pros and cons of k 12 essay

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The Pros and Cons of K-12 Education System

Exploring the benefits and drawbacks of k-12 education.

The K-12 education system has been a subject of debate and discussion among educators, policymakers, and parents for many years. This system covers the education journey from kindergarten to grade 12, offering a comprehensive approach to academic and personal growth for students. While K-12 has its merits, it also comes with its share of challenges. In this article, we'll delve into the advantages and disadvantages of the K-12 education system to provide a balanced view of its impact on students and society.

K-12 education is a fundamental stage in a student's life, shaping their academic and personal development in significant ways. However, it is essential to examine both the positive and negative aspects of this system in order to make informed decisions about its effectiveness. By understanding the advantages and disadvantages of K-12, we can work towards enhancing its strengths and addressing its limitations for the betterment of education.

The K-12 education system offers several advantages that contribute to a well-rounded learning experience for students. These benefits play a crucial role in shaping their educational journey and preparing them for future success.

Missing a pro?

While K-12 education holds several advantages, it also presents certain challenges and drawbacks that warrant consideration. Identifying these limitations is essential for implementing targeted improvements and addressing the potential shortcomings of the system.

Missing a con?

In weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the K-12 education system, it becomes evident that while it offers a structured and comprehensive approach to student learning, there are also limitations in terms of flexibility and individualized progression. By recognizing these aspects, educators and policymakers can work towards optimizing the strengths of K-12 while addressing its drawbacks to create a more adaptable and inclusive educational environment.

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K to 12: What Advantages and Disadvantages Has It Created?

• BusinessMirror
• May 19, 2022
• 8 minute read

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What are the advantages of k to 12 program in the philippines, k to 12 led to higher quality education in the philippines, students can choose tracks as early as grade 10 with k to 12, k to 12 programs in the philippines will produce employable senior graduates, what are the disadvantages of k to 12 program in the philippines, philippine k to 12 implementation places excessive pressure on educators, k to 12 may just be a band-aid solution for philippine education.

In recent years, the Philippine educational system has undergone major changes in both execution and duration. In a bid to improve the competency of Filipino students and follow the international standards of education, schools and educational institutions have transitioned into using the K to 12 programs in the Philippines, effectively adding three years to the former curriculum with the establishment of a junior and senior high school level. While the end goal of the Philippine K to 12 curriculum is a noble one, it has not been met with unanimous agreement, with various critiques slamming the rushed transition to the program and the lack of facilities and training for educators.

In this article, we will discuss the advantages and possible drawbacks of this educational reform in the Philippines through K to 12 programs, and why lawmakers and academics have not been filtering their criticisms on why the K to 12 programs may pose more burdens for Filipino families and students.

Before the K to 12 program was implemented in the Philippine Education System, primary and secondary education in the Philippines used to entail only 10 years of schooling, of which the first six years covered elementary school and the last four years covered high school.

While the Philippines thrived with this system, it remained as the sole country that used this program in Southeast Asia. This was one of the driving factors why the Department of Education proposed the implementation of K to 12. With the adoption of the K to 12 Program, however, basic education now covers 13 years, with the following key stages: Kindergarten to Grade 3; Grades 4 to 6; Grades 7 to 10 (compulsory junior high school); Grades 11 and 12 (senior high school).

When the K to 12 educational program was signed into law in May 2013 by the late President Benigno Aquino III, teachers and institutions were both hopeful and dubious about what it had in store for both the students and the schools around the country. Some of the advantages that were presented by the Philippine K to 12 programs revolved around better student training, and better competency of students on a global scale – with the officials claiming that Filipino students who graduate from senior high school will not only be ready for employment but will also be up to par with the international education standards.

With the national government’s backing, the Department of Education aimed to improve the quality of education for public schools. With full funding for instructional programs and facilities that will build students’ skills and knowledge, DepEd intended to make senior high graduates employable even without a college education.

The rigorous K to 12 Program uses high-standard instructional programs to build student’s knowledge and skills in different subject areas, including courses that make them employable as they finish high school. Gone are the days when students finish their college diplomas even as young as 20 years old but cannot compete with their Asian neighbors.

Together with a specific focus on better education, the government also allocated funds to train teachers through continuous training and seminars to equip them with the crucial know-how to help students forge a path towards the career that they want. With the teachers’ and educational custodians’ empowerment, they can lead Philippine education to a more advanced and student-centered system of learning.

