education journal

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Learning
Author
Gary James
Publication Date
July 15, 2002
Summary
"There are several distinct advantages and disadvantages of designing, developing, and delivering web-based training [WBT]. By carefully weighing your audience and training content against this list of advantages and disadvantages, you should be able to better judge if what you have in mind is right for Web dissemination.
1. Extendibility, Accessibility, and Suitability - Users can proceed through a training program at their own pace and at their own place. They can also access the training at any time, receiving only as much as they need...
2. Quicker (and cheaper) turnaround of finished product.
3. Collaborative and exploratory learning environments.
4. Easy and affordable training delivery - ...Validate what browser(s) your audience has and what version(s)...
5. Cross Platform - ...you can deliver your training course to any machine over the Internet or company intranet without having to develop a different course for each unique platform.
6. Inexpensive worldwide distribution - No separate or distinct distribution mechanism is needed (i.e., distributing CD-ROMs for CBT training). WBT can be accessed from any computer anywhere in the world while at the same time keeping delivery costs down.
7. Reduced technical support...
8. Ease of content update - The changes you make to any of your content are immediately available to your learning audience across the world.
9. Installation options on private networks for security or greater bandwidth. If you opt for intranet delivery, you have more control over plug-ins and bandwidth...
10. Travel cost and time savings - Learning is delivered directly to the learner...
11. Web browsers and Internet connections are widely available...
12. WBT-based development is easier to learn and pick up th[a]n CBT [computer]-based development...
13. Vast, untapped market for training...
14. Access is controllable - You can direct and monitor who receives web training - when, how many times, and in what sequence.
15. Billing options - You can bill - and collect on that bill - through Net distribution, billing by user ID, number of accesses, date/time of access, or any other means by which you want to assess usage.
16. Direct access to many other training resources...
DISADVANTAGES:
1. Limited formatting of content in current browsers - The WBT you create will not resemble the CBT you might be familiar with because of Net bandwidth constraints.So if your content relies on a lot of media "bells and whistles," or particular formatting, the Net might not be the best delivery medium.
2. Bandwidth/browser limitations may restrict instructional methodologies -...If your content relies on a lot of video, audio, or intense graphics, and your audience isn't on a T1 line, Net delivery will only frustrate your learners.
3. Limited bandwidth means slower performance for sound, video, and large graphics...
4. Someone must provide web server access, control usage, and bill users (if applicable)...
5. Time required for downloading applications...
6. Student assessment and feedback is limited...
7. Many, if not most, of today's web-based training programs are too static, with little if any interactivity...
8. Cannot design and develop robust multimedia courses - The bandwidth limitations of the Net constrain what can be delivered effectively.
9. Are computers replacing human contact? - The Net is not right for all training.
10. Newness - ...new technologies always require time, experience, and money in order to take full advantage of its capabilities...
11. Web-based training has high-fixed costs..."
Off line material by elin
The globalization which is wider now gives us more chance to access the information all over the world. This technological development also affects the education. The more popular way to get a source is the online learning material. But, beside the online learning material, the offline learning material now is still the most used by the students as the source in Academic Writing. Of course, in every case, it has advantages and disadvantages. They will be explained here.
From the first paragraph, we can see that the offline material is the opposite of the online material. It means the offline material is the material not connected to the internet browser. One of the advantages we can gain through offline learning material is the offline material usually more valid because the writer, the composer, the publisher, and the year are clear. So it is almost impossible if they give not valid information. Usually the offline material is recommended by the teacher, so that it is almost impossible for us to get the information which is not in line with the teacher’s explanation.
Besides, it also has some disadvantages. It is almost difficult for us as the students to get the information faster because the offline learning material such textbook and CD just can be gotten in a certain time. And it spends more costs than we just browse in the internet. While we are going to have a discussion, from the term offline, of course we need to meet the person that we want to do discussion with. For instance we need to go to the United States to do the discussion with the students there. It needs more costs to do.
