Advantages and Disadvantages on

Advantages and Disadvantages on Distance Learning

Nowadays to study online courses is becoming a need to succeed on a professional life. Since communication comes and goes across through the use of internet and it doesn’t matter how distant is one place of the other, communication flows as easy and fast as one person types and the other receives the message. The practicality of this source have leaded the world market perspective to the implementation of important changes on delivering information systems.

Alister Inglis, Peter Ling and Vera Joonsten have pointed out that: The idea of the World Wide Web was the brainchild of Tim Berners-Lee at CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics. Berners-Lee conceived the Web as a convenient way of sharing documents over the Internet. The Internet was already well established by this time. However, it was being used as means of interconnecting large computers to carry electronic mail, provide remote access, and transport data files. Berners-Lee’s concept transformed the Internet into the transport medium for retrieval of hyperlinked documents. The initial manifestation of the Web still required a certain amount of technical familiarity with computers and network (p.4, 2003).

Telecommunication services are advancing remarkably to grow its industry by the invention of new devices and components which are equipped of sophisticated designs and features. The competitors and the consumer’s demands are the propellers to continue this never ending industry. What is undeniable is that internet comes along with great benefits. By the other hand performs as a tool that helps to optimize time, economize, socialize, work, meet, search for uncountable things, study and bring people together only by having access to it .

Inglis.A, Ling.P and Joonsten V., have stated that: Technology, particularly information technology, is the key component of the change that characterizes the period. Globalization demands the breaching of time and space limitations and draws upon information technology. At the same time, technological development drives globalization. In arguments about whether we are in a period of late modernity or whether we have entered a post-modern period, information technology contributes to both sides. On the one hand, information technology is creating a break with the modern era. It is upsetting the types of relationships that previously existed in time and space. It is breaking down borders. It is increasing the frequency of faceless encounters. Yet information technology relies on science from the modern era for its development. It is in turn a vehicle for the dissemination of scientific knowledge. The pursuit of order and of ‘scientific’ explanations still continues. The mission of modernity is therefore not yet dead (p. 20, 2003).

Nowadays the globalization phenomena is tracing a new path for the worldwide population. Speaking about international enterprises, the marketing and important firms which are looking for people with communicative and technological skills such as the use of internet, the use of different software’s and programs according to its needs which vary from one to the other.

 Today there is a mark tendency that promotes the use of internet to do a lot of things just to mention some of those; to promote services, to purchase and sell uncountable things, to work on projects by interface, to send, receive and share information and to take courses on line for academic purposes and many more… this is due mainly for the practicality and flexibility of its nature like; is not required to attend on an in class course, is less costly, self-organization can be based on  personal scheduled needs . By the other hand the student must possess certain level of autonomy since mostly will be working in solitude.

Therefore the new designs on professional courses must include innovative and technological ideas to fulfill the everyday world demands. Speaking on the traditional design of courses which were held in the old days in a classroom and these same subjects are given on line due to the new demands on training people into communicative technological format. Speaking on a basic level education pre- secondary and secondary to higher levels are incorporating to the traditional schema online classes since there is a marked tendency that proficiency is going on that direction.

Courses on line favor the learning because the learner doesn’t have to participate in front of others, so inhibition can be avoided. This is great for the shy students. Another advantage from studying on line is that the student as long as he/she has what is required to do the activities can work almost everywhere in the comfort of home and saving time and money on transportation .

One of the risks is that the student may drop off the course if he/she doesn’t feel the teacher presence or receive feedback and comments throughout the course. Is important that the teacher tries to reach out the student and encourage his/her to get back in track.

Is important to have in mind that communication is a great tool to succeed on this educative system.

As been shown by: Miller & Miller.,Savin-Baden that: “social constructivism suggests that learning is derived through a collaborative negotiation of meaning through multiple perspectives. A student interacting with other students and their lecturer, in conjunction with engagement with the content, will build his or her understanding of the unit’s principles (2000, p. 34)”.

Therefore for the nature of these courses is important to create a system to communicate one to the other.  Teacher must promote the integration of the e learning community which can be throughout the assignments and activities like working collaboratively.

Most of the courses that are given on a face to face class can be given online too. The important is to choose properly the materials and consider all styles of learning. Is better to be prepared just in case. Is important to remember that the materials chosen need to be for the less capable and get good and reliable sources.

R e f e r e n c e s

Delivering Digitally – Managing the transition to the knowledge media

Inglis.A., Ling.P., and Joonsten.V

This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2003

Designing Quality e-learning environments in Higher Education.

Lou Siragusa., K. C., Dixon and R.D

Proceedings ascilate Singapure (2007)