With the K-12 program, Filipino students stand to benefit from better-equipped teachers as the government has lined up continuous trainings and seminars for their professional development. More empowered school personnel and principals are now more effective, as we advance to a technical and student-centered system of teaching and learning designed for the students of the next millennium.

Aside from better training and skills attainment, students are given three tracks and multiple strands that will help them forge a path on the specialization or career they’re planning on pursuing. The DepEd promised to offer higher quality education through these tracks, which will give students enough time to master a field and enhance their skills. In the end, K to 12 program graduates will become globally competitive and ready for the expanding labor market.

Through three different tracks – academic, technical-vocational-livelihood, and sports and arts – students are able to focus on courses and subjects that will help them transition to their college courses or onto careers after graduation.

With Philippine K to 12 designed as a student-centered curriculum, students are given the freedom to take on a more hands-on role in choosing what they will learn. Compared to the traditional curriculum, students will not be subjected to pre-chosen subjects. Instead, they will be given enough flexibility to choose tracks and further finetune their education.

Aside from a clearer track, K to 12 also provides students with the necessary skills and knowledge to be readily employable if they wish to work after senior high school. Together with academic and technical courses offered in senior high school, students will also be given the choice of taking entrepreneurship courses so that they’ll be trained with the skills and competencies they’ll need to establish businesses after graduation.

SHS graduates will also be allowed to apply for certifications through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) so that they can further improve their skillsets and equip themselves with better knowledge acquisition for immediate employment. With specialized K to 12 courses, the implementation of this curriculum will not only produce highly skilled graduates but will also bring forth individuals who are competent enough to be employable in the global labor market.

While the K to 12 program in the Philippines is aimed to help improve the quality of education in the Philippines and produce better skilled students for maximum employability, K to 12 has also been bombarded with criticisms, mainly on the financial ability of Filipinos to support their children through three additional years of school. Under the current setup, two more years of school means thousands more in expenses. And under the K to 12 Program, which requires students to choose one of three SHS tracks in their curriculum, things are about to get pricier.

Since it was signed into law, there have been five petitions and counting from students, teachers and parents claiming that the new K to 12 educational program will, among other issues, aggravate the financial situation of Filipino families and force millions to drop out of school. Unfortunately, this additional financial burden also forces thousands or even millions of students to drop out of school due to additional educational expenses. As much as this educational development can help students, Filipino parents and families are ill-equipped.

In the third petition filed by the National Union of People’s Lawyers they say that “The K to 12 Program is no ordinary government program. It is set to redefine access to education, especially for the poor who must spend for additional years of education. It unduly burdens the exercise of the human right to education.”

In a study done by youth solon Kabataan Party-List (KPL), students who are going to be entering senior high school will need to access as much as PHP200,000 for the next two additional years. Computing the food and transportation allowance of average students of P100 to P150 for 200 school days, families will need to produce around P20,000 to P30,000 annually. Meanwhile, calculating the cost of school supplies and other miscellaneous expenses, such as uniforms and workbooks, based on Department of Trade and Industry data and case studies from Araullo High School, KPL estimates another P10,000 burden for parents brought on by the K to 12 program.

But aside from the additional expenses, the financial issue may further be aggravated since not all public high schools will be able to offer senior high school education. According to DepEd data, almost half of public schools around the country will not be implementing SHS courses due to the lack of classrooms and teachers. In fact, less than half, or 3,839, out of 7,976 public high school nationwide will implement SHS courses, according to the DepEd’s list of K to 12 program-ready schools. To graduate from senior high, public-school students may be forced to transfer to private schools or public schools that are farther from their residences. These translate to higher tuition fees and equipment for vocational courses, on top of higher transportation costs.

While disadvantages of K to 12 in the Philippines generally revolve around the financial ability of students and their parents to support them through two additional years of school, another drawback is how it places pressure on Filipino educators, especially in public schools. Teachers and other educational custodians are required to undergo extensive training to be able to offer the courses that need to be taught to senior high school students and at the same time juggle large classes often seen in the public school system.

With an educational system that does not always provide the needs and requirements of teachers to be well equipped and well-prepared for every class they need to teach, the K to 12 forces them to take on larger loads and higher pressure just to deliver high-quality education to students.

