WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF ONLINE CLASSES

Time is changing and technology is evolving. And thus our lives are changing. These changes are happening in almost every sphere of our life. And such a change is online class in the sphere of our educational life. With the radical and rapid development of internet and computing technology we are experiencing many changes and developments all around. These changes are inevitable and obvious.

As time will progress, technology will evolve and thus change will keep happening. Some change we may like or some change we may not like but still changes are inevitable and we are bound to accept them a little sooner or a little later. As for example in case of online class, there are still options available to avoid it if don’t feel much comfortable with it.

So if we somehow are able to avoid it as a student, but do you think we can also avoid it when we will be parents of future or may be even teachers of future? So we have to face it and take it, either as a student or as a parent or as a teacher….no choice.

In coming days online classes may not remain any optional choice but become compulsory for our education. Such days are not very far away. So we like it or not, we have get ready to accept it. But does that mean. that we lost our freedom of choice totally? No that is not the case and not desirable even. We will be having our choice about how we will take it all, how we will use it all.

Our use will reflect our choice and will determine our good or bad. Time evolution once gave a knife in our hand and then it all left with our choice about how to use that knife….to cut some fruits or cut some throats. Similarly, every development comes with a choice on how to use it and where to use it.

Actually the main problem is with us….we can take things at their pros or take things at their cons. So do you think the problem was in the invention of the knife or is in the way we want to use it? So in everything we need to know the pros and cons, and then decide and choose about how we can take that, with maximum focus on the pros and maximum avoidance of the cons.

And for that we at first need to know about the pros and cons and then think about our options. So let us see some of the pros and cons or advantages and disadvantages of online classes.

ONLINE CLASSES…PROS IN CONS? OR CONS IN PROS?

Well, this may sound a little weird. But if you think deeply then will realise that actually it’s not that weird. As in the case of knife, the pros of a good knife is it cuts very good….and the cons of that same knife is also it cuts so very good! So if cutting good is a pros then it is the cons also. Because if it does not cut good then neither it can cut your vegetables nor it can cut your fingers.

So same with the case of online classes, the very pros comes as potential cons as well. So it is an advantage or a disadvantage it all depends on how we take it.

Now let me tell you some points with online classes, that are both an advantage as well as a disadvantage….the way you take it or use it.

1. Flexibility

Yes, this word is perhaps the most appealing one with the concept of online classes. Online class indeed comes with a lot of flexibilities and this can sufficiently be the only reason for immense success of online classes in future days to come. Online classes generally enjoys a lot of flexibility of different types. Let us look at a few such types of flexibility that you can easily get from online classes –

(a). You can learn on your convenient time

(b). You can learn at your own comfortable speed

(c). You can choose your own study space

These are some very fundamental flexibility that comes with the concept online class currently. So these are obviously advantages as it seems. But they can become severe disadvantage as well. It all depends upon how you take and use your flexibility.

If you are enough self-regulated to not to misuse the freedom and flexibility then these are advantages but if you choose to neglect your studies and postpone or procrastinate online class and other assignments then that becomes a serious disadvantage

2. Use of advanced technology

Well, in this 21st century it sounds pretty good and ok to use high-end technology for education purposes. After all we have all these technologies for using them for good purposes. So likewise, online class system asks for the use of high-speed home computing devices like laptop or desktop computers, good communication devices like a smartphone and one high-speed internet connection.

And these are not optional but compulsory requirements for joining an online class. So we are using technology for a good purpose like education, what can be better than that. So this is obviously one advantage. But on the flip side this can become one very serious disadvantage as well.

It is easy to understand that a home computer, a smartphone and a high-speed internet connection, none comes free to us. Neither they are too cheap also. And don’t forget that we belong to a country which is a member of 3d world developing nations. Maybe you can afford these for your education, but that does not ensure the same for many crores of students.

Per capita income of our country is around 11k per month but even that does not show the total picture as almost 22% of our population are below the poverty line (BPL). That means these number of families have income almost less than 2k per month. And all other above poverty line, but does that mean that they all have an income of 11k per month?

Between 2k per month (per family) to 11k per month (per individual) there can be hell lot of distance. These are some basic statistics. Now tell me, how many students in our country will you expect to have a laptop, a smartphone and a monthly broadband internet connection for joining and learning in an online class? Do you know how many students in our country goes to school just to get a meal…which is famous by the name of “mid-day meal”?

3. You can earn as you learn

That sounds so pretty great. Usually, in the traditional system of education with offline classes at schools and colleges, throughout the whole of your academic life you only spend and do not earn. And for this spending you have to depend on your family for support. Ok it has no problem if you belong to such a family where proper support is available.

But again we are from a poor 3d world country and how many families would you expect to support your 15 to 17 years of education totally and smoothly? Not many I suppose. So you need to do something if you want to get higher education. But there the main problem arises. Supporting you at your education years are not that cheap, because education itself is costly and over that you have your living costs.

Moreover there are many students who also need to work to support their family due to poverty. But as long as you are continuing your education in traditional offline classes, you would not find time to earn as you have to attend regular classes and they are set according to rules of school and not on convenience of yours.

And almost the same applies to your tutorial classes also. So the dilemma is something like when to earn and when to learn? But online classes come with a  great solution to this problem. The flexibility to set your own class timings and learning schedules will give you enough scope and time to work and earn with your academic development continuing side by side.

This is such a great advantage. And this sounds so happy as well.  But again there is hardly any scope of utopia here. Is it really always an advantage?

4. Job scenario of our country

Can you tell me what is the job scenario of our country? We are in a country where about 33% of “skilled” youth are jobless…so what to speak about the many other “unskilled” youth. And if one is lucky to get one job here then often it becomes more a man power exploitation in the name of job.

Here working hours can be 12 hours per day instead of standard 8 hours, maybe without a single off day per month, no sick leave and forget about casual leave….and after all these still you may fail to meet the national per capita income of 11k per month.

This is the picture of non-corporate job sector of our country. Even many corporates try to follow such standards for maximizing profits. Now tell me if this is the real-life scenery then what education you can expect even if you enroll for an online class? Where will you get the time and energy to continue your education?

Traditional offline classes at least try to restrict and prevent you to step into this exploitation at your student days by putting some restrictions in the name of class timings and attendance regulations. Thus if you continue your regular studies at offline classes at school or colleges then you do not remain with the scope of such exploiting jobs.

In developed countries there are many options of part time jobs suitable for students, with pretty good earnings to continue higher education. But here such options are usually not available. And online classes comes with great freedom and if you use all of  your freedom to earn then I fear that may pave the way of  being a dropout from your studies in future.

One may mistake at the beginning by joining an online class and taking a job beside it to earn. But often maintaining the both becomes very tough and as a result he may have to stop studies for earning. So taking up online class for earning may become a challenging decision if your job does not have that flexibility to provide time for your education as well. 

Now tell me, this freedom of online class is an advantage or a disadvantage?

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