Advantages of Online Education
Online distance education promotes learner autonomy and a better balance between personal, professional and academic responsibilities (Lewis & Price, 2007).
For healthcare professionals, learning is a lifelong process. Advanced online education degree programs are viable avenues for lifelong learning and career development (Radler & Touger-Decker, 2007).
As learning can occur in the home at the learner’s convenience, ‘adults no longer have to choose between family and higher education (Legg et al., 2009, p. 64)’.
Online education permits those whom are busy with their careers to continue their education without having to leave their current professional position or having to live close to the educational institution (Legg et al., 2009).
The flexibility of online education is particularly appealing to shift workers such as nurses and other health care professionals (Legg et al., 2009).
Technology has allowed for education that is more flexible and personalized (Jun, 2005).
With online programs, students in rural or remote areas are not restricted from going to school by their geographic locale (Radler & Touger-Decker, 2007).
Graduate level education is often associated with an increase in financial compensation as well as increases in career opportunities, autonomy, achievement and satisfaction (Radler & Touger-Decker, 2007).
Online distance programs offer the student an opportunity to interact with a variety of people, faculty and students, from diverse locations (Radler & Touger-Decker, 2007).
Group dynamics can be both an advantage and a disadvantage with online learning (Brindle & Levesque, 2000).
Disadvantages of Online Education
Many students, especially those that are older, have a hard time adapting to computer technology (Merrell, 2003).
According to Liaw (2004), technology can be confusing and can contribute to learner boredom, inattention, information overload, and frustration. (Cited in Legg et al., 2009).
With distance education there is a dependence on technology, and if that technology does not function smoothly and effectively the result can be frustration and the development of barriers to learning (Brindle & Levesque, 2000).
The time commitment required for an online course is often greater than with a campus based course (Legg et al., 2009; Radler & Touger-Decker, 2007).
Professional socialization is often challenging with online courses (Legg et al., 2009).
Students may feel more isolated with online education as compared to the traditional face-to-face class setting (Legg et al., 2009).
Some students may feel lonely without the face-to- face interactions of other students (O’Lawrence, 2006).
O’Lawrence (2006) contends that one of the disadvantages of on line learning is that some of the e-learners may lack the needed self-discipline and time management skills.
According to Jun (2005), dropout rates are higher in online education. Contributing factors for online education dropout are lack of time, lack of motivation, lack of management oversight, difficulties with technologies, lack of student support, individual learning preferences, poorly designed courses and inexperienced teachers (Frankola, as cited in Jun, 2005).
Online learning requires a significant amount of independent learning time, commitment, flexibility, and self-discipline (Radler & Touger-Decker, 2007).
Online learners may miss the face-to-face interaction that occurs with faculty and other students. Face-to-face learning may facilitate communication and socialization due to the inclusion of body language and visual clues and the immediacy and efficacy of spoken real time language and communication (Wuensch et al, 2008). More time and effort is often required to create and decipher email messages, chat logs and other forms of textual communication (Wuensch et al, 2008). Satisfaction and dissatisfaction with online learning has been linked to success/failure rates and research suggests that there is an increase in dissatisfaction with the first online course (Wuensch et al, 2008).
Muller (2008) looked at the persistence of women in online degree completion and listed key facilitators of learner persistence. Many items were common to those previously listed but others included enjoyment from learning, engagement in the learning community, past use of support systems and support from classmates, family or the workplace.
Muller (2008) also listed barriers to persistence that include multiple responsibilities, lack of support from family and the workplace, high academic expectations of self, feeling overwhelmed by coursework, falling behind in coursework, difficulty seeking help and financial challenges.
