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2860ПЕДАГОГИЧЕСКИЕ НАУКИ
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF DISTANCE LEARNING
Djalilova K.M.
Djalilova Khurshida Mirkholikovna - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Philology, Associate Professor, DEPARTMENT OF WORLD LITERATURE, FACULTY OF FOREIGN PHILOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF UZBEKISTAN NAMED AFTER MIRZO ULUGBEK, TASHKENT, REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN
Abstract: the article analyzes the main advantages and disadvantages of distance learning, as well as the author's conclusions on this topic at the end of the article.
Keywords: distance learning, traditional learning, study, webinar, internet, e-materials.
The current obstacles facing traditional colleges and universities — including higher tuition, cutbacks in budgets, and shortages of courses — lead many students to look for alternatives. Moreover, in 2020 it is not a secret that every university had to switch to online education due to quarantine. However, without considering that, with almost three million students currently enrolled in full-line programs and six million taking at least one online course as part of their degree, online education has clearly become one of the most popular alternatives for higher education. Online learning's continuously improving reputation helped fuel its expansion, as initial skepticism failed in the face of evidence showing that online learning can be just as effective as face-to - face education (Allen and Seaman, 2010).
All of this means students find many reasons to take all or some of their courses online, from working professionals to recent high school graduates. Nowadays, in order to study, all you need is just a laptop with the connection to the internet. On this article, there will be revealed the main advantages and disadvantages of distance learning at the first and second part respectively and little conclusion at the end of this article.
Therefore, the main advantages of distance learning can be described as follows. Firstly, it is all about Availability. Learning remotely, you can gain knowledge from anywhere in the world. You can study at home or on a trip, in a cafe or in the office of your workplace - in general, in any place with an access to the internet. However, you are not limited to a country or continent. You are free to get an education at any university in the world (Ahern and Repman, 1994). This availability is the main advantage of distance learning.
Online lessons are held in two formats - this is either a pre-recorded video lesson, or a live webinar. Live broadcasts which are the same as the usual offline meetings - where you can see the teacher and presentation, ask questions, communicate with classmates.
Second advantage is flexibility. In the process of distance learning, most of the material the student learns independently. So, he is free to choose the time for classes. For people who prefer to live in a non-standard schedule, distance learning is the best option. Also, this form of education goes well with work. As a rule, the time of online study can be easily adjusted to almost any work schedule (Means et al., 2009).
Another important advantage of distance learning is its relatively economy of money and time. Of course, among various online courses and schools there are also those whose price is several times higher than the cost of a contract full-time study at the university. But these are rather exceptions. For the most part, distance education costs less than full-time. This is because organizations that provide training services do not need to rent premises, buy furniture and equipment, and maintain a permanent staff of teachers (Means et al., 2009).
Studying remotely, a person is not dependent on transport. In addition to saving money, this allows you to save a lot of free time.
Fourth point is that distance learning gives a person a specific set of knowledge and skills. You get exactly what you pay for.Everyone who studied at the university came across frankly superfluous subjects that did not fit into the profile education profile. Humanitarians in universities
torture mathematics, mathematicians - philosophy, and they also torture everyone with physical education. Distance learning spared the excesses of academic education. And if you pay for programming courses, you will not be forced to run and jump.
Fifth advantage is relevance of lessons. According to Allen and Seaman (2010), in recent years, the prestige of traditional education has declined markedly. Many people with a university degree do not find work in their specialty. Graduates of technical faculties become managers in offices, former students of the faculty of philology turn into sales consultants. Against this background, the prestige of traditional university education is declining.
And the prestige of distance learning, by contrast, is growing. Today, a person who has studied a specific course remotely is in a winning position. He is more likely to put knowledge into practice than he who has studied abstract, inapplicable in real life for years at a university.
Another point is that distance learning allows to avoid commuting. Colleges may cancel classes during snowstorms and thunderstorms to avoid putting commuting students at risk of hazardous driving conditions or as for 2020, they can be forced to stay at their homes because of the quarantine. Instead of missing crucial class meetings, online course students can also "attend" by taking part in discussion boards or chat sessions, turning to their work on time and watching lectures or reading materials (Wellman et al., 1996). Most students often consider significant savings on transportation costs with no ride for school.
Finally, distance learning improves technical skills. Only the most simple online course requires new programming skills to be created, as students learn how to navigate different learning management systems and programs. Within their online courses, the participation skills learned by students translate into many professions, including creating and sharing documents, incorporating audio / video materials into assignments, completing online training sessions etc. Some schools also provide free laptops or iPads for the students.
However, there are some negative sides of distance learning as well. First of all, the fact is that there is limited choice of faculties/modules. Unfortunately, not everything can be studied remotely. In some cases, you cannot do without practical exercises under the guidance of an experienced mentor. Remotely, you can study history or literature, you can become an excellent designer or programmer. But you cannot learn to become a pilot or surgeon.
Perhaps in the near future the situation will change. One day, virtual reality technology will allow people from all over the planet to take part in joint laboratory work. When this happens, the list of professions and skills that can be learned remotely will greatly expand.
Secondly, it limited private communication. Full-time study is not only valuable in terms of knowledge. An important element of offline learning is personal communication. Receiving a traditional higher education, the student has been boiling for several years in the seething cauldron of university life. He interacts with teachers and classmates in an informal setting. Such communication can generate amazing ideas and radically change the fate of people. For instance, If Bill Gates was educated at Harvard remotely, he would never have met Steve Ballmer and would not have founded Microsoft.
Thirdly, the fact that distance learning gives a person a specific set of knowledge can be considered not only a plus, but also a minus. Studying remotely, a person deprives himself of many positive "side effects" of academic education (Nagel, 2009). For example, the process of taking notes of long lectures trains the speed of writing, develops mechanical memory, and teaches on the go to isolate the most important fragments from the flow of information. All these skills are very useful in everyday life, but distance learning does not.
Also, in the process of distance learning, you are likely to encounter unforeseen circumstances that will interfere with you. For example, at the most inopportune moment, your lights may turn off or your computer may fail. And the Internet can break off during an important online seminar, and you can not do anything about it. Distance learning makes you addicted to the technology.
Of course, on the way to the university you can get stuck in an elevator. But if you have already reached the physical place of study, little can stop you from gaining knowledge.
Finally, the lack of constant control and monitor by the teacher is another negative point, which can be easily confused with a plus. But not so simple. At first, the student may think that the lack of control gives him additional freedom. In fact, distance learning requires strong motivation and strict self-discipline from the student (Allen and Seaman, 2010). In the process of distance learning, you will have to draw up curricula yourself, and then monitor their implementation, constantly struggle with the desire to relax and postpone work for later. Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be underlined that distance learning will inevitably force you to fight the most severe opponent - your own laziness. And if you are not ready for this fight, it's better not to start the fight at all. However, if you are confident in your abilities and are determined to study, distance education will offer you various opportunities for professional and personal improvement.
References
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