The role of electronic devices in education makes education convenient, as the user can get access to the study material from anywhere and at any time. It helps students improve their learning skills, allowing teachers to focus on educational functionalities. The job of teachers became easy as they automate the marking and digitally track the progress of students easily. It encourages the students to explore and learn skills beyond their curriculum and makes learning functional. The e-education has its own set of advantages and disadvantages, and understanding these helps in selecting the method mindfully.
Over the years, the development in the educational sector has highlighted the importance of e-education. It offers a range of benefits that are discussed below.
E-education is time-efficient because students can get access to the educational material from anywhere and at any time. In this way, they can set their own pace whenever they have free time and have the energy to learn. They can get access to the recorded lectures and learning materials. It also reduces the time for travel, and they can study along with their jobs, which saves a lot of time for students.
One of the main advantages of e-education is that it allows students and teachers to learn flexibly by providing independence of place. The students can learn in their personalised way, despite having work and family commitments, from anywhere.
It is a cost-effective method of education and learning, as there is no requirement for a professional trainer, as the training software is present, which has a high rate of engagement and knowledge retention. The students do not have to spend on travelling costs, and the charges of e-education are less costly than the traditional education style.
Every student has a different learning style, as some people learn with visuals, while others prefer to learn through audio. The e-education is suitable for all learning styles as a person can select the learning method based on their priority. It is the best way to create a perfect learning environment that suits the needs of each student.
It is a convenient and user-friendly platform, because a student can navigate their way around and learn to use it quickly. It also enhances digital literacy as the learner can use the various technological tools. The learners who are working part-time along with their studies can mostly take advantage of this learning.
There are some drawbacks related to e-education, and it is essential to be aware of them. These drawbacks are discussed below.
Some learners face difficulty focusing on the screen for a long time, and they also find it difficult to focus when using different social media sites. This makes their focus on classes and lectures unstable, which is why the teachers have to make engaging lectures. During classes, interaction with students is essential to find out if students are focused or not.
The technological issues are the biggest concern of e-education, including internet connectivity. In some rural areas, the inconsistent net speed is a problem, and without a consistent network, the continuous and smooth process of learning is affected.
Education does not provide interaction between fellow learners, and the interaction between students and the teacher is also limited. In this way, learners can face social isolation as they start to experience anxiety in social gatherings.
In e-education, the other disadvantage is that the teachers cannot give personal feedback to each student. In this way, the students face difficulty in addressing their weaknesses and areas that require improvement, which affects the process of development.
The people who do not have much knowledge and competencies about computers and technology find difficulty in attending these classes. This can confuse a student in understanding courses and exercises, which leads to a poor learning experience and increases their disengagement.
The main purpose of e-education is to make studying and learning convenient for the learners. It is a global trend that can be adapted easily to environmental changes, as it is a flexible option. It can be designed in a way to suit the interests of both teachers and students. E-education can effectively integrate with other digital media of knowledge to address the needs of learners. It enhances the reach of educational institutes to the global level and promotes an inclusive environment for education. It supports the continuous development of skills and knowledge at any stage of life.
To summarise, the advantages and disadvantages of e-education show the significance of technology in the field of education. It offers flexibility, customisable learning options, and is a cost-effective method. It allows the learners and teachers to learn and teach independently of time and place. However, some drawbacks can be faced that make the process problematic, including technical issues, social isolation, and no personalised feedback.
It is essential to be focused on both the pros and cons of e-education to choose the option wisely. The understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of e-education is important for educational practices and policies. It is believed that as the technology is evolving, the use of e-education in future will be more widespread. The successful management of e-education and sustaining the process of digital transformation in education will help improve the quality of education.
This post has been authored and published by one of our premium contributors, who are experts in their fields. They bring high-quality, well-researched content that adds significant value to our platform.
