Online education not as appealing as everyone thinks, says educational psychologist

Innovation

EducationOnline education promises lots of flexibility to students but may not be as appealing as many have alluded, an educational psychology has said.

Speaking with business a.m. on Tuesday, Verona White, an educational psychologist and a student at the University of the People, an online university, said online education gives any student the flexibility to carry out school work at convenience.

She said the flexibility does not mean not having a timeline towards certain school work. “If you are working it becomes strenuous because you don’t have all the time because it is not as appealing as many had thought,” White said.

Online learning involves courses offered by post secondary institutions that are 100 percent virtual, excluding massively open online courses (MOOCs) and has proliferated in recent times due to the boom of the Internet around the globe. The access to the Internet automatically guarantees anybody to enroll on online learning platforms and start learning.

Experts are already predicting that degree programmes in 2018 will increase the use of modern technologies to enhance curriculums. Modern and remote technologies such as virtual reality, robotic telepresence, and video conferencing allow face-to-face interaction among teachers and students across the globe.

In contrast, White said the fact that many online courses do not allow face-to-face interaction makes it more difficult to deepen understanding on subjects like Algebra and Mathematics. “These subjects require asking questions when need be and that’s only possible when you are seeing the instructor,” said White.