Here are some of the Pros and Cons of online classes that you should know about

The pandemic has brought about major changes in the normal lives of people. One of them is the way education is conducted. In 2020, when the world went into lockdown, schools and colleges were also closed. Initially, everyone thought that it was a short term situation, and soon everything would go back to normal. But as time went on, this notion gradually disappeared. 
To keep up with the classes for the students, online classes were introduced for most of the students. This brought over a new era for schools and colleges. Though online education was not invented during this time, we can safely say that it was normalised during that year. 

What are some of the advantages of online learning?

The convenience of time and place – 

Online classes can be in the form of live classes or recorded lectures. The live classes require the students and the teacher to be present at the time of the class to attend it. 
The teachers and the students get to experience the feeling of a real-time class. While the teacher is teaching through the online mode, a student may express doubt about a topic. The teacher can clear this doubt at that moment. Thus live classes promote a more class like environment. 
The other method is to upload lectures on a particular topic. The teacher uploads the recorded lecture through an online platform. Students are free to access this lecture at any time they please. There is no time limit that you have to view or listen to that lecture within two days or a week. 
Also, you can watch the video or audio lectures multiple times if you wish to. Suppose you feel like you did not understand the material the first time. You can listen or watch it again to better grasp the subject. 

Cost reduction – 
Online education can cut down costs that might have been bothering you before. Everyone knows how expensive education can be. The tuition is not the only expense that a student has to pay. Additional costs may not seem like a lot, but they can be quite a bit when added up. 
Firstly, you are cutting the costs of travelling when you are switching to online education. Since you are attending the classes from your home, there is no need to travel to any institution. 
Secondly, most of the class study materials are in the form of digital copies. Since the teachers are responsible for teaching through a virtual screen, they also need a material that can easily be shared with the students. 
Soft copies of books and other materials are thus popular with the online learning community. Books can be quite expensive, especially course books. This takes off some of the financial stress on the less fortunate students.

What are some of the disadvantages of online learning?

Screen addiction – 
This is a major concern for any parent. Their child seems to be addicted to a screen. And too much unsupervised online exposure is not good for kids. 
The online learning system only makes the online space more necessary for kids. The students need to use the computer or mobile for several hours every day for their online classes. 
Staring at the screen for such a long time is not good for health. The eyes can start to hurt, and you may even develop back problems from spending so much time on the same chair.
One solution to this problem is regular breaks so that the students and the teachers can have a chance to rest their eyes. 

Peer interaction – 
A school or college as an institution does more than just provide education. It provides a space for the students to interact with other people the same age as themselves. Education institutions are also a way to get to know your seniors and people who are already working in the field of your interest.

The Bottom Line 
They get to know their classmates and form friendships. The scope for this interaction is limited during online classes. You are staring at a screen most of the time. And when you turn it off, you are in your home with your family.