Advantages And Disadvantages Of Digitalization To College Students

Digital learning has been the go to solution for most schools and students during the pandemic. With the use of this technology, learning, thru digital means, is now made possible.

Even without the pandemic, this option made it possible for students, young and old to learn and continue with their educational aspirations. Interacting with other fellow students and professors is also possible, even in different locations, through this technology.

However, just like all the conveniences and technologies we have in life, there are advantages and disadvantages to consider with digital learning. Here are some of them.

Advantages of Digitalization for College Students

Check out the pros of digitalization.

Saves Time and Money

One of the advantages of digital learning is that you get to stay at home and get the education that you need to pursue your diploma. Although the tuition fees are basically the same, you can still enjoy a lot of savings with this setup. Gas and transportation costs are cut or completely eliminated with this setup. You do not have to go anywhere to attend your classes. 

You’ll get to enjoy your time more too. Instead of enduring traffic or having to go back and forth from school and your home, you get to do your classes at home, or even while on the go. Savings from eating out are also quite considerable. Instead of your usual coffee to go or food to go, you get to eat at home.

Learning At Your Own Pace

Gone are the days when you have to cram in between listening to your professor and jotting down notes during a lecture. You can learn at your own pace, at your own time.

Although there are still deadlines for school work submissions, you get to repeat video lessons and go over your course notes until you get a full grasp of the topic. Personalized learning is what you get to enjoy in this kind of learning setup. It is easier to get motivated and invested with this approach.

Engagement

Better engagement with lessons and improved student motivation towards learning was observed among digital learners. Although there were a few adjustments during the first few months of this setup, most college students enjoyed the game-based strategies and different teaching approaches that made learning easier and more convenient.

The more engaging a lesson and the materials available for the online course, the better are students in remembering the information.

Disadvantages Of Digitalization for College Students

Of course, it comes with cons as well, and you have to be prepared for it.

Lack Of Personal Interaction

Isolation is one of the disadvantages of digital learning. For some students who chose this approach to avoid being around a crowd, this method of learning would be very convenient. But for people who enjoy being around classmates and professors, personal interaction is one of the things that you will miss in an online learning approach. Interaction is possible, through online means, but some students find it more effective in learning face-to-face with actual interaction inside the classroom.

Preparation And Development

Learning tools for digital learning have evolved and made them convenient and comprehensive for learning. However, developments in specific courses will definitely require further learning that can only be achieved through face-to-face lessons.

Learning development is also quite challenging especially for courses that often require physical interaction like cooking, medicine and technical courses like welding , machining and the like.

Security And Cheating

Another major disadvantage with digital learning is the security and efficiency of handling examinations. Technology can easily solve problems without that much damage. It may take a lot of discipline for a student to be able to resist the temptation of getting online help when it comes to dealing with examinations hosted online. Handling data and privacy can also be a huge issue when it comes to digital learning.

Although proven to be efficient, especially during the pandemic, e-learning still has its imperfections. But with the risk and fears that come with returning to the usual set-up in learning, digitalization will still remain a feasible learning avenue for most college students.

At the end of the day, we all have to adapt to these changes. Let’s just hope that the imperfections are just part of the learning curve.