ONLINE LEARNING Pluses and minuses
Online training is more relevant today than ever. They are used both in the preparation of pupils and students and in the building of professional competence of various managers and employees.
Personally, the topic of online training is not alien to me, as since 2009 I have been managing the specialized site for online courses. In it, students from all over Bulgaria improve their professional competence by taking online courses on topics such as people management, team management, motivation, sales, negotiations, presentations, time management, non-verbal communication, job applications and more.
Like anything else, however, online learning is rarely perfect. It usually has both pros and cons, respectively it is more suitable for certain situations and not so suitable for others.
Let's look at some of the main advantages and disadvantages of this form of training.
What is "online learning"?
"Online learning" is a more general term that covers various other terms such as "e-learning" (e-learning), web-based learning, virtual learning, and some forms of distance learning.
In short, online learning is learning that takes place with the help of the Internet and a device such as a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone. Different types of formats can be used in this type of training - text, video, audio, graphic images, interactive content, knowledge tests, etc.
Sometimes online learning can be accompanied by support from live people, for example through interaction with a teacher in an individual video call, as well as support through online forums or groups involving teachers and/or other participants in the training.
Typically, an online training falls into one of two possible categories:
Synchronous learning. This is an online training in which there is interaction and exchange of information between the teacher and students in real-time, often via video stream. During a synchronous online training, participants can ask direct questions to the facilitator and receive immediate feedback.
Asynchronous learning. This is online training that is not conducted in real-time. Most often, the teacher has created the teaching materials (video, audio, text, tests, etc.) in advance, after which the participants are given access to them and they can use them at another time. This means that participants most often decide for themselves when to study.
Advantages of e-Learning:
There are three main advantages of online training:
1. Flexibility
2. for lower cost
3. Commitment
One of the biggest advantages of online training is its flexibility. Instead of a training to take place in a certain fixed place and time, with the help of high technology it can be passed from any place and at any time. This frees the learners' hands and they can go through the training wherever and whenever they want - for example from work, from home or from a nearby cafe, as well as in the morning, noon or evening.
Another significant advantage of online training is that they are lower cost than traditional forms of training in the hall. For example, when a person studies online, the costs of a hall, travel, accommodation (if, for example, a seminar outside the city), printed teaching materials, etc. are eliminated. Especially when training in larger groups, an online training can save a very large amount of money for an organization, while allowing employees from different parts of a country or the world to join it.
Because online forms of expression can use a variety of forms of expression - video, audio, text, knowledge tests, etc., this in turn could lead to higher engagement and efficiency in understanding and memorizing information. as it supports participants with different learning styles.
Possible limitations of e-learning:
There are three main disadvantages of online training:
1. Discipline problem;
2. Technological barriers;
3. Lack of live contact with the presenter and other participants.
The first disadvantage is related to the application of learning discipline. An online training, especially if it is asynchronous, gives great flexibility in the hands of the learner and if he fails to organize himself properly, he will not be able to pass the relevant classes, lessons, and/or exercises in a quality or on time. This in turn requires the learner to have certain time management skills and maintain a high personal motivation to complete the relevant training program. Without such skills and motivation, online learning can easily fail.
The second disadvantage is that online learning is not for everyone, for technological reasons. If a person does not have the necessary technical skills or does not feel comfortable with technology, he will have difficulty in online learning, respectively, and internal resistance to learn in this way. This leads to the natural conclusion that online training is not for people with low computer literacy.
Finally, any online training more or less suffers from a lack of direct contact with the leader and feedback from him, such as free discussions, personal guidance, immediate answers to questions and more. Unless real-time video/audio is used, feedback is not immediate, which slows down and complicates the exchange of information and can be a problem for some participants in online training. Also, online learning is much more difficult to conduct role-plays, practical simulations and live collaboration with other learners, which is otherwise done in a classroom, for example.
When to use online training?
Given the listed pros and cons of online training, it is reasonable to ask when to use online training and when not.
As a rule, online learning is most appropriate when knowledge and specific skills are taught. For example, online courses are suitable for acquiring knowledge in management, business, technical and professional skills.
However, online training is not the best when it comes to acquiring applied skills related to handwork, for example. In such cases, it is more appropriate to organize training in a traditional classroom or workplace, where a more effective transfer of knowledge.
Of course, depending on the specific situation, each online training will vary in its variety of forms of expression, the degree of interactivity and interaction with the presenter, duration and more. All this directly affects its effectiveness compared to more traditional forms of training.
In summary:
Online learning is a modern form of learning that is carried out with the help of a computer device and the Internet.
Every organization can benefit from the benefits of online training, among which the main ones are high flexibility, lower cost and increased learning efficiency.
At the same time, online training has some drawbacks. The main ones are related to the discipline and self-organization of the learners, the technological challenges and, sometimes, the lack of direct contact with the facilitator.