What are the advantages and disadvantages of distance learning programs?
The human mind is creative and able to harness everything that surrounds it for its benefit. People never stopped learning, researching, and exploring. Humans never accepted staying in place without development until we finally reached this era in which we live now.
We describe the era as the age of technology, information, and modernity. Consumed with innovative technologies in all fields and even the smallest details of our daily lives.
So we must deal with technology and innovation. This requires us to do more research and learn to develop our existing skills and master new skills.
In the past, the total reliance in the learning process was on the teacher as the only source of information. As it was necessary to attend the halls of schools and universities. This, of course, is no longer sufficient today. It cannot bridge the huge gap that occurred between the amount of knowledge that we need and what these educational systems offer.
Not to mention the many obstacles created by contemporary life. Which made the process of permanent attendance at universities a huge burden on the student and a waste of his time and money.
Because of all the above, a new concept of learning loomed on the horizon, which is continuous learning. Learning continues throughout a person’s life. This type of learning stemmed from the principle of the need to keep pace with the developments of the era in which we live.
The concept of self-learning also emerged as one form of continuous learning. As we do not need a guide, teacher, or mentor to search for knowledge. Rather, this process must stem from a purely subjective desire.
So that educational systems can keep pace with all these changes that affected the learning process itself. The student, the educational environment, and the teacher. The so-called “distance learning system” appeared. Through this, education is no longer limited to a specific age or special conditions. The student is no longer obliged to be physically present in the classrooms.
To learn more about distance education, continue reading.
What is distance education?
What are distance learning programs? Distance education is a term that includes many educations that take place via the Internet. Without being subject to the conditions and rules of formal learning. That requires interaction between the teacher and the learner. As well as the learner in classrooms.
Otherwise, the student in the distance learning system will not need to be present in a building university or have to devote themselves entirely to attending lectures and lessons.
This system compensates for that by relying on modern and advanced technologies. And harnessing them to serve students, teachers, and the educational process. For example, a student in “Syria” does not need to travel to “Saudi Arabia” to pursue his education at one of its universities.
So he can simply register and attend lessons without even leaving his room.
Many universities around the world have adopted the distance learning method. Since 2020, after the spread of the Corona pandemic. This is to prevent mixing and to ensure the continuation of the educational process despite the exceptional circumstances the world is going through.
Distance learning benefits
The advantages of distance learning are many and varied, and these advantages made it accredited by the most famous universities in the world. In the following, we will mention the most important of these features:
Through distance learning, the student can easily combine work and study. This is because this system considers the difficult economic conditions that students live in. Through the distance learning system, the student will not have to leave his job in order to join university classes.
Distance learning often accompanies the student’s practice of work or job. This would help him develop his skills and experiences. Make him constantly aware of all developments taking place around him and make him more capable of responding to the times.
The nature of contemporary life today has led to the emergence of a noteworthy weakness in the education systems in the Arab world and third-world countries, and this has led to an increase in the number of dropouts and illiterates and low levels of education.
We will not ignore also that most Arab educational systems do not depend on modern technologies or on technology in methods of Teaching them, and this distinguishes distance education systems from others, as they are based primarily on the use of multiple and advanced technical media that are integrated with each other in order to advance the educational process and improve its outputs.
Distance learning can solve many educational problems and meet the functional, social, and professional needs of students, and it also achieves integration with other traditional educational institutions.
One of the most important advantages of distance learning is its great flexibility in terms of time, place, and examination system, and its consideration of students’ needs and respect for their time and circumstances.
Enhancing the inner desire to learn, as distance learning, may make learning a process emanating from the same person without coercion or coercion.
Distance learning achieves the principle of democratic education. In every educational system, three dimensions must be available:
Social dimension: Everyone may complete their education as long as nothing prevents them mentally from doing so. There is no difference between gender, race, color, or religion.
Quantitative dimension: That is, distance education accommodates everyone who wishes to complete their education, whether they are young people of normal school age, adults who wish to continue their education or people with special needs.
The qualitative dimension: There is no specific and fixed curriculum. Rather, curricula, methods, and methods of teaching are all subject to change to keep pace with the progress and development that the world is witnessing, to meet the needs of learners, and to help teachers deliver information in the best, easiest, and most clear way.
