Advantages and disadvantages of distance learning

Abstract

Introduction. E-learning has been known and used in many countries for a long time.It is becoming more and more popular. It is a way of teaching remotely, using the latestinformation technology. It can be used in any age group, starting with pre-school teaching.In the era of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, remote learning has been mandatory due to theneed to continue the teaching process whilst at the same time reducing the risk of spreading the virus. This has revealed many advantages, but also the disadvantages of this type of teaching.Aim & methods. The aim of the work is to change the advantages and disadvantagesof remote teaching as one of the modern forms of education. The work attempts to showthe problems related to the risks and diffi culties associated with distance learning and theadvantages of the development of information technology. We reviewed recent literatureon e- learning in Poland. We supplemented it with our own observations.Results & Conclusions. Reviewed empirical studies from Poland suggest that the mainadvantages of distance learning are professional development of teachers, intergenerational experience exchange, time saving, the possibility of learning at a pace adapted tothe student, access to a large quantity of teaching materials as well as the development andexpansion of IT infrastructure. The main disadvantages are lack of peer interactions, theneed to spend a lot of time in front of the computer, lack of physical activity, diffi culties inindependent assimilation of new material, lack of direct contact with the teacher, lack ofcomputer equipment and inadequate housing conditions, lower didactic effects, social andeconomic exclusion.E-Learning is an excellent form of learning, due to its many advantages such as timesavings and access to a wide range of materials, but requires a lot of commitment from thelecturers to encourage students to expand their knowledge and on the part of students selfcontrol and motivation.