Some universities now offer their courses on the internet so that people can study online. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this development?

Nowadays high education institutions are providing students with online courses. While some adverse aspects of this development could not be ignored, the advantages of it far outweigh the demerits. On the one hand, online courses and degrees were offered by universities after proper research, which showed that Internet-based courses are more advantageous both for some category of students and teachers. Online-learning has become extremely convenient for housewives, working professionals, elderly people and people from rural areas to continue education due to financial access and less time and distance consideration. According to recent research in the USA, approximately 25 000 housewives complete their online courses or diplomas in a year. Moreover, online courses are easier to follow since they are designed by several university professors and tech experts, and they maintain rigid quality. Unlikely traditional classes students can retake the same class over and over again and learn at their own speed. Furthermore, for those who are curious and have no necessity to get certificate online-learning platforms such as Coursera, Futurelearn, Udemy and Linda offer free access to courses without proof of accomplishment. On the other hand, the cost of this trend is the lack of proper supervision and feedback from teachers. Teachers play a great role in student’s motivation and success, unfortunately, online-learning can not be a substitute. Moreover, prestigious university's courses are still expensive and hardly affordable for ordinary people. In conclusion, even though it lacks teacher’s guidance, edtech is a great opportunity to eliminate illiteracy and educational barriers all over the world.