Distance Education

5 Pros:

1. You get to work from your own home. -This makes it easier for parents that are not comfortable with having their children in the public school system and gives them a chance to teach their child.
2. You get the advantage of collaborating with others from all over the country (or state). -This can help with subjects of diversity and learning about other places based on who your "classmates" are.
3. There are deadlines. -So it isn't like a correspondence course where you have to pace your own self. You can still have the structure of doing work but without being in a classroom.
4. Sometimes there are more choices. -Some rural schools may not be able to offer some of the classes that an online one could. This could help with those that are looking for more challenging classes.
5. You can set your own pace. -While there are deadlines to help you, you still have the freedom of working at night, in the morning, after work, etc. The day is more flexible.

5 Con's

1. Little to none face-to-face interaction. -While some online schools offer meeting times or other get-togethers, for the most part you will be interacting with students over the computer and don't get the personal communication you would in a traditional school setting.
2. It may be more difficult to get help when you need it. -If you are struggling with an assignment or any other part of the curriculum you may not have the direct and immediate help that you would from a teacher in a traditional classroom.
3. You have to rely on your equipment and Internet services. -If you have technical difficulties you may have trouble using your computer or the Internet, which means if an assignment or any other work is due and you are unable to get online to post it then you may be penalized.
4. The freedom. -While this is also a pro, it can be a con as well. Sometimes students need the structure of an everyday school setting. If a student does not have this then they may be more apt to "blow off" assignments since they have their own time to do and there is not a teacher there to penalize them.
5. May not be the "best" education possible. -Without a teacher right there instructing you, you may not be getting the best education there is. An example is science. If a classroom is doing a science experiment in a lab in a traditional classroom, will the video or instructions of the experiment be as beneficial as the hands on experiment? Probably not.