Name: Brittney Mahan
Date: October 7. 2020
Topic: What does the research say about advantages and disadvantages of distance education?
Literature Review:
Distance education is when students and teachers do not meet face to face. Instead all lectures,
instruction, tests and quizzes are done online. I found that everywhere agrees there are both
advantages and disadvantages to distance learning. Really it is up to the individual whether or not they
prefer distance education, since it takes a lot of motivation, and self-discipline. Below I have listed
advantages that I have found of distance education:
o (students) flexibility, content availability, low cost, studying at home / (institution) no
need for physical space, one video for several classes
o Opportunity to learn at any time, have the opportunity to study at your own pace, you
can study anywhere, offers mobility, high training results, offers on the job training,
access to training materials, cheaper, convenient for the teacher, individual approach
o allows for individualized instruction, further exploration of individual interests, allows
for appropriate feedback, develops self-discipline, permits instruction to take place
anywhere and anytime, creates a focused environment, provides efficient use of time
o Pre-recorded lectures, can take courses from any institution n in the world, you can
work a job at the same time, you can make your own schedule
o No commuting, saves time, flexibility
And these are the disadvantages I have found:
o (students) must have discipline, cannot ask questions as soon as you have one /
(institution) loses teaching quality, student feedback takes longer, difficulty to teach,
many believe they are ineffective compared to classrooms
o strong motivation is required, not suitable for communication skills development, lack of
practical knowledge, problem of user identification
o Less face to face interaction, lack of social skills development, students may not have
necessary skills to be successful (typing, software, equipment), less physical activity
o Does not fit all types of learners, some degrees may not be available online, you need to
be technically savvy
o High chance of distractions, complicated technology, difficulty to contact instructors
In a summary, distance education provides many benefits that may seem greater than the
disadvantages of it. It may be a perfect fit for new parents, someone who has to work full time to pay for
school, people who live far away from the university, or just anybody who would rather do schooling
online. It is up to each person what the best fit for them would be.
Reflection:
Personally, I like distance education. I think it is very beneficial to many people including myself.
I also agree with all of the research. There are both many advantages and disadvantages to distance
learning, and it’s just up to you whether you can overcome the negatives or not.
This year we all had to resort to distance education due to the pandemic. A lot of students and
professors even, were not prepared for this. I personally had issues at the beginning with my computer
being too slow and constantly freezing, so I would miss things my professor has said. That is why at the
beginning I feel like a lot of people had troubles with it. But now that we are getting a hang of it, I
actually really like it.
I plan to be a math teacher. If I was doing distance education, first I would make sure all my
software is up to date and properly working. I would also do a mix of lectures and games in my online
classes. I would offer extra pre-recorded lectures, and all of the quizzes, homework and tests would be
online so the students would receive quick feedback. I will also keep up a discussion board so students
can ask questions at any time. I will also make sure I’m on top of my emails so that I do not miss any
questions and I can respond quickly to my students. I will also offer extra videos that are not done by me
so they can hear the lesson from a different perspective. I will also allow extra credit games such as,
math playground, or fun brain. I will use Go To Meeting for my lectures because it automatically records
webinars and it gives a chat box so students can type if they are feeling too shy to speak.
References
Dashboard. (n.d.). Retrieved October 09, 2020, from https://wiki.uiowa.edu/
Fox, A. (2020, July 03). The Pros And Cons Of Distance Education. Retrieved October 09, 2020, from
https://elearningindustry.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-distance-education-offer
Gent. (2017, June 02). What Is Distance Learning? - Advantages and Disadvantages. Retrieved October
09, 2020, from https://www.mastersdegree.net/what-is-distance-learning/
Penedo, A. T., & Pereira, V. (2018, August). Distance education: Advantages and disadvantages of the
point of view of education and society. ResearchGate.
Sadeghi, M. (2019). A Shift from Classroom to Distance Learning: Advantages and Disadvantages.
Retrieved October 09, 2020, from http://ijreeonline.com/article-1-132-en.pdf
