Online Education Rationale Technology PDF

Name: Lovely Mekh E. Garimbao
Title: Online Education
Rationale
Technology is often touted as the savior of education (Collins & Haverson, 2009).
Technology has become a major component of our educational system. For instance, the
Internet has grown to be a part of our everyday lives. However, it is not simply just having the
Internet that is important but rather what the Internet allows teachers and students to do in the
classroom.
The term of online was not very appealing in 1970s and 1080s just like an airplane in the
beginning of the 20th century. Internet was in development stage in early 1990s compared to
now and the conventional wisdom about the online courses was different in 1990s than today.
We are in the 21st century where everything is possible and acceptable. For example, students
are studying at home/workplace utilizing computer which is called online schooling/learning.
Several years ago, there was widespread agreement that mobile devices and social media
should not be in the classroom however that has changed to what type of mobile devices and
which social media sites work the best (Ed. Week, 2011).
It is critical to consider both the pros and cons of online learning so you can be better
prepared to face the challenge of working in this new environment and embrace the new
opportunities that it has to offer, and that is its Strengths and Weaknesses.
According to, Zounek and Sudický (2012), E-learning practices, similarly to other
educational activities, require complex evaluation before they can be implemented in the process

of teaching and learning. An integral part of such evaluation is the consideration of specific gains
and losses of using particular education technologies, methodologies, etc. This consideration is
rather crucial: it usually serves as the basis for various decisions whether concrete tools and
methodologies could and should be applied in a specific pedagogical situation.
The present paper deals with possible positive and negative experiences of using online
technologies in teaching and learning. The aim of the paper is to highlight advantages and
disadvantages of online learning that tend to recur rather frequently in a number of pedagogical
situations and contexts.
Discussion
Worley (2000), some of the key strengths of the Internet-based distance education rest in
its capacity to provide "anywhere" and "anytime" education to learners/students. Online learning
provides an alternative for education, especially for those who cannot enroll in the program
otherwise. The low-cost diffusion of Internet technologies, new student-centered pedagogical
thinking, increasing political commitment, competition among educational institutions and other
factors will continue to drive the online education forward.
“Whether or not you’re keen on using technology for learning, the fact is that it’s here to
stay. Technology has become an essential way to handle the education, training, and retraining
needs of an expanding knowledge society” (Shank & Sitze, 2004, p. 2).
Flexibility in time and place (Johnson et al, 2001; Petracchi, 2000; Rosenbaum, 2001)
and a sense of control (Petracchi, 2000) are often among the reasons for learners to choose the
distance class. Petracchi compared the experience of students in interactive TV (ITV) and those

in on-campus class and found that both groups of students had a positive attitude towards their
learning process.
One of the key advantages of online learning is the ability of students to study at their
own comfort. For a long time, students had to leave their comfort areas and attend lecturers. This
change in environment causes lack of concentration to students. In contrast, E-learning enables
the students to choose the best environment for study and this promotes their ability to
understand. As a result, students enjoy the learning process as compared to the conventional
classroom learning.
Moreover, students can self-regulate the pace of their learning and progress according to
their skills and abilities. Yet another concept of student-centered active learning may be the
possibility to participate on the process of content creation and course building, if adopted by the
teacher.
Ease of participation is an appealing attribute of the online classes. According to
professors at Central Florida, "Introverts, who are quiet in the face-to-face class, really
participate [online]," (Garnham and Kaleta, 2002, p.3). Kupczynski, Stallone Brown and Davis'
study (2008), found student participation increased in the asynchronous environment, as there is
time to "post messages, read and respond to messages, reflect on responses, revise
interpretations, and modify original assumptions and perceptions..." but in a face-to-face class
this would not be the case (p. 6).
Accessibility to learning materials is another benefit of online learning. Students
participating in online study have unlimited access to learning materials and this makes them
have the ability to study effectively and efficiently. On the other hand, students in the classroom

environment have to take notes as the lecture progress and these notes may not be accurate as
compared to the materials uploaded on the websites.
Steen (2008, p. 528) the hybrid or blended course is another advantage of distance
education. As the name implies, there are a blend of various forms of learning activities. These
may include classroom, learning experiences, and e-learning or various forms of e-learning or
some combination of all three. This type of offering meets the needs of those students who prefer
a face-to-face format as well as those students who prefer an online format.
Another benefit is time and cost saving. Online students are able to study at home and
this saves them the travel and accommodation costs. This is in contrast with the classroom
environment where learners have to pay for transport and accommodation costs as well as any
other costs associated with the learning process.
So far, online learning appears to have many advantages for all concerned. Despite the
many advantages that online study has on transforming the learning process, there are some
challenges imposed by the method. One of the challenges is the technological limitations of the
current computers which affect the quality of the learning materials and the learning process in
general.
A disadvantage that is oftentimes overlooked or assumed is that individuals participating
in online courses are computer literate. Consider one of the basic facts pertaining to online
learning: students and faculty have to be computer literate. It’s a plain and simple fact. Ratliff,
(2009) As hard as it is to imagine these days, there are individuals that are less than adequately
prepared for a technology-rich learning environment.
Although computer literacy is a requirement of online learning, but so is online access.
The lack of access either due to logistics or economic reasons, will exclude participants from the

cyber class. This is a limitation for all online programs that are reliant on Internet access.
Although there may be two-way communication capabilities available, if the quality is poor,
distractions and frustrations can ensue making it "difficult to follow aurally and visually,
students may lose interest in the instruction" (Morrison, et. al., 2007, p. 218).
Not all students learn in the same way. Montgomery (1998) classified students into active
learners and passive learners, intuitors and sensors, visual and verbal learners. Active learners,
who take up the majority of students, particularly appreciate the interaction and like to
participate in the learning process. Montgomery argues that using multimedia allows students to
take an active role in learning in ways that the traditional learning format cannot afford. This
implies that online education may work better than other formats for active learners.
Like any other form of learning, online studies have a number of benefits, and challenges.
It is therefore not logical to discredit online learning due to the negative impacts of this training
method. Furthermore, the benefits of e-learning far outweigh the challenges.
Conclusion and Recommendation
Though online learning has several challenges such as lack of feedback from students and
lack of the proper technology to effectively conduct online learning, these limitations can be
overcome by upgrading the E-Leaning systems and the use of online discussion forums and new
web-based software’s.
In conclusion, online learning is beneficial to the students, teachers and the institution. I
would therefore recommend that online learning be implemented on all learning institutions and
research on how to improve this learning process should be carried out.

References
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https://www.ies.ncsu.edu/wpcontent/uploads/sites/15/2015/08/
Pros_and_Cons_of_Online_Education_by_Kumar-1.pdf