The Advantages & Opportunities of an Online Degree

Access to the Best Teachers

Something that not every student thinks about while attending college is the quality of the professors who teach them. We operate under the assumption that, because they are college-educated professionals themselves, they must be equipped to teach us what we need to know to succeed, right?

 

Let me tell you that not all professors are created equal. Teachers can operate their classrooms typically in any manner they see fit and assign coursework to a syllabus of their own design. As long as they fit certain requirements determined by the school, they are pretty much free to teach in their own style.

This can actually be a good thing, as a professor at the traditional campus can be flexible in how they teach to optimize how students learn in the classroom.

Online, however, things are more rigid, as students can only learn by the lectures given to them by their professors. These discussions could be prerecorded videos, written notes, or a slideshow deck. The advantage here is that, unlike a sit-in lecture, online lectures can be recorded, re-watched, and reviewed. If you’re stuck or need clarification, you have all the time you need to catch up.

Despite these conditions, online classrooms can leverage the best professors worldwide, to tackle any challenge that may be present. Online schools can outsource lectures from professors from prestigious universities and Ivy League schools or deliver presentations from industry professionals in master classes.

 

The scale is another advantage. In a TED talk held in 2009, in economics professor learned that he could deliver lessons and teach hundreds of thousands of people in the same span of time he could otherwise to a class of only thirty students. This sense of scalability makes online classrooms incredible cost-saving tools for universities. Class sizes can be multiple times larger and still be cheaper than a traditional class of thirty students.

Time & Convenience

It’s no surprise to anyone that one of the most prominent advantages of online learning is that you can do it from the convenience of your own home, office, or the coffee shop. Pretty much anywhere you have a computer and a stable Internet connection you can take your online class.

Most classes for an online degree don’t follow the same rigid structure that precedes a traditional classroom. You won’t have to wake up early for that 8:00 AM psychology class, nor spend the time doing your morning routine to get ready for the day. Turn on the TV and commercials for online learning generally, show students in their pajamas.

Being able to learn and do work from anywhere is only the tip of the iceberg, however. The benefits of working with lectures and class material electronically are considerable. By having everything textbooks to tests to lectures online only, students have the freedom to access these materials at their convenience.

On the other hand, professors can distribute these materials at any time during the day, or even load them up onto the digital platform at the beginning of the semester. Savvy students can stay ahead of the game by doing next week’s assignment this week.

Students will also be able to better balance their work and life. They can tackle lectures or an assignment in between errands, on their lunch break, or in the evening after work. No fighting traffic or parking. No missing important family time.