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Andrew Shelley

Julia Remsik

2/19/18

ENG120

Why Online Education is Beneficial

Online courses in college are beneficial to both students and teachers who prefer to

perform tasks at their own pace. Universities have assessed education the same way for

centuries, and only in the last twenty years or so has a new medium been introduced that has

allowed for a revolution in education. Online courses are not just a more convenient way for

students to complete their credit hours, they’re for individuals who learn by digesting the

curriculum in a way that works best for them. It is no secret that every student is somewhat

different, and due to that many ‘learning styles’ have been defined to accommodate that.

Benjamin Bloom, a distinguished educational psychologist once stated, “It makes no sense to

expect all students to take the same amount of time to achieve the same objectives” (TEDx

Talks, 2017). Many students may be perfectly fine learning in a traditional environment, while

others may struggle with the consistent class times and the strictly scheduled curriculum. That is

why students must have an online option to better suit their needs.

The luxury of choice is a benefit that comes with online education, that may not be

available otherwise. Students can choose from an array of different courses from around the

country while they complete their education from anywhere in the world (Littlefield, 2017).

Anywhere with internet access can be transformed into a learning hub where students can pursue

interests or careers while simultaneously earning their desired degree. Students don’t have to
commute to a campus where many will be lost in a sea of people and expected to all perform at

the same pace. The flexibility allowed in an online course can allow for students to learn the

information during a time that is convenient for them. Student’s may find themselves tired

during a lecture because of lack of sleep the previous night, with online education students can

work on earning that knowledge at a time where their brain is more likely to take in the

information (Neilson, 2011). Opponents of online courses would say that because students will

not have the benefit of face-to-face instruction they will not be able to learn information as well.

However, if a student is not fully focused during traditional instruction, then what is the point of

attendance at all? According to a meta-study done in 2009 by the Department of Education,

students in online courses outperformed their peers in traditional class rooms (Littlefield, 2017).

This is significant because it says that students were better prepared to participate and ask

questions when in an online setting.

It is all too common in traditional education for lecture courses to exceed three-hundred

students, which is obviously too many for professors to give a customized education to. This

allows for some students to fall behind and struggle in a course they might succeed in if done

with another medium. According to studies done, test scores and grades were overall consistent

across the different types of learning (Jaggars). These results were backed up further in a study

done that concluded there was no clear difference between online and traditional instruction

when comparing test scores at the end (Karr). This is significant because it indicates that students

are able to learn with a different medium, at that validates the online format. Many students have

a hard time maintaining concentration throughout an extended lecture and prefer to divvy up

their work into several sessions. This was addressed in by Richardson in which she explains that

students perceived learning was similar between online and traditional learning (2003).
Many critics of online education doubt the student’s accountability when completing and

online course (Karr, 2003). They do not believe the student can teach themselves anything of

consequence and will resort to finding answers without learning the material (TEDx Talks,

2017). Although this may be true in some cases, any accredited online courses are set up in a

way that allow students to master the material just as they would with face-to-face instruction. If

a student’s primary goal in education is to learn, then they will learn in any medium that works

best for them. Another reason people critique online learning is that it is somewhat new. There is

a stigma around earning your degree online, people devalue it because it wasn’t earned in the

way people are used to. Many other ways of doing things have been transitioned to being

primarily online, so why can’t it work with education? Shopping used to be something that could

only be done in person, when somebody wanted something they would have to go to the store

and pick it up. When a family wanted to watch a movie, they would have to go to the cinema,

now most everyone has the option to watch Netflix. The United States Government even allows

for citizens to complete most any official document online. Online education should be the same

way, people shouldn’t degrade it just because it doesn’t fit the typical mode. If it wasn’t

legitimate than 33% of students would be taking at least one online class (Online Colleges,

2017).

Many employers are just now starting to change their opinions about online degrees and

believing that it is just as legitimate as the traditional route (Online Colleges, 2017). In 2010,

according to one survey taken, 83% of CEOs believed online degrees to be as credible as

traditional ones. This is significant because it shows that employers are accepting the evolution

of education. As of 2014, 98% of universities in the United States offered online programs and
77% of educators claimed the learning outcomes to be the same or superior to those in face-to-

face instruction (Dumbauld, 2015). It appears as if the United States is on its’ way to becoming a

country where online instruction dominates education. If that is the case, that there must be a

reason so many people on board. It is because online education is just as or more effective and is

the way of the future.


Works Cited

Karr, Charles L, et al. “Analysis of the Effectiveness of Online Learning in a Graduate

Engineering Math Course.” The Journal of Interactive Online Learning, vol. 1, no. 3,

2003. pp. 1-8.

Jaggars, Shanna Smith, and Thomas Bailey. “Effectiveness of Fully Online Courses for College

Students: Response to a Department of Education Meta-Analysis.” Columbia University,

July 2010.

Richardson, Jennifer, and Karen Swan. “Examining Social Presence in Online Courses in

Relation to Students' Perceived Learning and Satisfaction.” 1 Feb. 2003, Vol. 7, no. 1, pp.

68-88.

Schulman, Allan H., and Randi L. Sims. “Learning in an Online Format versus an In-Class

Format: An Experimental Study.” T H E Journal, 1 June 1999, Vol. 26, No. 11.

"The Era of Online Learning | Niema Moshiri | TEDxUCSD" Youtube, uploaded by TEDxTalks,

14 June 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JKgUoY9pTg.

Littlefield, Jamie. “10 Reasons to Choose an Online Education.” ThoughtCo, 26 Mar. 2017,

www.thoughtco.com/reasons-to-choose-online-education-1098006.

Nielsen, Lisa. “10 Reasons Students Say They Prefer Learning Online.” The Huffington Post,

TheHuffingtonPost.com, 25 Jan. 2011, www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-nielsen/10-reasons-

students-say-t_b_812785.html.
“Online College Students by the Numbers.” OnlineColleges.net, 4 Jan. 2017,

www.onlinecolleges.net/for-students/online-college-students-by-the-numbers/.

Dumbauld, Beth. “A Brief History of Online Learning [Infographic].” How to Save on Your

College Degree, Straigherline, 17 June 2015, www.straighterline.com/blog/brief-history-

online-learning-infographic/.

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