Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Learning during COVID-19

This report analyses the advantages and disadvantages of online learning during COVID-19. It discusses the benefits of online learning, such as convenience and flexibility, as well as the drawbacks, such as screen time and isolation. The report also includes a self-evaluation of the author's experience in researching and writing the report. Subject: Academic Study Skills

Academic Study Skills

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY.............................................................................................................................3
Due to COVID-19, most university classes are now delivered online. From your experience,
what are the advantages and disadvantages of online learning?................................................3
Advantages of online learning...............................................................................................4
Disadvantages of online learning...........................................................................................5
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................7
Self-Evaluation...........................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES.........................................................................................................................10
Books and Journals:.............................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
This report aims to analyse the advantages and disadvantages of online learning. In
today's environment, there are many universities that provided online learning and the main
reason for this is COVID-19. COVID-19 is found to be the main reason for delivering online
classes by the University to the students (Singh and Thurman, 2019). It became a need at that
time but still after the pandemic situation there are many universities that offer online and
hybrid classes to students. This report will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of online
learning from an experience and also uses some reasons and examples that help to support the
argument.
MAIN BODY
Due to COVID-19, most university classes are now delivered online. From
your experience, what are the advantages and disadvantages of online
learning?
In the digital world, online learning is becoming very common and it is continuously
growing every day. The spread of COVID-19 poses a threat to humanity as it requires social
distancing in order to reduce the spread of the virus and this is the main reason that education
institutions took the decision just switch to e-Learning so that they are able to provide
learning on educational platforms (Mayer, 2019). They know that it is not easy as it is very
challenging as it requires a transformation but still it was the requirement of that time. Online
learning is not a new topic in the period of a pandemic but COVID-19 increases the
opportunity for e-Learning and it becomes now very common. In the study of students, they
have targeted the society which includes teaching staff as well as a student in the information
technology faculty so that they are able to provide online learning to the students. Due to the
social distance, students are not able to take face-to-face classes as it was great a high chance
of propagation of the virus because it was a contaminated disease which is transferred from
the air. In March 2020 this virus was declared a global pandemic and that provides of bad
impact on each and every field, especially in the education sector (Castro and Tumibay,
2021). It lead to the closure of universities and schools which also closed the academic
learning of students. It is also found that this closure put a considerable burden on institutions
and how they shift from traditional to online learning. The reason is that it was not an easy

task for the academic institution to switch from traditional to online learning but they were
forced to do it.
It became very tough for countries because they imposed many restrictions on the
education sector and they are not able to provide learning to the students. The restrictions
were not for the short time period where they provide vacations to the students but it was a
very long-term period and that's why online learning first became a need at that time. There
are many advantages and disadvantages found in online learning which are necessary to
understand by every individual and university so that they can make strategies in order to
cope with the negative impact of online learning.
Advantages of online learning
 One of the biggest advantages of the online course as that it is very convenient as the
student can take a classroom at any time 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. It is
dependent on the student when they will take a class (Dhawan, 2020). In the online
course, the teacher is also able to announce notes and review assignments with fellow
students and is able to study anytime whenever they want. Apart from some due dates
and individual is able to make their own schedule for completing the requirements of
courses.
 Students can study at any time whenever they want. They are also able to study with
whomever they want and wear anything which they want. Generally schools have
uniform criteria but in the online courses, there are no such restrictions on the student
as they have a choice to wear anything. It is found that online courses provide
reflectivity to the students so that they will be able to find their time with family and
friends and also for other important activities (Mukhtar and et.al., 2020). This is also
one of the important reasons for increasing the use of online courses.
 It is identified that online students often find that their family and friends are involved
in the courses which definitely increases their knowledge of them but in the case of
offline courses they are studying only with some special person who is involved in
that course. It is found that parents are able to look over the shoulder of students when
they are surfing the web. That means every person in the household gets involved in
learning which definitely makes the family more educated.
 It is identified that many of the universities and schools are providing a facility of
email services as they understand that it helps to provide a direct pipeline to the
instructor so that if any student has a question then they can put with the instructor

directly and in the reward the instructors are able to answer directly to the students
(Adnan and Anwar, 2020). There are many students found who not comfortable
asking questions in face-to-face learning are and that's why online courses are very
effective and provide and offer more individual attention.
 It is identified that online classes unlock many more learning opportunities. With the
help of online education, students are able to get many learning options from
instructors in anytime zone and in all over the world. That means a world of
opportunity can access by students from their laptops or smartphone.
 It is identified that online classes have faster interaction as compared to offline
classes. It is assumed that traditional learning in a physical setting is found to be the
most natural and best way to interact but in today's environment, it is not necessarily
true. The reason behind this is online classes have no backbenchers which means
every student sits basically in front and centre of the teachers (Fauzi and Khusuma,
2020). Those students who are found to be very shy can easily ask a question and
front of the entire class with the help of online classes and they have also absent to do
a private chat with the instructor. This is the reason that student is able to do more
interaction in the classroom. Teachers are able to provide online quizzes which ensure
every student should engage in the classes and makes better learning experiences.
 There are many students who do have not the potential to afford the study because of
expensive universities and colleges. But one of the important and major advantages of
an online class is that every student is able to save a large amount for the learning
institution as they no longer rely on physical location. It becomes one of the ultimate
and most cost-effective methods for savings. It is identified that reserving a physical
location increases the expenditure of students and they can save on books and
supplies when they take classes online. They are also able to save the cost of
travelling and lunch.
Disadvantages of online learning
It is necessary to understand that online learning does not only provide advantages to
the students because that are many drawbacks found during online learning which are
discussed below:
 The first and foremost drawback of online learning is screen time. It is found that
steering on digital screens is very bad for adults as well as children as it provides a
negative effect on the body, especially on the eyes (Orabona, 2019). It causes many

