity to learn various courses in a flexible manner. The change is to happen and is happening in almost all aspects of our lives. Keeping the positive sides up, we must admire it for a better and more convenient future.

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What We’re Learning About Online Learning

As virtual classrooms and online learning proliferate, researchers are working to quantify what works and what doesn’t.

By Benedict Carey

Over four days in mid-March, Cindy Hansen, an 11th grade English teacher at Timpanogos High School in Orem, Utah, had to go fully virtual, and took her class of some 30 students reading “The Great Gatsby” online.

Ms. Hansen had no experience with virtual courses and, like teachers around the country, had to experiment. She decided to upload video lessons — presenting the text of “Gatsby” along with a small window in the corner of the screen, in which she read aloud key passages and assigned essays.

The transition seemed to be proceeding smoothly until, after several lessons, she received a note from a student who rarely spoke up in class.

“He’s one of my sweetest students, and he wrote, ‘Ms. Hansen, those videos are glitchy — I can’t really see the text,’” she said in a phone interview. “I had just assumed they were fine. Well, they were horrible, and the poor kid felt frustrated. I’m glad he said something.” She quickly fixed the problem, she said, by reshooting the videos directly on the teaching site instead of uploading them.

After this spring’s on-the-fly experiment in online classes, teachers and school districts across the country are preparing for what will be anything but a normal fall semester. Some districts stumbled in the transition, with classes zoom-bombed and interrupted ; many strained to address serious inequities in access to computers . Recent research finds that most students fell months behind during the last term of the year, with the heaviest impact on low-income students.

Other schools, like Timpanogos, transitioned with less disruption, in part by mobilizing facilitators, coaches and other staff members to support both teachers and students who were in danger of logging off and checking out, according to a report by researchers.

Now, most districts are facing a future in which online courses will likely be part of the curriculum, whether that entails students returning in shifts or classrooms remaining closed because of local outbreaks. And underlying that adjustment is a more fundamental question: How efficiently do students learn using virtual lessons?

“What we’re finding in the research thus far is it’s generally harder to keep students engaged with virtual lessons,” no matter the content, said Jered Borup, an associate professor in learning technologies at George Mason University. “Over all, though, that is not the distinguishing feature here. Rather, it’s what supports the student has when learning virtually. That makes all the difference.”

Research comparing in-person to online learning comes from many disciplines and does not benefit from the kinds of controls that scientists prefer; courses, teachers, students and class composition vary too much to make comparisons easily.

Physical presence matters, in ways that are not captured by the scientific method. “Look, I did fine in Ms. Hansen’s class — I just bought the audiobooks and read ‘Gatsby’ on my own,” one student, Ethan Avery, said in a phone interview. “But in some other classes. … I’m personally a terrible procrastinator, and not having that physical reminder, sitting in class and the teachers grilling me, ‘Ethan, this is due Friday,’ I fell behind. That was the rough part.”

The two most authoritative reviews of the research to date, examining the results of nearly 300 studies, come to a similar conclusion. Students tend to learn less efficiently than usual in online courses, as a rule, and depending on the course. But if they have a facilitator or mentor on hand, someone to help with the technology and focus their attention — an approach sometimes called blended learning — they perform about as well in many virtual classes, and sometimes better.

One state that has applied this approach broadly, for nearly two decades, is Michigan. A state-supported nonprofit institute called Michigan Virtual offers scores of online courses, in languages, the sciences, history and professional development. It also offers 23 virtual advanced placement (A.P.) courses, for college credit.

“We find that if students have support and a schedule — they do the lesson every weekday at 9 a.m., for instance — they tend to do better than just tuning in here and there,” said Joe Freidhoff, vice president of Michigan Virtual. “The mantra of online learning is, ‘Your own time, your own pace, your own path.’ In fact, each of these factors matter greatly, and some structure seems to help.”

In 2012, the institute added a research arm, to track the progress of its students. In the 2018-19 school year, more than 120,000 students took at least one of its virtual courses; the vast majority of students were in high school. The pass rate was 50 percent for those living below the state’s poverty line, and 70 percent for those living above it, averages roughly in line with the public high schools.

The story was different for Michigan Virtual’s A.P. students. In the 2018-19 academic year, 807 students took least one of its virtual A.P. classes. The final exams are graded on a scale from 1 to 5, with scores of 3 or above having a chance to earn college credit. The virtual learners’ overall average score was 3.21, compared to 3.04 among Michigan peers who took the course in a classroom. The national average on those same tests was 2.89.