In addition to these K to 12 disadvantages, lesson plans and courses also need to be completely overhauled. Together with students who would need to adjust to two additional years in school, teachers will also need enough time to adjust to the new load that they need to bear.

While public schools are now offering free education and better equipment, a lot of Philippine towns and villages still lack access to educational institutions within their communities. From students needing to tread mountains and travel through rivers and teachers needing to pay for their own supplies, the educational system and government support is still lacking, and adding two more years to the overall curriculum may not be as perfectly executed by all schools around the country.

Instead of the government improving the educational system in and of itself and furnishing all schools and institutions with the tools and equipment they need to maximize learning for the students, the implementation of the K to 12 program in the Philippines may only be adding to the struggles of teachers and students to both offer and access formal education.

In the end, before DepEd attempts to improve the country’s basic education curriculum at par with supposed international standards, the government needs to make sure if the youth can enroll at all. At the current state of things, education—more importantly, public education—has come with a hefty price tag. And what good is any touted enhancement of education if the youth cannot access it in the first place?

Image credits: Visual Generation | Dreamstime.com

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Advantages And Disadvantages Of K-12 Education

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Introduction

• An enhanced curriculum will decongest academic workload, giving students more time to master competencies and skills as well as time for other learning opportunities beyond the classroom, thus allowing for a more holistic development.
• Graduates will possess competencies and skills relevant to the job market. The K-12 proposal will be designed to adjust and meet the fast-changing demands of society to prepare graduates with skills essential for the world of
• Graduates will be prepared for higher education. Due to an enhanced curriculum that will provide relevant content and attuned with the changing needs of the times, basic education will ensure sufficient mastery of core subjects to its graduates such that graduates may opt to pursue higher education if they choose to.
• Graduates will be able to earn higher wages and/or better prepared to start their own business. There is a strong correlation between educational attainment and wage structure and studies specific to the Philippine setting show that an additional year of schooling increases earnings by 7.5%. This should also allow greater access to higher education for self-supporting students.
• Graduates could now be recognized abroad. Filipino graduates, e.g. engineers, architects, doctors, etc., could now be recognized as professionals in other countries. Those who intend to study abroad will meet the entrance requirements of foreign schools.

Disadvantages

• The K-12 program provides ample time for students to master the basic education and global competence.
• The program will not work if the government doesn’t resolve the funding of the resources.
• http://www.k12academics.com/education-policy/year-round-school/disadvantages
• http://www.academia.edu/1525168/K12_Educational_System_in_the_Philippines_-_A_Policy_Paper
• Inquirer.net - Private schools exempted from DepEd 'no tuition increase' policy
• CNN Philippines - DepEd urges parents, students to enrol for SY 2020-2021

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Pros and Cons of K12

• Post author: admin
• Post published: February 26, 2018
• Post category: Education
• Post comments: 2 Comments

K 12 is a system of education in Europe, Asia, South America, and some parts of Africa where students are subjected to the first year in Kindergarten school and 12 years of primary and high school. This model of education has had its own share of advantages and disadvantages. We take a look at some of the pros and cons of this model.

1 . Preparedness for tertiary learning : k12 education system is extensive with different grades that are designed to prepare learners for tertiary education through stage-by-stage learning and preparation.

2 . Readiness to join the workforce : k12 is important because each stage is divided into various units that are designed to offer the student enough preparatory materials for the workplace. The content given is designed to ready the student for various scenarios in the workplace.

3 . It builds capacity in children : k12 is designed in such a way that each stage has enough content to equip the child with information and allow them to make independent decisions that affect their lives.

4 . It creates stages in education : The 12 years in primary school and high school breaks down an otherwise compact education system that would have been overburdening if it were not broken down into manageable components.

5 . It promotes easy understanding : By breaking the system down into various stages of learning, children are able to easily understand what is taught as they mature gradually at each stage of education.

6 . It creates a conducive learning environment : The k12 system of education is broken down into various stages that accommodate like-minded children thus creating a conducive learning environment for all students.

7 . It encourages respect in schools : The k12 education system bolsters respect among the students owing to the fact that each student belongs to a particular grade that identifies seniors and juniors within the school.

8 . It builds skills for the global economy : k12, like all other education systems, is designed to build skills for the betterment of the global economy. The skills learned at this level can be employed in various places of work for productivity.

9 . It promotes development : k12 education system promotes development both within the school and outside the school because it equips students with the necessary skills needed for development.

