Some universities offer online courses as an alternative to classes delivered on campus. Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

In a modern and high-tech society, some universities and colleges choose online classes as a substitution for face-to-face

courses

, which has both advantages and disadvantages. In

this

essay, I will discuss both positive and negative aspects.

To begin

with, there is no doubt that with online

courses

,

students

are allowed to study at home or wherever they feel comfortable and suitable. It is easy to attend in virtual classrooms their technology devices with a strong internet connection anywhere in the world.

For instance

, some prestigious universities, including Harvard University, and Cambridge University have online

courses

, both free and pay fees, in many fields. They

also

provide specific curriculums and learning paths. Not only the convenience but

also

students

are possible to save time on transport when participating in online classes.

Besides

, the availability of online learning tools can promote

students

' independent learning. It creates good habits and motivates

students

, especially freshmen, to feel familiar with self-study - a popular learning method in tertiary education.

In contrast

, online learning might not offer learners face-to-face interaction.

Firstly

,

students

might find it uninteresting when experiencing a lack of interaction and engagement because of the limitation in providing activities or group work.

Consequently

,

students

can easily lose their concentration on the lessons and the effectiveness of their learning is decreased. With classes on campus, the more activities can be created in class, the more attention of

students

have and

also

more learning efficiency.

Secondly

, with some professional or key

courses

, teaching and learning online might not deliver full knowledge.

Students

become more passive when attending virtual classrooms and

then

receive the basic and fundamental, not acquire the core knowledge abundantly. Lecturers or teachers

also

might find it difficult to deliver the lessons and interact with

students

.

As a result

,

students

will not have a good day learning, and lecturers will work unproductively.

To sum up

, online learning has pros and cons. Universities and colleges should balance between two kinds of classrooms to offer learners flexible learning opportunities, which one they feel is beneficial and convenient.