“On these exams, our students consistently exceed state and national averages,” Dr. Freidhoff said. “Of course, being A.P. students, they tend to be very self-directed, motivated students.”

In its scramble to shift courses online in mid-March, the Timpanogos district put facilitators in place, both for teachers who needed them and to check in on some students. It lent Chromebooks to every student that did not have a computer at home. And it implemented a policy that, by all accounts, took pressure off the sudden transition: Students could opt for a “P” for pass, if struggling with a virtual class, without taking a hit to their G.P.A.

“It was a little overwhelming at first,” said Briley Andersen, another of Ms. Hansen’s students. “My physics and computer science classes were taking almost all my time, so I ended up taking a P in those.” She added, “As long as there’s good communication with a teacher, you get the hang of it. If not, it takes too long to figure out what you’re supposed to do.”

Michelle Jensen, who is employed by the district as a learning coach, provided guidance to teachers — including Ms. Hansen — and to students when possible. “The rationale was, do no harm,” she said. “These students are going to have 13 years of education, at least, and our approach to this one term was, help them learn how to make this adjustment.”

In a review of Timpanogos’s transition, a research team led by Dr. Borup and Ms. Jensen found that it was largely the nondigital measures that mattered most. Teachers offered virtual office hours to students, and contacted them when activity fell off. When those interventions weren’t effective, counselors worked with the family.

The last term of the 2020 school year was, in effect, a hard lesson for much of the educational system in what virtual classes could and could not provide. The content is there, and accessible, in any well-prepared course.

But if the evidence thus far is any guide, virtual education will depend for its success on old-school principles: creative, attentive teaching and patient support from parents. As “The Great Gatsby” concludes: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

[ Like the Science Times page on Facebook. | Sign up for the Science Times newsletter. ]

Benedict Carey has been a science reporter for The Times since 2004. He has also written three books, “How We Learn” about the cognitive science of learning; “Poison Most Vial” and “Island of the Unknowns,” science mysteries for middle schoolers. More about Benedict Carey

Home — Essay Samples — Education — Online Vs. Traditional Classes — Advantages And Disadvantages Traditional Learning And Online Classes

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Essay on Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Classes

Now days online learning is one of the imminent trends in the education sector across the world. There are numerous  advantages of online classes but it has some disadvantages also. The pandemic has also increased the demand online classes. Essay on advantages and disadvantages of online classes has become popular topic for essay writing now days. Here we are writing an essay on advantage and disadvantages of online classes for all of you. This will be helpful in your essay writing skill as well as it strengthen the knowledge about advantages and disadvantages of online classes . 

In this era of technology online classes system of learning turns out to be more and more popular world wide. Many traditional schools and universities started to share their courses through online classes . They started classes online and students are attending the online classes from ease of their home. Online classes or online method of learning presents an easy and comfortable method to achieve knowledge. Online classes have now become great alternative to traditional classes. It has numerous advantages but at the same time online classes has some disadvantage also. Below are some important advantages and disadvantages of online classes .

Advantages of Online Classes

Although many people still consider traditional classes as the best way for learning but in this technological age online classes system of learning proves to be a great alternative of traditional classes. In online class system students have the chance to study from the easy of their home. Students can take classes at the time when they preferred as most of the classes are recorded.  Online classes system of learning helps participants to learn whenever they want to learn, leaving them the freedom to choose the time for study.  Many schools, institutions and universities are providing online classes free of costs . Thus online classes are helpful for those students who earlier could not pay fees. Now they are accessing these online classes online for free.  Among the advantages of online classes system of learning there are the responsibility and self-discipline of students in online class system. Download PDF of this Essay: Click Here .

Disadvantages of Online Classes

At school or in traditional class system students learn how to make friends, how to behave with teacher and friends, how to get rid of disappointment etc. The main work of personality development of students can be done through traditional classes. In online classes these all are missing. Online learning cannot offer face to face human interaction which are very important for personality development.

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Online classes system can be difficult for some persons who don't know the proper use of technological instruments. For small children online classes requires great disciplines and practice. It also requires more interventions of parents in case of small children. In online classes student use electronic devices like mobile, tablet, laptops or computer. Use of these devices for longer time will badly affect the health of students.

In conclusion, it is to say that this is the time of technology thus online classes are good for many of the reasons but traditional classes system have many advantages that should not be ignored fully. Now we should take advantage of both online as well as offline classes.

