Despite the popularity of online courses, there are many stereotypical views and myths around them. They arouse distrust towards online degrees and online education in general. For example, someone thinks that platforms like Coursera will soon replace classical universities. Someone puts online schools on a par with info-business. For some, online education is more comfortable, and they can use the coursework writing help anytime, even if the knowledge gained and the time they have is enough to cope with such tasks. Today we will deal with seven of the most common myths in this area and refute them.
Online Education is Ineffective
They say that online schools have a limited number of tools for learning and no feedback from tutors. In fact, online education uses and introduces many new interactive instruments. These are webinars, quests, electronic task books, audio lectures, online testing. VR/AR technologies are already being used in corporate training. For example, in the Volkswagen Group, employees learn to plan production facilities, and in Walmart hypermarkets — to lay out the goods on the shelves. Training in messengers is gaining momentum. Interactive tools are used to visualize the material in webinars. For example, a teacher can talk about formulas in Excel and simultaneously demonstrate his screen.
Online training would not be possible without tutors’ feedback. Thanks to the online format of the courses, the best experts from different countries are involved in the education process. They create curricula, conduct classes, check the results of tests, and advise students. Participants can contact the tutor at any time in a personal chat on the portal or at classes scheduled.
Online Degrees are Not Serious
They say a lot of people don’t get through to the end; they quit after listening to a couple of lectures. In fact, if you believe the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 52% of students do not even start the bought online courses. But the reason for that is lack of motivation or boring presentation. Professional development courses are more likely to be completed because they affect the career, status, and salary of a specialist.
The Quality of Online Education is Low
Leading teachers of leading universities create online courses included in higher education programs, and their content meets all necessary quality standards.
The expert community, students themselves, and other parties having an interest, such as employers, are beginning to play an increasingly important role in evaluating the quality of online courses.
Online Education is Paid and Expensive
In reality, free education does not exist at all. The state pays the tuition for students studying free of charge. As for online learning, the situation is simple: the majority of online courses are free. But the verification of the acquired knowledge and its certification is a paid service. The students here have to choose for themselves whether they need a document confirming the knowledge they have received or not.
They Do Not Monitor Students’ Progress on Online Courses
They say that a students’ performance in online learning is entirely on their conscience. No one’s looking at how many lessons they have passed or how they cope with their assignments. In most online courses, students must pass a knowledge test. For example, on the Coursera platform, to receive a certificate, you have to pass all the tests of the course, an exam, or complete a diploma project. In other words, no one will present you with a certificate just for enrollment and payment.
Documents About Education are Not Valid
Online learning will not entirely replace traditional education, and the computer will not replace the teacher’s work. As for additional training and professional retraining, online learning has gone a long way.
After completing the online course and passing the exam, the student receives a digital certificate, which confirms the knowledge obtained. It is clear that for any specialist, the employer needs to be able to evaluate not only his or her fundamental education and work experience but also the additional competencies and skills acquired. Today many popular social networks provide such an opportunity. For example, the social network for professionals LinkedIn has automated the addition of certificates and diplomas of online courses to the user’s profile, and Facebook has launched an entire program of online classes and certification in marketing and advertising using social network tools.
Online Education Takes a Lot of Time
They say that you need to take an extended vacation or forget about rest at all to get an online degree. However, all training courses are aimed at working professionals or those who don’t have a chance to apply for a full-time studying process. You don’t have to study all day long. You can choose a suitable and comfortable schedule and study at your own pace. Another advantage of online education is an opportunity to pause a course at any moment. You can return to your studies, saving precious studying materials.