10 . It creates order in schools : k12 system creates order in schools by defining each and every student based on the grade in which he/she belongs.

1 . It creates factions:  By segregating the students in such a manner, it is easy to create factions that would lead to divisions in the school.

2 . It is lengthy : k12 education model requires that students stay in school for thirteen years before they can join tertiary education. This is long and tiresome especially for children who are growing up.

3 . It encourages repetition : k12 grading is such that each of the students will be measured by how good they are in each class. Those who fail to pass qualifying exams are forced to repeat the grade.

4 . It is tiresome : Children going through this mode of education are required to stay in class for up to 8 hours each day for 13 years. This is not only lengthy but it is also tiresome.

5 . It diminishes students’ interest to study:  Like any other long process, children are most likely to lose interest in studying by the time they hit the halfway mark in this type of education.

6 . It is costly for parents : The k12 system of education is costly especially due to the fact that it is lengthy and requires students to stay in school for several years.

7 . Schools lack enough facilities: Some schools with this system of education lack enough facilities owing to the high demand that the system puts on the already limited resources.

8 . Only beneficial to private schools : The system is only beneficial to private schools that are out to make a profit but are costly for government schools.

9 . Needs a lot of money from the government : The government-funded schools require a lot of money to manage the system. The money could have been channeled to other uses.

10 . It increases the teacher’s time in class : Teachers are required to stay in class for very long periods of time and this robs them of personal time.

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This post has 2 comments.

I REALLY appreciated this article! Thank you so much for putting this out there! Though it is something not commonly read, it is very true! My husband was a public and charter school teacher for a number of years and said many of the same things you’ve published here. My question would be, what would you recommend for schooling children at home? What/Which curriculum(s)? How would you do it with multiple children? Etc. We want to give them a solid, meaty education, without taking away from life; wasting time, money or resources. Thank you so much!

It’s nice that you pointed out how the K12 educational program is designed to build skills for the betterment of the global economy. Our son is about to start attending school so we’re thinking of enrolling him to a place that uses the K12 program. We missed the enrollment period this year so we’ll probably enroll him next time.

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Arguments For and Against Longer School Years

This week, President Obama repeated his support for longer school years , pointing out that in many countries, kids attend school a full month longer than American kids. Of course, in some ways, it does not matter what the president thinks of this. School years are set on the state and local level. The federal government could provide some incentive funds for such an idea, but largely the issues of money and teacher union contracts affect the issue.

But, as you will see in some of the material to follow, there is far from conclusive proof that longer school years produce better students. No doubt, the studies say, some poorer performing students would benefit. But not all would. And a longer school day might produce even better results than a longer year would. Look at the information in the chart from this report by Edu in Review .

The 180-day calendar is shorter than that of other industrialized countries, and some schools even find ways to shave days even further . A story on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s website said:

“America’s traditional 180-day school year is more myth than reality in Illinois, as a jumble of state laws, rules and waivers allow districts to chip away instruction time, shorten school hours and cut the number of days students come to school.

“While Illinois requires 176 days of ‘actual pupil attendance’ already fewer than most states the vast majority of public school districts dip below that by one or two days and sometimes more, a Tribune analysis has found.

“Some 400,000 students in Chicago Public Schools attend school 170 days, with permission from state lawmakers. A similar waiver allows a suburban district to shave eight days off its calendar so teachers can work on improving student achievement when students aren’t there.

“What’s more, the Chicago Tribune found that in many districts, a day isn’t necessarily a day.

“Hundreds of districts send kids home early or have them come in late even as much as once a week to give teachers time to get training, meet with parents or collaborate. Districts can count these shortened days toward attendance requirements.”

Other voices on this topic

A fair number of studies question whether longer school years really would result in higher performance . The students who might benefit most are the students who have special needs or need remediation, two researchers found. Longer school years would cut down on how much students forget from the end of one school year to the start of the next.

