Advantages & Disadvantages of #DistanceLearning

Advantages & Disadvantages of #DistanceLearning

Although sometimes considered to be the poorer cousin of regular college programmes, #distancelearning comes as a blessing to students who want to study further while continuing with jobs orwho might not be able to attend a full-time course for various reasons.

The most frequent query from students is related to the confusion over the value of a #distancelearning programme. The answer to this totally depends on the student. Some students can make the most out of a distance learning programme, but there are also others who are not comfortable with this pattern. Here we will discuss the pros and cons of #distancelearning/#distanceeducation programmes and help you decide if you should go for it:

Disadvantages of Studying through #DistanceLearning:

1.No Direct Contact with faculty: There isn’t any fun if you don’t have a teacher you can make fun of! On a serious note, lack of personal interaction with teachers often affects the learning curve for some students. This is one major disadvantage of #distancelearning. Flipping through voluminous books with no mentor to guide you can be overwhelming for some students.

2.Over dependence on Technology: Some #distancelearning programmes especially online courses require access to internet. Unless you are comfortable with this medium, you will find studying and interacting with your faculty online difficult.

3.Lack of Discipline: Since you don’t have a teacher standing on top of your head, reminding you of deadlines, asking for your#assignments, there are chances that you will not take a #distancelearning programme seriously. You need to be mature and disciplined to take full advantage of a #distancelearning programme.

4.It can get Lonely: Even if you’re in a #virtualclassroom that is full of students, the lack of personal interaction might make you feel detached and lonely. This can be solved as you get more comfortable with using the internet.

5.Not All #Courses are Available/ Taught: Another major#disadvantage_of_distance_learning is that not all courses can be taught online. For example, subjects like #Medicine and#Engineering can’t be taught online or through #distancelearning since practical classes, experiments etc. can’t possibly be conducted over the internet! Some things, you’ve got to do yourself!

6.Not Valued by all Employers: No matter how good the#university/#college from where you pursued your #distancelearning programme, some employers will always prefer a candidate who has pursued a #regular_programme over you.

Advantages of Studying through #DistanceLearning:

1.It's #Flexible: You can earn and study at the same time! Flexibility is the biggest #advantage_of_distance_learningcourses. This stands true especially if you are a working professional. Not everyone has the luxury of taking their own time to finish their studies. For those who had to take a break from studies to start working, such courses are a boon and provide the#opportunity to pursue #higher_education.

2.Saves Time & Energy: You save up a lot of time and energy on commuting. You can stay in Pune and pursue a course that is available in Bangalore. Or you might be based out of a remote village or town which does not have enough options for#higher_studies. #Distancelearning courses eliminate these obstacles.

3.Study at your own Pace: Not everyone has the same pace of learning. Some students pick up things fast, others need time to grasp a concept. One of the biggest#advantages_of_distance_learning is that you can study at a pace that is comfortable for you.

4. Saves Money: These courses are almost always #cheaper as compared to their on-campus counter-parts. You also cut down on the costs incurred while commuting etc.

5.Convenient: You can submit your assignment with the click of a button or simply drop it off at a post-office! It’s sometimes as simple as that!

6. 24X7 Access to #Study_Material & fellow Students: This is the best way to study if you are comfortable with internet and technology. You can access your study material online whenever you want and also clear doubts, exchange views and discuss with your virtual class-mates!

7.Study any Topic You Want: Since you‘d already have all your books/#online_study_material with you, you can pick up any topic/chapter that interests you and tackle that first! This way your interest in the subject is sustained.

Various studies have shown that #distance_learning_programmes can be as efficient and valuable as regular classroom programmes sometimes even better! Sometimes the #learning_material for #distance_learning_programmes by certain universities {eg: Karnataka State Open University(#KSOU)} can be way superior to that of a regular classroom course. So as a student, you need to decide if #distance_learning_programme suits your personality and temperament!

In a country like India, where a basic graduation degree is mandatory to get a decent job, where the number of aspiring students outnumber the number of college seats available by an obscenely high number, #distance_learning_programmes is the choice of many.

If #DistanceEducation is your choice visit us @http://wsmde.edu.in/

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