Distance education has opened up many doors for students, especially the ones who cannot afford the fees of a full-time college course.
Although distance learning programs do come with several benefits of its own, many factors still come into play for students to successfully complete the course in due time. Having a thorough understanding of the pros and cons of distance learning programs can help you decide whether they would be the right choice for you or not. This article can assist you with that.
THE PROS
Distance learning allows you to pursue a job along with your studies
Most students opting for distance education are the ones who don’t want to give up on their daily jobs but want a higher education at one, and the same time.
Distance education makes it possible for students to study on weekends or even in the middle of the night as long as they have a working computer and a steady internet connection. “You can learn while you earn”; a one-of-a-kind trait which definitely counts as a benefit, in itself.
Distance education is more economically feasible to that of a full-time college course
For any program, in general, the enrollment fee of a distance education degree should be much more affordable to that of a regular college course.
In case you are looking for an economically viable option, distance learning can definitely be a way for you to go.
No wastage of commuting time
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As far as distance learning programs are concerned, there’s no wastage of time in going to and from a college; no time wasted in waiting for a bus or a train.You can start your lessons from anywhere; anytime you wish to do so provided you have a working PC and a steady internet connection. If this is not a benefit, what is?
Distance learning makes it possible for you to learn at your own pace
It’s quite a well-known fact today that different people learn in different ways and at different speeds.
It is very difficult in a classroom setting to cater to the individual learning requirements, pace, and type of every student, in particular. Distance learning helps to keep this issue at bay in the best possible manner.
That’s because distance education helps to personalize the entire content to the requirements of a student individually, rather than collectively. Thus, you’ll be able to learn at your own convenient pace which should definitely benefit you, on the whole.
A few brief mentions…
THE CONS
High chances of distractions
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With nobody around for face to face interactions and no classmates who could have helped with constant reminders about pending assignments, it becomes easy for an individual to lose track of his/her deadlines and get distracted on the way.
If you are really focused on making your distance learning course a success, you must keep yourself motivated and focused on delivering your assignments in time.
Distance education is a terrible idea if you have a history of procrastination and missing deadlines.
The possible involvement of hidden cost
Although we did say it previously that distance learning programs are usually cheaper in comparison to regular full-time courses, the possible involvement of hidden costs cannot be ignored.
For example, if your distance learning program calls for an upgraded rig with the latest graphics card installed in it, you would have to shell out a few extra bucks from your pocket to get it installed on your PC.
You may also need to buy additional appliances such as a printer or a webcam to go along with your PC for your distance program. And then, there are some recurring expenses involved as well such as the maintenance and the electricity costs. All these things do count as a downside, and justifiably so.
A few brief mentions…
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A likely compromise in the quality of faculty as far as the distance learning program is concerned.
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Questionable credibility in distance learning degrees.
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Malfunctioning technology.
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Possible cases of fraud and wrong-doings.
So what do you reckon? Do you think it would be the right choice for you? Decide wisely. Share your thoughts in the below mentioned comment section.
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