Costs and Benefits of Distance Education By John

Costs and Benefits of Distance Education By: John Bergantino

What is Distance Education � Using online tools and programs to share information between teacher and students, and between students and their peers � Main form is through the internet

Examples of Distance Education � Online Study Sites ◦ Koofers, Study Blue, Sparknotes, Course Hero, etc. � Teacher to student learning centers ◦ UGA e. Learning Commons � Online universities ◦ University of Phoenix

Benefits of Distance Education � Allows students to access millions of documents to aid their study process � Student to Student learning is greatly facilitated � Teachers can post homework and paper prompts online � Students who can’t physically attend a class can still get an education at home

Costs of Distance Education � May facilitate academic dishonesty ◦ Specifically in the form of plagiarism Students may use sources that aren’t factually correct � Can allow students to rely to heavily on their peers, thus diminishing overall learning � ◦ Google docs � Many of the online universities don’t have the same credibility as other schools

Conclusion � Distance Education can be an incredibly useful tool � It can be easily taken advantage of � Ultimately it is up to the professor or teacher to decide how to use it to the benefit of the classroom