diseases such as eye strain, headaches, neck and back pain and disrupted circadian
rhythm. It is very obvious that completing online courses increases screen time and
learners taking online classes provides and negative impact on their bodies. That's
why they need to take measures in order to avoid the symptoms of such screen time so
that they will be able to manage this drawback.
 Isolation is also one of the important drawbacks of online classes as it reduces social
meetings. It is found that isolation is becoming one of the major disadvantages for
students as they already spent a lot of time at home and if their classes get online then
they will feel isolated and they are not able to meet with other people (Allo, 2020).
There are many students found that enrol in university and college only for meeting
their friends and if they get online classes then they will definitely feel isolated.
 The technical problem is also one of the disadvantages of online classes because
students require a good internet connection at the device for taking online classes. It is
not necessary that all students have access to internet connection and devices. So it
becomes costly to purchase these devices and they are not able to afford them.
 It is identified that online classes increase the pressure of work for teachers. It is
found that teachers became teachers only because they love to teach not for an affinity
for Technology. It becomes very clear during the pandemic situation when a teacher
needs to move entire courses and curriculums on an online platform so they feel much
stressed. Many teachers felt extra work for the recording of lectures and moving
assignments and test online. It was really great pressure on the teacher and they also
found some issues regarding not engagement of students.
 It is identified in online learning that focusing on a class becomes a challenge for
teachers because there are many students found that do not take interest in online
classes and generally avoid the instructions of the teachers (Nambiar, 2020). Due to
the online classes teachers are not able to provide instruction and take action for their
waste of time. They are not able to do anything for the students and they will
definitely not be able to generate knowledge.
 It is very obvious that students are not able to learn in the environment when they are
surrounded by destruction such as smartphones and laptops. These are becoming a
distraction and it creates challenges for the Teachers to engage students in online
classes. If the student has lack a structure then they are not able to manage their time
and they will definitely don't understand the material of online learning.

 It is also identified that a lack of hands-on learning creates many challenges for the
students. For example, in the subject of math and biology, it is easy for the students to
learn but in the case of medical examinations and dental work, it becomes very tough
for the students as they require hands-on components. So in this way, they are unable
to enjoy benefit.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from the above discussion that everyday online learning is
increasing not only in the educational field but also in organisations. It is analysed that this
growth is found to be rapidly increased after the pandemic situation because at that time
people are restricted from social meetings so that they are able to stop the propagation of the
virus. It is also analysed that online learning provides many benefits to the students which are
discussed in this report in detail. With the help of online learning, students are able to take
classes at any place at any time and they feel very convenient. In addition to this, it is also
found that they are able to involve with family and friends because they save time in online
classes. Students are also able to share their opinions with the teachers as it fosters the
interaction between the instructor and students. But it is also found that there are some
disadvantages of online learning which include increasing screen time, isolation, technical
problems, etc.

Self-Evaluation
With the help of self-evaluation, I am able to explain my experience. My experience
in this report is very nice as I learned many things which I did not know before this project
(Bahasoan and et.al., 2020). But yes I also paste many problems during the research for this
project. I can better explain with the help of self-evaluation and I know that other people are
able to loan from experience so that's why I will share my experience.
During the research of this project, initially, I did not know what type of difficulties I
will be faced. I was unaware of the problems which will occur in future. So that's why I was
taking the project for granted. The first problem in this project which I faced is the selection
of the topic. The teacher provided the topic and we need to select one of the topics and
perform research so that we will able to complete this project (Wei and Chou, 2020). It
became very difficult for us to select the topic because it was very important to have a basic
knowledge of the topic and this is the main reason that I selected online learning as a topic
because as a student I am already experienced. But during the selection of the topic, it was
difficult for me to select between two topics as I also have knowledge and interest in electric
cars so that's why I did not understand which topic is suited for me. But I selected online
learning because it was the current news and the most affected area in the education sector.
After that, I faced a problem when I research for this project because I used primarily as well
as secondary research. In the primary research, I met with the people and ask questions about
their experience in online learning but they are not able to take any interest in our meeting so
I found it very difficult in the primary research. But in the secondary research, I felt that it
was very a good choice for me to conduct second research as there are many surveys already
done that provide an overview of online learning after a pandemic situation (Simamora,
2020). During the research, I had to face the problem of mood swings of the people as they
are not taking any interest in providing answers. Some of the people are enjoying my trouble
and that's why I felt very bad that why they did this. I also found a problem in the
understanding of some foods in the secondary research because I don't have too much
knowledge of languages. I also faced problems to study secondary research because there was
worst of knowledge available in the secondary research and it becomes very difficult for me
to find the relevant information for completing my project. So these are the main difficulties
which I found during the research.