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Discuss the Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Learning – IELTS Writing Task 2

Updated On Jan 05, 2022

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Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of online learning.

Advantage/ Disadvantage Essay

Introduction

Sentence 1 & 2: Introduce the topic.

Sentence 3: Analyse the advantages and disadvantages in the following portion.

Body Paragraphs

Paragraph 1 – Positive effects of online studying

Paragraph 2 – Negative effects of online studying

Summarize the points and mention the opinion.

Sample Essay

The use of online technology is ubiquitous in everyday life, including education. Increasingly, people today find online learning more effective due to advancements in technology. The following essay compares the pros and cons of online learning.

Online education offers the advantage of allowing students to attend classes from any location. It also allows schools to reach an extensive network of students instead of being constrained by geographical borders. Also, sessions can be recorded, archived, and shared and made available for future use. Thus, the learning materials are accessible at any time that is convenient for the students. In addition to that, online learning also provides teachers with a flexible delivery method for the classes. In addition to traditional textbooks, online resources such as videos, PDFs, and podcasts can be incorporated into the lesson plan to help educators be more efficient. Further, compared to traditional learning, online education is significantly more affordable. During online courses, expenses such as transportation costs, meals, and, most notably, their renting costs, if any, are cut down . Moreover, all course materials are available online, creating an eco-friendly, paperless educational environment.

In contrast, the biggest challenge of online learning for many students is keeping their attention on the screen for long periods. Social media and other sites can easily distract students who are learning online. A reliable connection that has decent speed is hard to find in smaller cities and towns. The learning process can be disrupted if students or teachers do not have a consistent internet connection. Furthermore, online learning entails an increase in screen time . Children spending so much time in front of a screen is a concern for many parents. It is also common for students to develop bad posture when hunched over the e-device or affects eyesight.

In conclusion, learning online has some advantages and some limitations. Even though it may be convenient for some people, it cannot completely replace traditional classroom teaching. In my opinion, the positives of online education eventually surpass the downsides.

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Since the past few years, distant teaching as well as learning have turned  progressively  popular amongst students. Also, this  methodology  is being  perceived  positively by a lot of learners as well. Plenty of students are finding it beneficial to learn online. However, there are a few who have the  conflicting  opinion. In the forthcoming paragraphs, I will discuss both advantages and disadvantages of online learning.

As far as the merits are concerned, studying on the internet enables students to make use of flexible timing. It also costs far less than physically going to attend classes. Moreover, there is an option to learn anything desirable at a suitable timing. This offers extremely  profound  opportunities for learners to acquire new skills and strengthen the existing knowledge by sitting at the comfortable couch in their own living room. For instance, a student residing in a remote village can learn a course that is affiliated with an international education body. This way, distant learning is not just time-saving but remunerative as well.

Quite contrarily, with online courses, there is always more concentration on  theoretical learning . Online classes have the dearth of practical aspects of learning. Also, there is restricted interaction between the teacher and students. It is evident that taking online classes is not the cup of tea for every student, especially the ones who are into learning in detail. One of the recent studies has shown that a great number of students found classroom teaching more effective than online classes.

Concluding this topic, it can be said that the ever-evolving availability of online learning has  reaped popularity among youngsters. It is considered beneficial by many, and ineffective by others. The prominence here can be given to the effectiveness of online learning as the cost-effective method of gaining education in comparison to classroom teaching.

Meaning: seeming to be everywhere or in several places at the same time; very common Eg: Computers are becoming increasingly ubiquitous.

Meaning: large in area or amount Eg: That school has a more extensive curriculum than I expected.

• Constrained

Meaning: to force by imposed stricture, restriction, or limitation Eg: Teenagers often feel constrained by rules.

Meaning: a recording of a radio programme or a video that somebody can download from the Internet Eg: Listening to podcasts is something I enjoy.

Meaning : reduce the size, amount, or quantity of something. Eg: Rihana should cut down her sugar intake.

Meaning: that you can trust Eg: Everything you see on the internet is not reliable.

• Screen time

Meaning: time spent using a device such as a computer, television, or games. Eg: Too much screen time is damaging her eyes.

•   Posture

Meaning: position in which you hold your body while standing, sitting or lying down Eg: If bad posture becomes habitual, you risk long-term effects.

Meaning: to bend your back and shoulders forward into a round shape Eg: She hunched over the table to pick up the pen.

