Facing the Pros and Cons of Online Education in the 21st Century

Claude Toland, Director of Education, Universal Technical Institute, Inc.

As we take an in-depth look at online education, we want to identify what some say about online education and get various views on the pros and cons based on interviews with various instructors and educators that teach online. Vincent (2001) stated, “Online learning as it stands, has plenty of disadvantages, but many businesses and educational arenas remain optimistic about its future.” This statement was made in 2001 and online education was in its infancy. Vincent believed that online learning would revolutionize education and the methodologies of education delivery in the future.

Over the last 15 years, according to Koob, etal (2022) we have seen a rise in digital accessibility that allows more opportunities for schools, whether K-12, universities, or career schools to offer the online modality. Since COVID-19, there has been an increase in schools transitioning from brick-and-mortar classrooms to the online modalities. For example, Alphonso (2022) stated, “over the past two years, a rise in COVID-19 infections forced Ontario’s two million public school students into an online environment that few had experienced before and will continue to experience when the province emerges from the pandemic.”

In researching the pros and cons, we were able to ask five instructors at the college-level five questions for feedback. They are the following (1) from your perspective what are the pros and cons of online education, (2) is online education effective, (3) what are some skills students need to be successful in online education, (4) can anyone be successful using online education, and (5) why is online education being considered or chosen, increasingly, by educational institutions?

Question 1 – From your perspective what are the pros and cons of online education? Concerning students, all five instructors agreed that pros consisted of students having more time to work overtime, spend time with family, or complete online research for educational projects. From an instructor’s perspective, the pros included course material being available 24 hours a day, no travel costs, and flexibility working with students as long as the online class was asynchronous. There were a few negative aspects other than students not being able to task or manage time and time gets away from them while work due dates are missed. Think Impact (2022) stated, “…the increase in e-learning has resulted in a 30% increase in failing grades.”

Question 2 - Is online education effective? The consensus was an overwhelming, it depends. The belief is that is can be effective and does offer a level of convenience for disciplined learners. There is a belief among those that if a student is not self-directed and capable of being a disciplined task and time management individual, the online modality will not be effective.

Question 3 – What are some skills that students need to be successful in online education? Again, there was a consensus that students must be self-disciplined, self-starters, excellent task and time managers, as well as self-motivated. The belief is that students that do not apply themselves with a focus on learning will not be successful.

Question 4 - Can anyone be successful using online education? There is a belief that yes, they can if the individual has the drive, the discipline, and the desire to succeed. However, there is a belief that online is not for everyone. The instructors interviewed agreed that some students need to be in a classroom due to their learning style, inability to be self-disciplined, and lack of time management skills.

Question 5 - Why is online being increasingly chosen as a course delivery methodology? Online is more flexible, easier to deploy consistent curricula across more students for less money, and requires less facilities. Course content is easier to update and staff can ensure it is updated when changes need to be implemented.

In summary, online education is long past its infancy and has become a normal part of education and a growing business. Additionally, maybe the question should not about pros and cons but more so about how much higher will we see E-Learning grow. Al-Fanar Media (2022) stated, “… (1) the e-learning market exceeded $315 billion in 2021, (2) since 2020, 98 percent of universities have moved their classes to online learning and, (3) the global e-learning market is anticipated to climb to $400 billion by 2026.” In spite of this growth, according to Think Impact (2022), there are still many barriers and hurdles to jump; however, it is believed the barriers and hurdles will be overcome.