IELTS Task 2. Some universities now offer their courses on the Internet so that people can study online. Is this a negative or positive development?

Question

Internet – based learning is getting more and more prevalent nowadays, especially due to the outbreak of the Covid – 19 pandemic. Although there are a number of drawbacks of this trend, I believe they are outweighed by the benefits.


Distance learning two main disadvantages compared to face – to – face studying. First of all, the primary drawback of this phenomenon is that it lacks direct interaction between students as they do not have opportunities to engage in discussions with their peers and tutors. As a result, this may have adverse impact on children’s studying and lead to degradation in their learning ability. Second of all, studying through the Internet means children are distracted by numerous factors such as social media, which they will focus on instead of the lecture. Therefore, the outcomes of students get worse because they do not have profound insights of the courses.


Despite these arguments, I support the idea that Internet – based learning has more pros than cons. Firstly, it is a flexible way of working and studying for students because they can accomplish their tasks at their own pace according to appropriate time and places. This results in the effectiveness of studying and excellent academic performance. Secondly, online courses enable not only youngsters but also adults and even the elderly to get access to a wide variety of skills and knowledge. Due to the advancement of technology as well as the advent of online learning, people at all ages can figure out the proper courses in order to fill their gaps and consolidate their understanding of preferred areas of study.


In conclusion, though online education has several obvious drawbacks, I hold my opinion that it is a beneficial trend in general.