There are many reasons why more and more people are enrolling in online courses these days. Other than obvious reasons like easy schedules and convenience of learning from home, there are also many other advantages of an online course.
Learning at your own pace:
Unlike regular college courses, which have fixed schedules and timings, in the case of an online course, you can set the time and pace at which you wish to learn. In a sphere like photography, for example, this assumes critical importance.
Photography is a very creative subject and it takes time to learn the subtle nuances and skills. After each lesson, it is important to go over the subjects learnt and apply them practically. Since colleges have limited timeframes within which they have to complete a course, the pace is often rushed. In an online course, however, the candidate can choose to learn at the pace that he or she wishes.
Practical sessions:
Today, most online photography courses offer practical sessions, which help students apply new techniques learnt. Usually, after each lesson, there are assignments, which students need to complete and submit within a timeframe. Some of these are assessed assignments, while others are for practice purposes only. Nevertheless, taking up these assignments helps students realize their strengths and weakness in photography. In addition, most reputed online photography courses have their own panel of expert photographers and guides who provide assistance and feedback on the candidate’s photographs. Such a customized opinion helps students understand spheres where they can improve their skills.
Anytime and anywhere:
Geographical constraints are very evident in the case of a regular college course in photography. If a student in China wishes to learn photography in Australia it would need financing and transportation to learn the subject. On the other hand, with an online course, a student is free to study at whichever time is convenient to him or her. Besides, there is also the flexibility to learn the course from the comfort of home. There is no need to travel to the classroom and be there at a fixed time, which is usually a common constraint with regular college courses.
Cost effectiveness:
One of the other driving factors behind the increased success of online photography courses is that these are less expensive compared to college and offline courses. Since campus-based photography courses need to hire trained personnel, the costs of the course automatically go up. In an online course, there is no such constraint and students access all uploaded training materials anytime. Therefore, the costs are lesser comparatively.
Equality of environment:
In an online classroom, there is no scope for discrimination based on age, religion, caste, social status, sex etc. In a college photography course, such issues could arise, leading to a learning environment that indulges in partiality. Every student can ask their questions through chat rooms, discussion boards and classroom activities. Even students who are shy in real life can effectively communicate with their professors in an online classroom and clarify doubts.