The Pros and Cons of Getting Your Teaching Degree Online

If you’re planning on getting your teaching degree, you have a very important decision ahead of you. Which higher education institution will you attend? Of course, there are lots of different options available to you. You need to find one that will be best suited to you—your schedule, your learning style, your budget, etc. Have you considered getting your teaching degree online? There are advantages and disadvantages to this. Let’s consider the following pros and cons of getting your teaching degree online to help you make the best decision for yourself.

Pros of getting your teaching degree online

1. Online courses are convenient; you can take the courses at your own pace wherever and whenever you want.
2. If you plan to work while attending school, the flexibility of online courses helps you balance your schedule.
3. When studying online courses, you can find ways to customize your lessons and tailor them to better meet your needs.
4. Online courses can be less expensive, especially since you don’t need to travel or find housing near your campus.
5. People across the nation from all different backgrounds take online courses. Therefore, you can meet a wide range of people.
6. Depending on the program that you choose, you might be able to complete the online teaching degree faster than you would complete an on-site degree.
7. Online classes still require class discussions. However, the online format is a great way to get everyone to participate. You won’t have just a couple of students running the conversation, so introverts can participate more, making the discussion more meaningful overall.

Cons

1. Online courses limit your social interactions, which can reduce your opportunity for networking.
2. You don’t have to travel to campus, but you do need the proper equipment to complete your online coursework. You should have access to high-speed Internet, software, and a computer.
3. It’s been said that online assessments are not as effective as in-class assessments. This may impact how well you work to understand the information.
4. Taking online courses requires a great amount of self-motivation to keep up with your classes. If you struggle with this, you may fall behind in your classes.
5. Communicating online makes it difficult to reach your professors and classmates when you need them sometimes.
6. If you plan to transfer to a different college later on, you need to make sure that your credits will transfer. Some schools won’t accept your credits for one reason or another.
7. Some online teaching programs create the coursework based on the teaching needs of the state in which the school resides. They cover specific state regulations, which won’t matter if you choose to teach in a different state.

After weighing the pros and cons of getting your teaching degree online, determine if this is the right option for you. Make sure that you choose a program that will prepare you to become an effective teacher.