Prompt: Some universities now offer their courses in the Internet so that people can study online. Is this a positive or negative development? study from your home online

It is true that online courses are becoming a common feature of university education system. Even though there are some disadvantages of Internet-based learning, I believe that benefits of it far outweigh its drawbacks. Ċ Three cons of online education should be mentioned. The main problem is lack of direct interaction between students and teachers which is a crucial learning process. For example, students can ask teachers questions after class, but it seems not possible if online platform replaces classroom. Another concern is that it is difficult to ensure students attendance. Due to omission of rigorous attendance counting and punishment, playing truant is easy to do with no cost. The last negative possibility is the effectiveness of online courses is still questionable as there is insufficient scientific evidence to prove it. Ċ Despite the drawbacks mentioned above, offering online education is still a reasonable decision owing to several factors. Learning online is a more convenient way to study because students can choose the best time to learn and have a flexible timetable which favours students to learn something other than university courses. In addition, geographical location is no more a limitation because online courses are available as long as Internet service is available. For instance, students in Africa do not have to travel thousands of milometres to Finland to attend lessons there. It also helps facilitate the free flow of knowledge because Internet is a convenient "place" to connect people around the world and their possessed wisdom and experiences. Ċ In conclusion, while I recognise the aforementioned disadvantages of online learning, I consider it to be a positive development overall. (267 words)