Online Learning Becoming the New Way to Learn Online learning is gradually becoming the new way to attend college. Online learning is becoming more popular than traditional classroom settings for students. Online or distance learning has great advantages with its flexibility as individuals can do learning at many times of the day from any location with an internet connection (Tseng 115). These advantages have lead to many educational institutions developing online learning in the past ten years, as this is a convenient way for students to learn (Tseng 115). Individuals want to attend school but cannot go to traditional classes as they may have other conflicts. Online learning allows these individuals to attend school where they may not be able to otherwise. The main reason students choose online learning over traditional learning is for the flexibility (Tseng 115). The online learning environment allows students to be flexible about when they attend school. Traditional learning environments typically occur during the day or night. Many online learners would be unable to attend school during the day as they work full-time or are in the military. Night classes may even be difficult as many also have family responsibilities. Online learning allows them to be able to work around their own schedules. Traditional learning was the only way to learn until about ten years ago. With the technology boom now most American households have a computer and internet (Lytle 1). Online learning courses utilize discussion boards or forums to replicate the lectures of traditional classrooms. Students learn more from active discussion than they do from traditional classrooms as they typically participate more (Lytle 1). Students in an online learning environment tend to retain the information better as they have had an active role in participating unlike some large lecture halls of traditional classrooms (McGorry 50). This involvement is another reason some
