Is Online Instruction an Efficient Form of Education?

Over the past two decades, the Internet has become the driving force for our social development. We dramatically changed our lives in various ways, such as online education. In 2002, more than 6 million college students took online courses, but as expected, this number almost tripled in 2008 (Allen and Seaman, 2010). Queen and Lewis (2011) stated that "74% of distance education districts are planning to expand online courses over the next three years." However, many students and teachers use online education. Discussion is still going on, as online education has not yet been realized

The efficiency of on-line learning and face-to-face teaching is a controversial topic. In his article "Can you receive education from a distance?" James Basquez compares the strengths and weaknesses of online education. In his article he discusses the basic principles, the overall quality of distance education, and the rationale behind the growth trend. He thinks that observing the social aspects of teachers and traditional learning is important not only for information access but also for true education.

Today, online education takes various forms. There are various ways to educate the Internet through highly profitable universities and non-profit universities. Some online courses use synchronous lessons where teachers connect students in real time, others use asynchronous lessons where teachers upload videos and other materials for students to access. They offer all grades from kindergarten to university and are suitable for full-time and part-time students. Most students work at home, but some students still take the course at the designated "school" and join the class with their colleagues.

Capacity-based education is a relatively new trend in online education. Unlike online degree programs that provide most online education online, competency-based courses offer reliability on knowledge gained through life experience and other forms of autonomous learning. Students usually demonstrate important capabilities through testing and portfolio. This unique format supports military personnel, trade specialists, and other students with verifiable skills outside the scope of formal education. Most of today's competency-based courses offer associate degrees and certificates, but some online bachelor degree programs are starting to emerge.