Topic > Argumentative Essay on Online Education - 1030

Society is feeling the impact of the change in educational options. However, even though there are more opportunities for students, there is another open door for inequality to occur. As technology advances, a social phenomenon is beginning to change the way Americans earn college degrees. Approximately 3.2 million students were enrolled in at least one fully online course in the fall 2005 semester (Clark-Ibanez & Scott, 2008). The effects of technological advances in education are impacting the way students learn, leaving some students with limited options. Some students within society need to learn online to complete college degrees due to their lifestyle. Additionally, some may suggest that online learning is benefiting our students in society. There has been a shift in the temporal and geographic limitations of education via online courses (Ho, 2009). Online education is cost-effective, efficient, and easily accessible (Schmeeckle, 2003). Online classes are used for individual and independent learning where the student can learn at their own pace (Gonzalez, 2009). Not only is online education helpful in breaking down barriers, but it has the potential to help students learn material more efficiently. Students are more likely to ask their instructors for help when material is taught online (Whipp & Lorentz, 2009). The use of computers in statistics lessons could help reduce mathematics anxiety (Gundy, Morton, Liu, & Kline, 2006). In a study that measured the ability of online students to achieve the same efficiency with the course material as in-person students, at least 98% of students reported doing so, so one might be led to believe that online learning is equally effective. as efficient as in-person courses (Liebowitz, 2003). With all the positive aspects of online education, you might wonder why there is a debate about whether or not online education is beneficial to