Here is a briefing paper presented in 2009 [PDF] by the Center for Education Policy, Applied Research and Evaluation at the University of Southern Maine. The key research points included the idea that extending the school day could be more beneficial than extending the school year :

• “The issue isn’t time per se, but how it is spent
• “The key to increasing achievement is not necessarily more time in school but maximizing the amount of academic learning time
• “Any addition to allocated time will only improve achievement to the extent it is used for instructional time, which must then be used for engaged time, which, in turn, must be used effectively enough to create academic learning time
• “Quality is the key to making time matter … Educators must — to the greatest extent possible — make every hour count
• “Improving the quality of instructional time is at least as important as increasing the quantity of time in school
• “Most calculations suggest that a 10 percent increase in time would require a 6 to 7 percent increase in cost but could save parents money in child care costs”

Similarly, a researcher in Germany found that a shorter time in school did not affect average students’  learning of material in the core academic subjects [PDF]. But a report by the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the American Federation of Teachers, and Massachusetts 2020 had good things to say about longer school years .

USA Today reinforced the fact that views on this topic are mixed :

” … in Miami-Dade County, Fla., a three-year program in 39 underperforming public schools that included an extended school day and a longer school year produced mixed academic results, according to a final evaluation released last month. Administrators and teachers experienced fatigue and burnout, and many students did not attend class in the beginning of the summer, the report said.

” ‘Principals and teachers also reported that proficient students felt stigmatized by the mandatory additional time, which was viewed as a punishment rather than enhancement,’ program evaluators wrote.

“Other report findings showed students scored lower on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Tests in reading or math compared with other students in the county. So it is not enough to ask how many days a kid is in school. You also have to ask what they are doing while they are in class. Half of the teachers who were part of a test group to get 300 more hours of teaching time in a school year said there was adequate time to cover the curriculum.”

So it is not enough to ask how many days a kid is in school; you also have to look at what they are doing while they are in class.

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Laptops & Learning: How Technology Is Giving K-12 Education a New Look

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New advances in technology are upending education, from the recent debut of new artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots like ChatGPT to the growing accessibility of virtual-reality tools that expand the boundaries of the classroom. For educators, at the heart of it all is the hope that every learner gets an equal chance to develop the skills they need to succeed. But that promise is not without its pitfalls.

“Technology is a game-changer for education – it offers the prospect of universal access to high-quality learning experiences, and it creates fundamentally new ways of teaching,” said Dan Schwartz, dean of Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE), who is also a professor of educational technology at the GSE and faculty director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning . “But there are a lot of ways we teach that aren’t great, and a big fear with AI in particular is that we just get more efficient at teaching badly. This is a moment to pay attention, to do things differently.”

For K-12 schools, this year also marks the end of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding program, which has provided pandemic recovery funds that many districts used to invest in educational software and systems. With these funds running out in September 2024, schools are trying to determine their best use of technology as they face the prospect of diminishing resources.

Here, Schwartz and other Stanford education scholars weigh in on some of the technology trends taking center stage in the classroom this year.

AI in the classroom

In 2023, the big story in technology and education was generative AI, following the introduction of ChatGPT and other chatbots that produce text seemingly written by a human in response to a question or prompt. Educators immediately worried that students would use the chatbot to cheat by trying to pass its writing off as their own. As schools move to adopt policies around students’ use of the tool, many are also beginning to explore potential opportunities – for example, to generate reading assignments or coach students during the writing process.

AI can also help automate tasks like grading and lesson planning, freeing teachers to do the human work that drew them into the profession in the first place, said Victor Lee, an associate professor at the GSE and faculty lead for the AI + Education initiative at the Stanford Accelerator for Learning. “I’m heartened to see some movement toward creating AI tools that make teachers’ lives better – not to replace them, but to give them the time to do the work that only teachers are able to do,” he said. “I hope to see more on that front.”

He also emphasized the need to teach students now to begin questioning and critiquing the development and use of AI. “AI is not going away,” said Lee, who is also director of CRAFT (Classroom-Ready Resources about AI for Teaching), which provides free resources to help teach AI literacy to high school students across subject areas. “We need to teach students how to understand and think critically about this technology.”

Immersive environments

The use of immersive technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality is also expected to surge in the classroom, especially as new high-profile devices integrating these realities hit the marketplace in 2024.

The educational possibilities now go beyond putting on a headset and experiencing life in a distant location. With new technologies, students can create their own local interactive 360-degree scenarios, using just a cell phone or inexpensive camera and simple online tools.

“This is an area that’s really going to explode over the next couple of years,” said Kristen Pilner Blair, director of research for the Digital Learning initiative at the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, which runs a program exploring the use of virtual field trips to promote learning. “Students can learn about the effects of climate change, say, by virtually experiencing the impact on a particular environment. But they can also become creators, documenting and sharing immersive media that shows the effects where they live.”