Meaning : to become better, greater, or stronger than Eg: She surpassed the topper in the maths test.

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Essay on Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Classes

Written by Shiksha Press

Published on: February 4, 2023

Online classes have become a popular alternative to traditional in-person classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While online classes offer several advantages, they also come with certain disadvantages.

Advantages of Online Classes:

Flexibility: Online classes provide students with the flexibility to attend classes at any time and place, as long as they have access to the internet. This allows students to balance their academic and personal commitments.

Reduced costs: Online classes are typically more cost effective than traditional classes, as they eliminate the need for students to commute to a physical classroom and can save money on textbooks and materials.

Access to resources: Online classes provide students with access to a wide range of resources, including online lectures, discussion boards, and multimedia presentations.

Increased engagement: Online classes can be more engaging than traditional classes, as students can participate in interactive activities and discussions with their peers and instructors.

Disadvantages of Online Classes:

Isolation: Online classes can be isolating, as students do not have the opportunity to interact with their peers and instructors in person. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and a lack of motivation.

Technical difficulties: Technical difficulties such as poor internet connectivity, hardware issues, and software problems can disrupt the learning experience and negatively impact student performance.

Lack of structure: Online classes lack the structure and discipline of traditional classes, which can be challenging for some students.

Reduced interaction: Online classes may not provide the same level of interaction and feedback as traditional classes, which can limit student learning and progress.

In conclusion, online classes offer several advantages , including flexibility, cost savings, and access to resources. However, they also come with certain disadvantages, such as isolation, technical difficulties, lack of structure, and reduced interaction. Whether online classes are the right choice for a particular student will depend on their individual needs and preferences.

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Google Meet vs Zoom for Teaching: What's Best to Build Your Biz in 2024?

Overwhelmed by the vast array of online teaching tools? Struggling to decide between Google Meet vs Zoom for teaching online? You’ve come to the right place!

At The Tutor Resource, we’ve been delivering virtual lessons since the early days of online education. Since the early 2010s in fact!

Over the years, we’ve meticulously tested top video conferencing platforms like Google Meet and Zoom from a teacher’s perspective.

In this comprehensive guide, we provide a head-to-head comparison of Google Meet vs Zoom for teaching.

Based on our personal experiences, we’ll analyze their capacity for large classes and interactive features. And we’ll evaluate accessibility, personalization options, and feedback capabilities.

So keep reading to uncover each platform’s unique strengths and make the best choice for your online teaching needs. Let’s go!

Google Meet vs Zoom for Teaching: Quick Answer

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, since the ideal pick depends on your specific teaching requirements.

Google Meet offers seamless integration with G Suite tools for large asynchronous classes. Zoom shines for smaller real-time sessions requiring advanced engagement features.

Overview of Google Meet vs Zoom for Teaching

Google Meet and Zoom are powerhouse platforms reshaping online education. Google Meet, part of G Suite, provides a straightforward video conferencing experience tightly coupled with tools like Gmail, Docs, and Classroom.

Zoom has gained widespread popularity due to its impressive roster of interactive capabilities tailored for virtual instruction .

Evaluating their performance for online teaching depends a bit on your educational context and priorities. We’ll explore their core functionalities, suitability for different class setups, and overall user experience.

Google Meet vs Zoom: Capacity & Interactive Tools

Google Meet can host meetings with up to 250 participants, though interactions can feel limited without integrations with engagement tools. Features like screen sharing, recording, and live captions are included.

Zoom caters to smaller groups (up to 100 participants on free plans) but packs a punch with interactive features.

Beyond screen sharing and recording, Zoom offers whiteboarding, annotating, breakout rooms, polls, hand raising, and robust chat functionality.

For large asynchronous classes, Google Meet’s simplicity pairs well with Classroom’s assignment management. For smaller real-time sessions, Zoom’s wealth of interactive capabilities promotes active engagement and collaboration.

Zoom vs Google Meet: Accessibility & Inclusivity

Both platforms have taken strides to enable diverse learners, though they approach accessibility differently.

Google Meet benefits from tight integration with other Google apps and services, providing a seamless experience for users already accustomed to that ecosystem. Its straightforward interface minimizes distractions and confusion.

Zoom prioritizes real-time engagement which can pose challenges for students with inconsistent internet access. However, features like live transcription, keyboard accessibility controls, and screen reader support enhance inclusivity.

