Why Is Online Education Better Than Traditional Education

It is understood that school is important, but is it effective? How much are students really learning? There is much debate about the different teaching approaches and how effective each one is. A question to ask is do students learn best by taking notes, watching videos, working in groups, creating physical projects, or something else? In the technological era of today, it is important to talk about the effectiveness of online education and whether or not it is something that should be implemented in more schools across America. Already, many schools offer courses that can be taken completely online, while others have a small online component, and some say no to technology as a whole. There are points for and against this new idea of online
All in all, online education is just as good as and even better than traditional classroom education because it is the most effective teaching approach, and therefore, more schools across America should offer online courses to their students. A really easy way to compare online and traditional education is by their costs. Online education is much more cost-efficient than traditional classroom education. One way online teaching is more cost-effective is because taxpayers pay less. Because public education is paid for by the government, the citizens must provide the money for public education by paying taxes. Public education costs a lot of money. According to the article “Fast Facts” by the National Center for Education Statistics, education costs, on average, $10,000 to $12,000 per student per year (para 2). This amount includes teachers’ salaries, school lunches, utility bills, and classroom supplies. With online education, these costs are cut dramatically. With more online courses, schools can fund less staff, buy less school lunches, and downsize
Meaning, students and families have many more options when it comes to online education. For example, students can choose when to do their schoolwork. This helps students become more responsible because they have to learn how to manage their time without a teacher reminding them to complete their work. This prepares students for the rigors of college and for the workforce. Online education ensures that students are being the best they can be because students do not have to worry about outside factors that get in the way of being successful. One such factor is getting enough sleep. With online education, students do not have to wake up early and lose sleep to get to school on time, so they will be able to give their best work. Many sources state the side effects of sleep loss, including a source by the Huffington Post that says that teens who go to sleep at later times tend to “perform worse at school and experience greater emotional distress,” and “teens who don’t get enough sleep are also more likely to be inattentive” (Gregoire para 11). This shows that students suffer without sufficient sleep. So, in turn, students perform better without having to wake up early to drive to school. In addition, with online education, students have more time to do other activities such as playing sports and going to work. Often, students are unable to balance their busy schedules involving school, homework, sports, and