Integrating AI into virtual simulations could also soon take the experience to another level, Schwartz said. “If your VR experience brings me to a redwood tree, you could have a window pop up that allows me to ask questions about the tree, and AI can deliver the answers.”

Gamification

Another trend expected to intensify this year is the gamification of learning activities, often featuring dynamic videos with interactive elements to engage and hold students’ attention.

“Gamification is a good motivator, because one key aspect is reward, which is very powerful,” said Schwartz. The downside? Rewards are specific to the activity at hand, which may not extend to learning more generally. “If I get rewarded for doing math in a space-age video game, it doesn’t mean I’m going to be motivated to do math anywhere else.”

Gamification sometimes tries to make “chocolate-covered broccoli,” Schwartz said, by adding art and rewards to make speeded response tasks involving single-answer, factual questions more fun. He hopes to see more creative play patterns that give students points for rethinking an approach or adapting their strategy, rather than only rewarding them for quickly producing a correct response.

Data-gathering and analysis

The growing use of technology in schools is producing massive amounts of data on students’ activities in the classroom and online. “We’re now able to capture moment-to-moment data, every keystroke a kid makes,” said Schwartz – data that can reveal areas of struggle and different learning opportunities, from solving a math problem to approaching a writing assignment.

But outside of research settings, he said, that type of granular data – now owned by tech companies – is more likely used to refine the design of the software than to provide teachers with actionable information.

The promise of personalized learning is being able to generate content aligned with students’ interests and skill levels, and making lessons more accessible for multilingual learners and students with disabilities. Realizing that promise requires that educators can make sense of the data that’s being collected, said Schwartz – and while advances in AI are making it easier to identify patterns and findings, the data also needs to be in a system and form educators can access and analyze for decision-making. Developing a usable infrastructure for that data, Schwartz said, is an important next step.

With the accumulation of student data comes privacy concerns: How is the data being collected? Are there regulations or guidelines around its use in decision-making? What steps are being taken to prevent unauthorized access? In 2023 K-12 schools experienced a rise in cyberattacks, underscoring the need to implement strong systems to safeguard student data.

Technology is “requiring people to check their assumptions about education,” said Schwartz, noting that AI in particular is very efficient at replicating biases and automating the way things have been done in the past, including poor models of instruction. “But it’s also opening up new possibilities for students producing material, and for being able to identify children who are not average so we can customize toward them. It’s an opportunity to think of entirely new ways of teaching – this is the path I hope to see.”

Top Pro and Con Arguments – Should Tablets Replace Textbooks in K-12 Schools?

Textbook publishing in the United States is an $11 billion industry, with five companies – Cengage Learning, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill, Pearson Education, and Scholastic – capturing about 80% of this market. Tablets are an $18 billion industry with 53% of US adults, 81% of US children aged eight to 17, and 42% of US children aged under eight, owning a tablet. Explore the tablets vs. textbooks debate with sourced pro and con arguments about student achievement, health, the environment, costs, and the digital divide.

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Natalie Leppard Managing Editor [email protected]

© 2023 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved

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The pros and cons of online learning

What to look for in an online course.

By: MIT xPRO

If you’re at a point in your life where you’re considering continuing your education, you may wonder if online learning is the right path for you.

Taking an online course requires a notable investment of time, effort, and money, so it’s important to feel confident about your decision before moving forward. While online learning works incredibly well for some people, it’s not for everyone.

We recently sat down with MIT xPRO Senior Instructional Designer and Program Manager Luke Hobson to explore the pros and cons of online learning and what to look for in an online course. If you’re waiting for a sign about whether or not to enroll in that course you’ve been eying, you just might find it here.

Pros of Online Learning

First, let’s take a look at the true value of online learning by examining some of the benefits:

1. Flexibility

Online learning’s most significant advantage is its flexibility. It’s the reason millions of adults have chosen to continue their education and pursue certificates and degrees.

Asynchronous courses allow learners to complete work at their own pace, empowering them to find the optimal time to consume the content and submit assignments.

Some people are more attentive, focused, and creative in the mornings compared to the evenings and vice versa. Whatever works best for the learners should be the priority of the learning experience.

