Online versus Traditional Education: The Legitimacy of Online Education is not Guaranteed Compared to Traditional Education (Essay Sample)

ONLINE VERSES TRADITIONAL EDUCATION
Name
Institution
Introduction
The last decade has seen a proliferation of online education models as a means to expand education. This is due to the need to reach out to a wider market in the education sector, as it is with other sectors of the economy. It is also a result of the growing demand for education in geographically dispersed locations. This way, institutions, notably those offering higher education, continue to develop fully fledged curriculums for a wide array of courses, complete with projects, course works and examinations for distance learning. E learning is the most dominant approach to online education. Other approaches, such as MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) are gaining popularity, especially in cases where the Institution intends to offer free education.
However, online education raises questions on the quality of learning, as well as the integrity of examination. It also evokes serious questions on the legitimacy and validity of qualifications acquired through the same, since this learning model differs from traditional education.
Claim
The legitimacy of online education is not guaranteed compared to traditional education.
Data
The legitimacy of online education is challenged by the integrity of examinations that are done online, as well as the minimum thresh-hold for course work and classes attended. These variables are extremely difficult to consolidate for online teaching and professional development. Lai (2001) explains that for online learning to remain effective, it must seek to establish integrity and validity of academic concerns such as class attendance and a transparent method of examination. The lack of solid verification and validation means beyond access to the learning system compromises the legitimacy of online education.
In addition, universities that offer certain forms of online education, notably, MOOCs, do not offer accreditation on the same. In fact, this model is simply used to offer free information, and not the certification itself.
The work of Holmes and Gardener (2006) suggests concepts and practices for online learning. Most of the propositions brought forward, such as interactions and the development of feedback structures seek to emulate traditional learning. These propositions point out to weaknesses inherent to online learning. The lack of physical presence and interaction among learners, and between lecturers and their students is probably the biggest weakness of online learning.
The value of interaction and feedback in the learning process cannot be overstated. For learning to remain effective and efficient, the learning environment must facilitate open discussions for brainstorming and the exchange of ideas. Online education or e learning cannot fully simulate the conditions of a traditional classroom, regardless of the extent to which technology and innovation have been employed to achieve the same. Students not only need to learn from the teachers, but also from each other.
Adaptive instructional instruments and materials are susceptible to failure. Thomas (2011) identifies this as a major drawback of online learning. This can be due to hardware faults, software issues, and compatibility across different technological platforms, wear and tear among many others. This is not the case with traditional learning. While the weaknesses of the information technology and infrastructure can be rectified with ease, they do amount to delays and inefficiency. This can lead to poor, failed or untimely delivery of class material.
Qualifier
The extent to which online learning is being embraced with notable success challenges any doubt that this method of learning is ineffective. In fact, there are no records of employers who place any bias in recruitment based on online or traditional education. This further proves that online education is legitimate and effective. In addition, the content of the syllabus, course works, academic projects and examinations is identical in online and traditional learning. This is an accurate indicator that the method of presentation does not affect the quality or legitimacy of online education. The lack of a defined set of variables to challenge the validity of online l...