Online Learning After the global Covid-19 pandemic, the number of students attending face-to-face classes is reported to continue decreasing. Does it imply that online education will make a good substitute for one offline? The purpose of this essay is to examine advantages and disadvantages of virtual learning. On the one hand, distance classes enable undergraduates to study more efficiently and effectively. To start with, one can save much time, for they do not have to commute. To illustrate, according to statistics, an average student spends at least 3 hours a day on the road to the university and back home. Therefore, scholars no longer feel pressure to rush with their home assignments and are able to learn at a slower pace, which appears to enhance their academic performance. As proof, recent studies conducted by Indonesian experts show that the application of e-learning method in English classes increased students’ achievement by at least 3%. On the other hand, online education is not necessary an effective option for all. Firstly, it requires a certain mindset and great focus of undergraduates, as many struggle to concentrate on the screen for a long time. As a result, their attention starts to wander, and they easily get distracted from the learning process by social media or other sites. Secondly, as regards distance education, it is crucial that students have consistent Internet connection, which is not always the case as seen from the new ITU report, according to which two-thirds of young people aged 25 years or less have no internet access at home. To sum up, online learning has both benefits and drawbacks. While for some it proves effective, saving their time and assisting in achieving better academic results, for others it is too problematic as they experience difficulties with Internet connectivity and concentration. WC: 299
