Education gives you leverage in professional growth, and it also awards you a respected identity in society. It helps you gain the knowledge and confidence that assists in your career and gives you an upper edge to influence society for the better mutual good. The more educated you are, the more sensible decision you will be able to take in real life. As our whole society stands on the pillars of skills & education, upgrading yourself with relevant education is important. 

Distance learning as the name suggests is a mode of study where the teacher and student are separated by time and location; and connect through various mediums. In the old era, teachers and students used to connect through the medium of mail, television, and radio. And in the contemporary world, the modes of teaching have evolved with the advent of technology. Today, teachers and students connect through audio and video conferencing. 

Distance learning has become a preferable alternative to mainstream education. The trend shows continued growth due to the fact that full-time employees, military personnel, remote non-residents, and individuals are more inclined towards distance education. The curriculum of distance education is designed in a way that suits students from diverse backgrounds. They are taught hard & soft skills which also nourish them with skills that employers want to see in the candidates.

Online learning has many advantages over the mainstream education system that benefits the aspirants. It offers the freedom of learning at your own pace & place. Higher distance education can give you international exposure, lifelong learning, and even job opportunities in your favourite country.

With the help of distance education working professionals can upskill without leaving their job. Having acquired the in-demand skills, they can see growth in their career with higher responsibilities and managerial positions. These meticulously crafted skills help them become more productive and efficient. The power of distance learning has grown so much that everyone wants to make the most of it from the comfort of their own homes. 

Choose the course you aspire for, and start learning from your comfy couch or at your favourite cafe. Since distance learning programs do not require you to be physically present in the classroom or to follow a set schedule, you are free to set your own schedule and place.

There is no need to sacrifice your financially supporting job in order to gain a gratifying certification or degree. You can easily access the recorded lectures after wrapping up your 9-to-6 office. Isn’t it rewarding to get a salary and certifications at the same time?

Lectures are delivered remotely and via recorded sessions, so you are not bound by location. You won't have to look for a shared flat or Airbnb close to your education provider. Choose any school, anywhere in the country or internationally, that offers the program you want.

It is evident that a chunk of money goes into tuition fees for regular courses, but that is not true for distance learning. The tuition fee for distance education is significantly low. Also, the cost of travelling and accommodation is cut down. Many programmes like NMIMS distance MBA offer convenient payment options to pay annually, semester-wise, or even monthly.

Distance education gives you the leverage to learn without limiting or soaring your pace. You can devote 10 hours a week or more depending on your schedule and level of understanding of the concepts. There is no competition for catching up the academics with your peers.

These programs are often meticulously crafted by industry experts and emphasize teaching in-demand skills. Skill-based education instils necessary job-ready qualities in aspirants that help them quickly adapt and excel at their respective workplaces. 

Due to extreme time & location flexibility, not all students are able to concentrate on their course due to lack of attention. They consider the lack of interaction with students and professors to be the biggest drawback of distance learning. Online classes isolate you. You will have to be self-motivated and proactive to complete the course you initiated.

Many working professionals choose to opt for higher education programmes just to relive & cherish college life. But Taking online classes can make you feel like you're missing out on on-campus activities. 

As learning and other activities are conducted online, it's hard to gain practical knowledge in distance learning mode. Practical industry skills are hard to learn via virtual mode. Such skills require hands-on practice. Even modern simulators cannot build the ‘working memory’ required to execute those tasks with efficiency & pace.

4. Not all courses/certificates are recognized

If you are seeking a certificate for employment or promotions, make sure it is recognized by your employer, and by other institutions. The course provider must be recognised by institutions like UGC, and AICTE. Or else all your money and efforts spent on the course will go in vain.

Also referred to as conventional education, traditional education requires students to gather in one place where the lectures are delivered face-to-face. This mode of education is primarily teacher-centred, while the offline mode is student-centred. The learners clear their doubts through personal or group discussions with their peers or teachers. The knowledge, that the students acquire, depends on the knowledge of their teachers to a much extent.

Students get chance to interact with peers and build lifelong friendships. This also imparts socialisation & networking skills and they learn to share and respect others.

You get chance to get hands-on experience and apply knowledge to promote real time learning. With practical learning students can learn at a faster pace.

Students can interact directly with teachers. They can ask questions and receive in-depth clarification on any areas they have doubts about.

Students are given a specific time and break time for each lesson. This roaster is planned from the beginning and students are required to follow this routine, thus, being punctual and disciplined.

Traditional training follows a strict schedule, which presents a challenge for working professionals and busy mothers.

Traditional training Includes mostly theory-based classes and fewer activity-based classes due to a lack of time which leads to a lack of understanding. 

In Traditional training, tutors and academic books are the main sources of information. Students cannot learn new things and their knowledge is limited to what the academic books and lecturers teach them.

Traditional training is very expensive owing to the fact that the institution have to maintain the huge infrastructure, and fees of the staff.

To conclude, we’ve witnessed that both traditional & online education have many pros and cons. The choice of mode of learning depends on the individual’s goals, choices and circumstances. However, broadly it is observed that online mode is preferred by working professionals, while the traditional mode is opted by full time students. But there is no denying that the degrees achievded by either of the programmes make a huge impact on the career.