While both platforms offer captioning, Google Meet provides real-time automatic captions that are particularly helpful for students with hearing impairments or those who prefer visual learning aids.

Alternately, Zoom’s live transcription feature may not always be as accessible or accurate. The ideal choice comes down to balancing stable, accessible learning frameworks with dynamic real-time interaction needs.

Google Meet vs Zoom: Personalization & Feedback

Personalization and feedback are critical for creating an engaging virtual classroom experience.

Google Meet’s integration with G Suite allows importing personalized backgrounds, shared media, and collaborative editing via Google Docs. Verbal feedback is facilitated during live sessions.

For custom virtual backgrounds and video filters in Google Meet vs Zoom for teaching online, it’s a tie. They both offer fun and professional options.

Zoom’s features like annotated screensharing, digital whiteboards, chat, and breakout rooms also enable more personalized, targeted feedback in real-time.

For structured asynchronous teaching with feedback primarily on submitted work , Google Meet may suffice paired with separate assignment tooling. For synchronous, hands-on classes demanding in-the-moment feedback, Zoom has the edge.

Google Meet vs Zoom: Pricing & Subscription Options

Both platforms offer free basic plans and paid pro plans with extra features that are all suited for different use cases.

Google Meet’s free offering allows unlimited 1-on-1 calls and meetings up to 60 minutes with 100 participants. Paid Google Workspace plans increase participant limits and unlock recording, attendance tracking, and noise cancellation.

Zoom’s free Basic plan hosts group meetings up to 40 minutes with a 100 participant limit. Paid Pro, Business, and Enterprise tiers remove the 40-minute cap and dramatically increase webinar capacity, cloud storage, and admin controls.

For large asynchronous classes potentially leveraging separate assignment management tools, free Google Meet could suffice. Smaller real-time classes likely need at least Zoom’s Pro paid tier for longer sessions and more participants.

Final Thoughts on Google Meet vs Zoom for Teaching

Online teaching platforms are powerful, but only when appropriately matched to your instruction methods, technical needs, and class size. Neither Google Meet nor Zoom emerges as a unanimous winner.

Google Meet’s Advantages & Disadvantages

Intuitive for G Suite/Workspace users already familiar with that ecosystem

Seamless integration with tools like Classroom, Docs, Gmail for asynchronous teaching workflows

Capable of hosting very large virtual meetings and classes

Simple and affordable pricing structure

Hinders teacher’s real-time assessment

Fewer engagement tools

Challenges in adjusting teaching strategies on the fly

Less dynamic learning environment

Zoom’s Advantages & Disadvantages

Superior for real-time engagement with students through interactive tools

Extensive personalization options for virtual instruction spaces

Ideal for smaller, hands-on classes requiring rich collaboration features

Robust free and paid plan options for different teaching scenarios

Zoom’s complex interface can be overwhelming for less tech-savvy users

Needs more bandwidth than Google Meet

Past privacy issues, including Zoombombing . Google Meet is generally considered to have stronger security measures

Requires additional steps or third-party integrations for a similar level of functionality to Google Meet

Your optimal choice revolves around finding the solution best tailored to your specific online education needs and resources. Hopefully this Google Meet vs Zoom analysis illuminates their unique strengths to help you decide.

I hope this Google Meet vs Zoom for teaching guide provides all the insights you need to select the right online teaching platform! Contact us if you have any other questions.

Google Meet vs Zoom FAQs

Do you still have questions about Google Meet vs Zoom for teaching online? Here are answers to some frequently asked questions.

What if I need to use both Meet and Zoom for different classes?

It’s absolutely possible to leverage both Google Meet and Zoom in your teaching practice, taking advantage of their distinct toolsets for varied class setups and scenarios. Many instructors adopt this flexible approach.

Can Zoom handle virtual 1-on-1 tutoring sessions effectively?

Yes, Zoom’s interactive features like screen share, whiteboarding, and breakout rooms make it highly capable for personalized 1-on-1 online tutoring sessions in addition to larger classes.

How do the recording capabilities of Meet and Zoom compare?

Google Meet’s recording functionality is relatively basic at this time, while Zoom offers more robust cloud and local recording options, as well as dedicated video editing tools for recording sessions.

Does Zoom vs Google Meet provide better accessibility for teaching students?

Both Meet and Zoom have implemented tools to enhance accessibility, with Zoom having a slight edge through features like live transcription, keyboard accessibility controls, and screen reader capabilities.

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