2. Community

When Luke asks people about their main reason for enrolling in a course, a common answer is networking and community.

Learners crave finding like-minded individuals who are going through the same experiences and have the same questions. They want to find a place where they belong. Being in the company of others who understand what they’re going through can help online learners who are looking for support and motivation during challenging times and times that are worth celebrating.

Some learners have created study groups and book clubs that have carried on far beyond the end of the course-it’s amazing what can grow from a single post on a discussion board!

3. Latest information

“Speed is a massive benefit of online learning,” and according to Luke, it often doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

“When we say speed, we don’t mean being quick with learning. We mean actual speed to market. There are so many new ideas evolving within technical spaces that it’s impossible to keep courses the way they were originally designed for a long period of time.”

Luke notes that a program on Additive Manufacturing , Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality , or Nanotechnology must be checked and updated frequently. More formal learning modalities have difficulty changing content at this rapid pace. But within the online space, it’s expected that the course content will change as quickly as the world itself does.

Cons of Online Learning

Now that we’ve looked at some of the biggest pros of online learning, let’s examine a few of the drawbacks:

1. Learning environment

While many learners thrive in an asynchronous learning environment, others struggle. Some learners prefer live lessons and an instructor they can connect with multiple times a week. They need these interactions to feel supported and to persist.

Most learners within the online space identify themselves as self-directed learners, meaning they can learn on their own with the right environment, guidance, materials, and assignments. Learners should know themselves first and understand their preferences when it comes to what kind of environment will help them thrive.

2. Repetition

One drawback of online courses is that the structure can be repetitive: do a reading, respond to two discussion posts, submit an essay, repeat. After a while, some learners may feel disengaged from the learning experience.

There are online courses that break the mold and offer multiple kinds of learning activities, assessments, and content to make the learning experience come alive, but it may take some research to find them-more on what to look for in an online course later in this article! Luke and his colleagues at MIT xPRO are mindful of designing courses that genuinely engage learners from beginning to end.

3. Underestimation

Luke has noticed that some learners underestimate how much work is required in an online course. They may mistakenly believe that online learning is somehow “easier” compared to in-person learning.

For those learners who miscalculate how long they will need to spend online or how challenging the assignments can be, changing that mindset is a difficult process. It’s essential to set aside the right amount of time per week to contribute to the content, activities, and assignments. Creating personal deadlines and building a study routine are two best practices that successful online learners follow to hold themselves accountable.

Experience the Value of Online Learning: What to Look For in an Online Course

You’ve probably gathered by now that not all online courses are created equal. On one end of the spectrum, there are methods of online learning that leave learners stunned by what a great experience they had. On the other end of the spectrum, some online learning courses are so disappointing that learners regret their decision to enroll.

If you want to experience the value of online learning, it’s essential to pick the right course. Here’s a quick list of what to look for:

• Feedback and connection to peers within the course platform. Interacting regularly with other learners makes a big difference. Luke and the MIT xPRO team use peer-reviewed feedback to give learners the opportunity to engage with each other’s work.
• Proof of hard work. In the online learning space, proof of hard work often comes in the form of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) or specific certifications. MIT xPRO course participants who successfully complete one or more courses are eligible to receive CEUs , which many employers, licensing agencies, and professional associations accept as evidence of a participant’s serious commitment to their professional development.

Online learning isn’t for everyone, but with the right approach, it can be a valuable experience for many people. Now that you know what to look for in an online course, see what Luke and the MIT xPRO instructional design team have to offer by checking out the latest MIT xPRO courses and programs .

Originally published at http://curve.mit.edu on August 8th, 2022.

The pros and cons of online learning was originally published in MIT Open Learning on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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Should College Be Free? The Pros and Cons

Types of Publicly Funded College Tuition Programs

Pros: why college should be free, cons: why college should not be free, what the free college debate means for students, how to cut your college costs now, frequently asked questions (faqs).

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Americans have been debating the wisdom of free college for decades, and more than 30 states now offer some type of free college program. But it wasn't until 2021 that a nationwide free college program came close to becoming reality, re-energizing a longstanding debate over whether or not free college is a good idea. 

And despite a setback for the free-college advocates, the idea is still in play. The Biden administration's free community college proposal was scrapped from the American Families Plan . But close observers say that similar proposals promoting free community college have drawn solid bipartisan support in the past. "Community colleges are one of the relatively few areas where there's support from both Republicans and Democrats," said Tulane economics professor Douglas N. Harris, who has previously consulted with the Biden administration on free college, in an interview with The Balance. 

