About Online Education
Online education is a growing trend for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as college students. Parents see cyber school as a method to protect children from the negative aspects of the public school system, while college students reap the benefits of flexibility.
How it Works
Internet-based learning consists of you, the student, working from your home or a location of your choosing via the web. In most cases, you go to a particular site and login using a username/student ID and a password. Your instructor has a similar login area where he or she logins in to give lectures, post information, comment, email and in some cases, use a chat option to communicate with students. As a student, you finish your assignments based on the teacher's requirements. You post the assignments on a main forum or directly to the teacher based on the assignment guidelines. You receive a grade just like traditional educational facilities.
Benefits
For many e-learners, the flexibility of doing assignments in a more leisurely manner than traditional school is enough. Individuals who work, have a family or have other obligations find the time requirements of an online education superb for their particular needs. Many parents of younger students feel that their students are free from being bullied and teased. The online environment also shields children from drugs, violence and sex, which is sometimes associated with the public school system. Older students also benefit from not having to spend as much money on books, events and gas.
Cons
There is less social interaction between students of all ages and grade levels in an online learning environment. While some college students party, join sororities and attend other social events, online learners miss these opportunities. The same occurs for younger students with prom, homecoming and other similar functions. You must be self motivated and have excellent time management skills to succeed in a distance learning course. Both reading and writing are two major aspects of the online curriculum, so if these are not your strong suits, you may have trouble in an online learning environment.