Pros & cons: online courses

With the ongoing, and seemingly never-ending pandemic, a lot of people have been forced to participate in online courses rather than courses where you are physically present. For some, online learning and online courses is considered a downgrade compared to a physical-held course. However, it is not all bad. On the contrary, there are in fact some rather significant advantages of online courses.

In the following, we will look into some of the pros and cons of online courses and whether there is a trend towards more online learning as the result of the mass shutdowns around the world.

The pros of online courses

Believe it or not; there are actually lots of pros to online courses, such as increased flexibility and accessibility.

Increased flexibility with online courses

First of all, the biggest and most noteworthy pro of online courses is the flexibility that this form of learning provides. When participating in an online course, you can basically study from wherever you want as long as you have access to a computer with internet connection. You can participate from home, from your cottage, from a hotel room or, if the weather allows it, you can even sit outside while expanding your horizons with exciting courses.

However, flexibility is not only a matter of where you’re physically at. Some online courses, depending on the type, also offers the ability to study when you want. This means, that you do not have to schedule your participation in the course, but can participate exactly when it suits you.

The high amount of flexibility is one of the reason why online courses and online education in general has experienced a boom in popularity over the last couple of years.

Online courses are very accessible

Another significant pro of online courses is the ease of access. As mentioned above, all you really need to participate in an online course, is a computer with internet access. All the materials used in the course, as well as assignments and so on, are all available digital and send via email or other file transferring services. Even the correspondence and interaction with the lectures and the other participants are wired.

Another thing that makes online courses very accessible, is the fact that you don’t need to transport yourself to where the course is held. This means, that you can easily participate in online courses no matter where the course is held. This also saves you the costs of transportation, which is good for both your wallet and the environment. This is also one of the reasons why online courses are often cheaper than courses that are physically held.

The cons of online courses

There are pros and cons to everything, including online courses. One of the biggest cons, in terms of online courses, is actually the reputation of the form rather than the courses themselves. A lot of people are, unfortunately, quick to dismiss online courses for not being of the same quality as “normal” courses. But in reality, online courses have an equally high level and the outcomes for the students are just as high.

Lack of social interaction

However, there are of cause some real cons to online courses. The most significant con is the lack of social interaction. Even though there can be a degree of social interacting online, it just isn’t the same as being together physically.

Another con is the fact that not all courses can be held online. There are some courses that require hands-on experience and therefore cannot be offered as an online course. This ultimately means, that there are fewer online courses than there are physical courses.

Innovative and exciting online courses

Luckily, some courses are very well suited to be held online. Some are even made especially for it. For instance, at Kaospilot you’ll find a wide selection of online courses that does not necessarily require you to be physically presence.

Kaospilot is an alternative business and design school that offers lots of different programs in the fields of leadership, sustainability, business design, process design, and much more.

Amongst the school’s many programs, you’ll find several courses which are specially designed to be held online. For instance, Kaospilot’s popular online bootcamp in Experience Design. In this course, you’ll learn how create purposeful experiences that drive engagement.

Last but not least, you can join the Learning Arch Design Bootcamp which is now also offered as an online course. You’ll learn how to design learning spaces where people are given the confidence to create together.

Common to all the courses is, that they are specially designed to be held online, without compromising the learning outcomes. Check out all of our online courses by clicking here.