The effectiveness of online education, and to what extent can online

courses replace traditional classroom teaching.

Mohamed Mahmoud Tawfik Kortam

26/6/2022
Abstract:
We discovered that using the internet to learn is the only option by the year
2020. The sudden development of the Covid-19 pandemic surprised the entire
world. This situation put the world's educational system to the test and
overnight forced teachers to transition to an online mode of instruction. There
was no other option than to fully transition to online teaching-learning for
educational institutions that had previously been reluctant to change their
traditional pedagogical method.
In 2020 To save education and keep the academic year going, educational
institutions all around the world have moved all of their academic
programmes online. To a great extent, they were not fully ready for such an
abrupt transition from in-person education to a complete online education.
This is in addition to the invention of various useful platforms to promote
online education (Nash, 2020).
The rapid spread of e-learning in recent times has been noticeable greatly.
Rapid developments in technology have made distance education easy
(McBrien et al., 2009). The number of students taking at least one online
course continues to expand at a rate far in excess of the growth of overall
higher education enrollments. The growth from 1.6 million students taking at
least one online course in fall 2002 to the 3.48 million for fall 2006 represents
a compound annual growth rate of 21.5 percent. The size of the entire higher
education student body has grown at an annual rate of around 1.5 percent
during this same period (from 16.6 million in fall 2002 to 17.6 million for fall
2006 - Projections of Education Statistics to 2015, National Center for
Education Statistics). Online education has moved from being a choice to
becoming a must. Following the Covid-19 epidemic, there was an overnight
conversion of traditional classrooms to e-classrooms. On the other hand,
educational institutions found it difficult to chart their instructive practices in
an online environment. Instructors and students have had to deal with a
variety of logistical, scientific, economic, and social issues (Lassoued,
Alhendawi, & Bashitialshaaer, 2020; Peters et al., 2020).
Many organisations have completely digitalized their operations because they
recognise the urgency of the problem.
Institutions had to shift their entire pedagogical approach to tackle new
market conditions and adapt to the changing situations. Innovative solutions
by institutions can only help us deal with this pandemic (Liguori & Winkler,
2020).
At the time of the pandemic, not everyone was acclimated to virtual learning,
or even the usage of video conference systems. It took some time for people
to adjust to the new method of obtaining information. The most difficult
limitation to overcome when implementing eLearning is resistance.
eLearning will not be successful in a company culture that is opposed to
change.” — Ellis and Kuznia, Corporate eLearning Impact on Employees.
The fact that businesses have incorporated online learning into their daily
operations has led to it being a crucial tool for education and learning in the
present business environment. Corporate online learning has benefits and
drawbacks as a tool for education and training.
Online learning is initially less expensive. No need to take a flight from one
nation to another, use public transit, or even drive to class. Online education
is significantly more accessible geographically. Due to financial constraints
or other reasons, a student from another nation or area who wishes to attend a
certain university but is unable to travel can nonetheless acquire a degree
from that institution through virtual learning.
Students who reside in metropolitan areas without a wide range of
educational institutions nearby have several opportunities thanks to online
learning. Additionally, it enables students who cannot afford to cover for
daily transportation to register for online classes at a lower cost and in less
time. Instead of driving for hours to go to class, you might make better use of
your time. Online study also has the benefit of unlimited resources. The
number of pupils who may study in a classroom at educational institutions
used to be restricted. The limitations of facilities such as lecture theatres and
teachers limited the student enrollment in schools (Burgess & Russell, 2003).
Thomson (2010) mentions that online learning allows university students to
work at a time and a place that well suits their learning interests and needs.
Distance learners are independent, self-directed, autonomous, internally
motivated, and collaborative in some cases (Diaz & Bontenbal, 2001).
In online learning, students have easy access to a wide range of materials that
they would not normally have, such as textbooks, websites, forums, videos,
and audio files. Many websites provide free courses, webinars, and other
resources to help students who cannot afford to pay for their education.
Unlike traditional classrooms, online learning is frequently self-paced,
allowing you to do your work whenever it suits you. Students can develop
and enhance their time management skills thanks to their independence.
Online learning is all about flexibility; you can study whenever, wherever,
and with whomever you choose. Less likelihood of students missing lectures
exists since online courses may be taken from anywhere, including from
home.
Online learning can be termed as a tool that can make the teaching-learning
process more student-centred, more innovative, and even more flexible.
Online learning is defined as “learning experiences in synchronous or
asynchronous environments using different devices (e.g., mobile phones,
laptops, etc.) with internet access. In these environments, students can be
anywhere (independent) to learn and interact with instructors and other
students” (Singh & Thurman, 2019).
Anytime, wherever, you may obtain immediate answers to your queries from
your professors or colleagues around the globe. Another viewpoint holds that
effective time management skills are necessary for online learning. You must
improve your own time management skills in order to complete an online
course. Like with other things, you'll end up missing a lot of deadlines if you
don't manage your time well. To successfully complete an online course, you
must have the self-discipline to schedule regular study sessions. It implies
that you must prioritise your online learning and avoid letting other activities
get in the way. Making challenging decisions is necessary occasionally.
There are two types of environments for online learning: synchronous
learning and asynchronous learning.
The synchronous learning environment is structured in the sense that students
attend live lectures, there are real-time interactions between educators and
learners, and there is a possibility of instant feedback, whereas asynchronous
learning environments are not properly structured. In such a learning
environment, learning content is not available in the form of live lectures or
classes; it is available at different learning systems and forums. Instant
feedback and immediate response are not possible under such an environment
(Littlefield, 2018). Synchronous learning can provide a lot of opportunities
for social interaction (McBrien et al., 2009).
Some students find it difficult to raise questions during class in traditional
classroom settings and prefer to submit them via email instead. Online
discussion is additionally marketed as having the benefit of being more
democratic than face-to-face discussion, giving all participants, including the
reserved, less verbally skilled, trembling, and possibly more thoughtful or
slower respondents, equal access to having their words displayed or "heard."
Online education may be seen as innovative from a different angle since it
caters to students with a variety of intelligence and learning preferences.
Some kids learn best through visuals, while others learn best through sounds.
With its variety of options and resources, the online learning system may be
customised in a variety of ways. The greatest approach to design an ideal
learning environment that meets the needs of each student is to use this
method. Videos, PDFs, and podcasts are just a few of the many resources
available to teachers today to aid in the delivery of the lesson. Teachers may
use all of these materials into their lesson plans. Therefore, creating a
learning environment that is simultaneously learner-centred, content-centred,
community-centred, and assessment-centred is a challenge for instructors and
course creators working in an online learning setting.

Many parents worry about their children's health since they spend so much
time looking at screens. One of the main issues and drawbacks of online
learning is the rise in screen time. Due to spending so much time slumped
over a computer, pupils can suffer poor posture and other physical issues.
Giving the pupils frequent screen breaks to rest their minds and bodies might
be a wonderful answer to this problem.
Internet connection is a major issue for online learning. Although the number
of people using the internet has increased dramatically over the past few
years, it can be difficult to get a reliable connection with enough speed in
smaller cities and towns. However, online meetings may be filmed, saved,
and shared for later use. This enables students to access the instructional
materials whenever it is convenient for them. Additionally, internet service
providers give access for free to educational websites.

In culmination, Online learning benefits everyone involved, including the

References
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