How does the idea of distance learning sound to you? While many students attend school physically, others do so digitally. Receiving classes from home or video conferencing has become an option for students in several schools. However, is this the best option? Does this method provide better benefits to students? In my opinion, students don't benefit from attending classes from home because an online setting doesn't provides as much aid and students may take an advantage in submitting work that isn't original.

Although the one-on-one interaction may be present through video conferencing, students tend to struggle more because it's not the same as being in a classroom environment. For example, I took Economics and Personal Finance as an online course during July 2019. This class was strictly online and in order to contact my instructor, I had the option of calling or emailing him. The course had one hundred and sixty modules and grades were determined through five assessments. I took an exam for each quarter while the final test would be taken when I terminated the course. Even though I passed the class, it was difficult with me to stay on track with the lessons since I couldn't understand the topics. Whenever I would contact my instructor for help on a certain lesson, his explanations confused me more. Additionally, in mid-July, I received a call from my instructor saying that I wasn't completing the quarter exams, even though I had proof that showed the opposite. If this would've been in a classroom setting, teachers can track with more precision what students are struggling in. Having someone explain something to you side by side is more helpful than seeing content through a screen and understanding it through that perspective, which may not be suitable for students who see another approach on things. Being in a classroom provides more benefits than online or video conferences.

Many students may find online schooling as an opportunity to cheat. During the last decade, technology has provided a new experience for students of this generation. But on the other hand, it has created many headaches for professors. Going back on the summer class I took last year, when I tried searching for a simpler overview on retirement plans, I ended up finding other websites with answers to tests that were related to that lesson. How can teachers ensure students don't cheat on assignments or exams given online if no one is with them to tell them otherwise? This shows that it's not an effective way for students to learn material online. Furthermore, it doesn't ensure that students dominate the content that's being taught, like teachers do with students in a classroom. Usually, the format of these courses is as follows: learn a topic, memorize it, and move on. As a result of students not mastering the content, they might decide to use someone else's work and submit it as their own, which isn't an uncommon solution for many students. Nowadays, when they don't know an answer to anything, a click of a button can take them there, which doesn't necessarily help them understand the concept. Unfortunately, cheating is an option for completing schoolwork online.

If I approach the other side of distance learning, I can say that students may feel more relaxed and their courses may allow them to have flexible schedules, which is something students have difficulty maintaining when going to school physically. When I took Economics and Personal Finance, I would do the modules I desired at a pace that was comfortable and manageable, without going behind. Also, I managed myself well between spending time with my family and friends as well as completing the course. This course was completed during the summer, so extracurricular activities and other schoolwork weren't an obstacle. But, this can become too much of a luxury or privilege for students who don't have proficient time-management skills. Procrastination can cause students to fall behind, which may result them in speeding through material before the due date. This occurred to me several times throughout my course. Sometimes, when I felt lazy or discouraged to start an assessment, I would think to myself, "I'll do it later... or tomorrow... or next week."

Consequently, students may fail and repeat the course, which made the failed year a waste of time and possibly money.

Based on my experiences, I believe that online schooling shouldn't be an option for students since it doesn't reward benefits that are worthwhile to them now and in the long run. For teachers, it's crucial to identify each student's areas of glow and growth, which can't be done as easily online. Also, dishonest work may be turned in more often, which is out of the control of professors. On the other hand, although you may have time to occupy yourself in other chores and responsibilities, procrastination can hit quickly if you're not prepared, which leads to loss of concentration. In this situation, the negatives outweigh the positives, so why should online schooling be an option? But, what do you think?