Universities and colleges are now offering qualifications through distance learning from the Internet rather than the teachers in the classroom. Do you think the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

Digital development nowadays has some impacts on
education
in many countries. One of these effects is the approach
/
pathway people adopt
/
take
/
are offered towards higher
/
further
education
at the ultimate academic institutions of universities and colleges. These days, some universities have started to open
courses
online so that
students
can study from their homes. In my opinion,
this
is an innovation of
education
;
however
, we
also
need to consider their drawbacks to the university system. Nobody can deny the convenience of online
courses
at the university. The
first
reason to be discussed is that taking online
courses
is time-saving. Travelling to school does not seem to be an issue to
students
living nearby but it is a huge deterrent to those who have to spend hours commuting to school. By applying for online
courses
,
students
are encouraged to learn suitable
courses
without worrying about the distance from their house to the university.
Secondly
, online
courses
provide learners with more flexible time to study.
Students
can arrange their schedule to make full use of their time and obtain
/
acquire extensive knowledge in their specialized field while they still have time to relax after studying.
On the other hand
, there are negative sides of online
courses
that
also
need to be considered.
Firstly
,
this
course limits the direct interaction between the
students
and their classmates. There are other things
besides
the knowledge that the learners will take after the course,
such
as communication skills or team-working skills. These soft skills can only be practised when people actually talk to each other in person.
Secondly
, everyone is not supposed to have the same ability of self-study, which makes the results can differ among the
students
. Online
courses
are a considerably alternative for a well-organized person while they can cause failure for lazy
students
. In conclusion, online course is a huge step in the development of
education
, which can take all advantage of
students
.
However
, those who have no motivation to learn by themselves had better apply for
courses
at the campus because they can receive encouragement from friends and lecturers there.
Submitted by Esther on

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Structure your answers in logical paragraphs

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A strong argument essay structure can be split up into 4 paragraphs, each containing 4 sentences (except the conclusion paragraph, which only contains 3 sentences).

Stick to this essay structure:

  • Paragraph 1 - Introduction
  • Paragraph 2 - First supporting paragraph
  • Paragraph 3 - Second supporting paragraph
  • Paragraph 4 - Conclusion

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Topic Vocabulary:
  • unparalleled flexibility
  • democratizes education
  • geographically isolated
  • personal circumstances
  • cost-effectiveness
  • accommodation
  • commuting
  • self-motivated learning
  • self-discipline
  • time management
  • direct interaction
  • feelings of isolation
  • quality and recognition
  • inferior
  • technical issues
  • digital divide
  • reliable technology
  • underprivileged
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