It is necessary to understand that after all these difficulties I enjoy my project very
well because it provides me with many opportunities to learn many skills and knowledge. I
enjoyed teamwork because my teacher provided the project on an individual basis but still we
all students plan that we need to conduct research in a group so that we are able to cover
maximum knowledge and found relevant information (Laili and Nashir, 2021). With the help
of teamwork, I was able to develop my teamwork skills which are found to be very important
for my future. This is one of the best elements for me which I enjoyed in that project. I also
enjoy the topic because I already have experience on this topic as I am also one of the
students who experienced online learning during the pandemic situation. This is the reason
that I enjoyed the project.
During the project, I learnt many lessons in which one important lesson is to have a
good knowledge of effective communication because without communication it is not
possible for an individual to communicate with other individuals. I experience in the primary
reserve that my communication is one of the main barriers to the project. I experience that
communication should be very effective so that individuals are able to generate maximum
knowledge through conversation with other people. I also learn that time management is
necessary because the completion of the project is not only the objective as it should be
completed within time. That's why I don't about any factor in time management and I know
that it will provide me many benefits in the future. This is the reason that I need to develop
some important areas which I found. One of the important areas is effective communication
skills. I plan that I will improve my communication skills by taking classes and practising on
a regular basis. I know that communication skills are very important in future also because
with the help of effective communication an individual is able to learn many other skills as
well. For example, when I will develop communication skills then I am able to engage with
more people and there definitely provide me with creative ideas for developing new skills and
knowledge. It is important to understand that an individual should make a strategic plan for
developing their skills and knowledge. In addition to this, they also need to include the areas
of improvement in the strategic plans so that they will be able to make their future brighter. I
know that the development of time management and communication skills will definitely
provide me benefits in the future because communication is an essential element of success
and time management is also one of the important essential elements of success (Irawan,
Dwisona and Lestari, 2020). Without time management an individual is not able to do
anything. So this is the self-evaluation which will definitely help the individuals to work on

their personal growth. If students are able to take the right action then they will definitely be
able to perform best in the future.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Adnan, M. and Anwar, K., 2020. Online Learning amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Students'
Perspectives. Online Submission, 2(1), pp.45-51.
Allo, M.D.G., 2020. Is the online learning good in the midst of Covid-19 Pandemic? The case
of EFL learners. Jurnal Sinestesia, 10(1), pp.1-10.
Bahasoan, A.N., and et.al., 2020. Effectiveness of online learning in pandemic COVID-
19. International journal of science, technology & management, 1(2), pp.100-106.
Castro, M.D.B. and Tumibay, G.M., 2021. A literature review: efficacy of online learning
courses for higher education institution using meta-analysis. Education and
Information Technologies, 26(2), pp.1367-1385.
Dhawan, S., 2020. Online learning: A panacea in the time of COVID-19 crisis. Journal of
educational technology systems, 49(1), pp.5-22.
Fauzi, I. and Khusuma, I.H.S., 2020. Teachers’ elementary school in online learning of
COVID-19 pandemic conditions. Jurnal Iqra': Kajian Ilmu Pendidikan, 5(1), pp.58-
70.
Irawan, A.W., Dwisona, D. and Lestari, M., 2020. Psychological impacts of students on
online learning during the pandemic COVID-19. KONSELI: Jurnal Bimbingan dan
Konseling (E-Journal), 7(1), pp.53-60.
Laili, R.N. and Nashir, M., 2021. Higher education students’ perception on online learning
during Covid-19 pandemic. Edukatif: Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, 3(3), pp.689-697.
Mayer, R.E., 2019. Thirty years of research on online learning. Applied Cognitive
Psychology, 33(2), pp.152-159.
Mukhtar, K., and et.al., 2020. Advantages, Limitations and Recommendations for online
learning during COVID-19 pandemic era. Pakistan journal of medical
sciences, 36(COVID19-S4), p.S27.
Nambiar, D., 2020. The impact of online learning during COVID-19: students’ and teachers’
perspective. The International Journal of Indian Psychology, 8(2), pp.783-793.
Orabona, F., 2019. A modern introduction to online learning. arXiv preprint
arXiv:1912.13213.
Simamora, R.M., 2020. The Challenges of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic:
An essay analysis of performing arts education students. Studies in Learning and
Teaching, 1(2), pp.86-103.
Singh, V. and Thurman, A., 2019. How many ways can we define online learning? A
systematic literature review of definitions of online learning (1988-2018). American
Journal of Distance Education, 33(4), pp.289-306.
Wei, H.C. and Chou, C., 2020. Online learning performance and satisfaction: do perceptions
and readiness matter?. Distance Education, 41(1), pp.48-69.