We can learn more as what we need and based on our own achievement capacity. We all consider that people are not the same. There are some of them who are satisfied of what they got in the class. Besides, there are also some others who want to know more and more. And if they just use the offline learning material, they have to look for more. In another case, for them who are not understand enough about the material taught in the class, they need to look for more explanation from other sources that can help them to understand. Although there are so many books and other offline learning materials prepared in the library, usually they are not too interesting because we have to look for it one by one and it takes more time.
In conclusion, offline learning material has some advantages to support our study in Academic Writing. It is more valid than the online material. But in using the offline learning material, we need more time to look for it. We also need many costs to get it. But at last, whatever kind of learning material we use, the most important think is the want to gain more information whether it is from the online or offline learning material.
Online material by elin
By the time, the globalization affects so many aspects in this world. One of them is the development of technology. It has some benefits which can help us doing our task easier. It opens the world wider than before. It gives us more chance to access the information all over the world. This technological development also affects the education. Computer is not only used as the type writer but also can be used as the online learning material. Of course, in every case, it has advantages and disadvantages. They will be explained here.
There are so many advantages we can gain through online learning material. One of the advantages is we as the students are easier to get the information faster than before. As we know, the print out such books or newspaper just can be gotten in a certain time. By the technological support, the students have not to wait anymore to get the source to write an essay. We can access the information we need every time we want. Some schools and public areas are now supported by the wireless network. So, in every time, we can open our mind by browsing more information which is not limited in our school even our country. We can discuss with the students of the United States without going to US. It can enrich our referential theory not only stuck in one book but also from another world’s expert without need more money to buy.
We can learn more as what we need and based on our own achievement capacity. We all consider that people are not the same. There are some of them who are satisfied of what they got in the class. Besides, there are also some others who want to know more and more. And by the online learning material, we can browse more as fast as possible. In another case, for who are not understand enough about the material taught in the class, they can look for more explanation from other sources that can help them to understand through the online material.
Besides, the online material also has some disadvantages. One of them is not all the sources are valid. This is because all the people can write anything in the internet while no one knows who they are. Some of the students usually do this error. They just browse from the internet without considering who the writer is. It can give the students the material which is not in line with the teachers’ explanation.
At last, I can conclude that online learning material can give us so many advantages to support our study. It is easier, faster, and cheaper than the offline material. It gives us a chance to open our mind wider than before. But in browsing the online learning material, we should be careful because there are some not valid sources. Therefore, we should be smart in using this kind of learning material so that we will not be trapped by the not valid sources.
What Is a Portfolio?
A portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that exhibits the student's efforts, progress, and achievements in one or more areas of the curriculum. The collection must include the following:
• Student participation in selecting contents.
• Criteria for selection.
• Criteria for judging merits.
• Evidence of a student's self-reflection.
It should represent a collection of students' best work or best efforts, student-selected samples of work experiences related to outcomes being assessed, and documents according growth and development toward mastering identified outcomes.
Paulson, F.L. Paulson, P.R. and Meyer, CA. (1991, February). "What Makes a Portfolio a Portfolio?" Educational Leadership, pp. 60-63.
Why Use a Portfolio?
In this new era of performance assessment related to the monitoring of students' mastery of a core curriculum, portfolios can enhance the assessment process by revealing a range of skills and understandings one students' parts; support instructional goals; reflect change and growth over a period of time; encourage student, teacher, and parent reflection; and provide for continuity in education from one year to the next. Instructors can use them for a variety of specific purposes, including:
• Encouraging self-directed learning.
• Enlarging the view of what is learned.
• Fostering learning about learning.
• Demonstrating progress toward identified outcomes.
• Creating an intersection for instruction and assessment.
• Providing a way for students to value themselves as learners.
• Offering opportunities for peer-supported growth.
How Can Portfolios Enhance the MSPAP Preparation Process?
The heart of successful Maryland School Performance Assessment Program preparation is the ongoing involvement of students in performance-based instruction and assessment experiences. Portfolios offer an ideal context for monitoring students' direct experience in MSPAP performance assessment asks and Dimensions of Learning meaningful-use tasks. They can record both final products and students' ongoing thinking reflections and decision-making processes while engaged in such tasks.