The web and the internet have been with us for over a generation and they are now taken for granted as part of everyday life. For office, personal work, entertainment and communications - the Internet is there for it all. Its faster, more economical and offers more options and services than any other system. What is surprising is that while being online is now part of everyday life, there is still a great deal of reluctance to embrace it as part of the educational process. The common questions that are asked about online learning are:

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  Can a computer really teach as well as a human being?
  
  


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  Is it easier to get better grades without actually internalizing what is learned?
  
  


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  Will learning online reduce children's soft skills and communications abilities?
  
  

The fact is that these are all valid questions and not easy to answer. There are arguments on both sides of the online learning divide. All that we can realistically say now is that the past decade has shown that online education is effective, promotes individual internalization and does not reduce soft skills and communications abilities. And if some issues do crop up in the future, they will need to be dealt with. The growing popularity of online learning, driven by teachers, students and parents, means that it is not going to go away. Of the stakeholders in online learning, the students are the most important and a look at why they love this form of education will explain why it is here to stay.

Why Students Prefer To Learn Online

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  Today's children have grown up with computers and the screen is a natural environment for them. Interfacing with the screen and those on the other side of it is the same as face to face interaction.
  
  


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  Students are able to work at their own pace, without pressure to keep up to a rigid classroom schedule. They can vary the pace of their work to match the availability of information. This approach comes naturally to them as it is based on how they interact on social media.
  
  


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  Shy and introverted students are often hesitant to participate in classroom discussions and if forced to, are uncomfortable and often incoherent. These same children, when online in an environment they are happy and comfortable in, are more likely to play a positive role in any group interaction.
  
  


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  Students are usually eager for the "next" installment of knowledge to be provided to them. This is a proclivity they have developed while using social media where input is followed by reaction so that another input can be given.
  
  


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  The physical distance between the student and teacher often works to allow for more detailed questioning by students who would otherwise be hesitant about asking what could be a silly question in front of a classroom full of their peers.
  
  

Will Online Learning Replace Schools?

Schools are, and will remain, the backbone of the education system. But with resources scarce and human capital, in the form of qualified teachers, in short supply there is a need to provide the existing education system with resources that will allow it to provide a better quality of education to an ever increasing number of students. In terms of being user friendly, providing results and being cost and infrastructure effective, only online education meets these criteria.

As said previously, there will be obstacles to be overcome as the spread and sophistication of online learning grows. But that is a natural corollary to any significant human progress. And it is in surmounting these obstacles that systems become better defined and more effective.