Online learning, the prominent aspect of e-learning, has been considered as one of the efficient ways for education in this modern life. According to Enman and May (2012), “Since 2000, the global e-learning market has grown by 900%.By the 2019, 50% of all training will be performed online.” However, apart from its benefits, online learning also brings many negative effects to students of every age group. This easy will focus on two advantages, convenience and cost-saving, as well as two disadvantages, problems with technology and the quality of using online learning.
The convenience of studying online is the major advantage. To begin with, it is widely believed that online courses can be accessed whenever and wherever there is an Internet connection; in addition online learners can study at their own pace via the Internet. Moreover, online materials also can be up-to-date twenty hours per day during a week (Chanoff, 2013). Furthermore, Hall and Rosenberg (2012) also stated that “E-learning is general shorter than classroom training on the same subject by up to 25-60%.”
Another benefit of online learning for students is cost-saving. According to Messman (as cited in Richard, 2009), one of the most effective options for education will probably be online learning. To a certain extent, a massive of money can be saved such as for travelling, accommodation as well as transport cost if students use online learning. By providing online courses, many universities’ operating expenses can be saved by up to 50%, stated Lawrence (2012).
On the other hand, using online learning also has many disadvantages, and one of the most critical drawbacks of studying online is the limitation of technology. With reference to Koshy (2012), the Internet connection is sometimes really slow or even interrupted unexpectedly, which makes many people feel uncomfortable; in addition, some online students, especially those who have beginner-level computer skills, may have