To get a sense of the various arguments for and against free college, as well as the potential impacts on U.S. students and taxpayers, The Balance combed through studies investigating the design and implementation of publicly funded free tuition programs and spoke with several higher education policy experts. Here's what we learned about the current debate over free college in the U.S.—and more about how you can cut your college costs or even get free tuition through existing programs.

Key Takeaways

• Research shows free tuition programs encourage more students to attend college and increase graduation rates, which creates a better-educated workforce and higher-earning consumers who can help boost the economy. 
• Some programs are criticized for not paying students’ non-tuition expenses, not benefiting students who need assistance most, or steering students toward community college instead of four-year programs.  
• If you want to find out about free programs in your area, the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education has a searchable database. You’ll find the link further down in this article. 

Before diving into the weeds of the free college debate, it's important to note that not all free college programs are alike. Most publicly funded tuition assistance programs are restricted to the first two years of study, typically at community colleges. Free college programs also vary widely in the ways they’re designed, funded, and structured:

• Last-dollar tuition-free programs : These programs cover any remaining tuition after a student has used up other financial aid , such as Pell Grants. Most state-run free college programs fall into this category. However, these programs don’t typically help with room and board or other expenses.
• First-dollar tuition-free programs : These programs pay for students' tuition upfront, although they’re much rarer than last-dollar programs. Any remaining financial aid that a student receives can then be applied to other expenses, such as books and fees. The California College Promise Grant is a first-dollar program because it waives enrollment fees for eligible students.
• Debt-free programs : These programs pay for all of a student's college expenses , including room and board, guaranteeing that they can graduate debt-free. But they’re also much less common, likely due to their expense.  

Proponents often argue that publicly funded college tuition programs eventually pay for themselves, in part by giving students the tools they need to find better jobs and earn higher incomes than they would with a high school education. The anticipated economic impact, they suggest, should help ease concerns about the costs of public financing education. Here’s a closer look at the arguments for free college programs.

A More Educated Workforce Benefits the Economy

Morley Winograd, President of the Campaign for Free College Tuition, points to the economic and tax benefits that result from the higher wages of college grads. "For government, it means more revenue," said Winograd in an interview with The Balance—the more a person earns, the more they will likely pay in taxes . In addition, "the country's economy gets better because the more skilled the workforce this country has, the better [it’s] able to compete globally." Similarly, local economies benefit from a more highly educated, better-paid workforce because higher earners have more to spend. "That's how the economy grows," Winograd explained, “by increasing disposable income."

According to Harris, the return on a government’s investment in free college can be substantial. "The additional finding of our analysis was that these things seem to consistently pass a cost-benefit analysis," he said. "The benefits seem to be at least double the cost in the long run when we look at the increased college attainment and the earnings that go along with that, relative to the cost and the additional funding and resources that go into them." 

Free College Programs Encourage More Students to Attend

Convincing students from underprivileged backgrounds to take a chance on college can be a challenge, particularly when students are worried about overextending themselves financially. But free college programs tend to have more success in persuading students to consider going, said Winograd, in part because they address students' fears that they can't afford higher education . "People who wouldn't otherwise think that they could go to college, or who think the reason they can't is [that] it's too expensive, [will] stop, pay attention, listen, decide it's an opportunity they want to take advantage of, and enroll," he said.

According to Harris, students also appear to like the certainty and simplicity of the free college message. "They didn't want to have to worry that next year they were not going to have enough money to pay their tuition bill," he said. "They don't know what their finances are going to look like a few months down the road, let alone next year, and it takes a while to get a degree. So that matters." 

Free college programs can also help send "a clear and tangible message" to students and their families that a college education is attainable for them, said Michelle Dimino, an Education Director with Third Way. This kind of messaging is especially important to first-generation and low-income students, she said. 

Free College Increases Graduation Rates and Financial Security

Free tuition programs appear to improve students’ chances of completing college. For example, Harris noted that his research found a meaningful link between free college tuition and higher graduation rates. "What we found is that it did increase college graduation at the two-year college level, so more students graduated than otherwise would have." 

Free college tuition programs also give people a better shot at living a richer, more comfortable life, say advocates. "It's almost an economic necessity to have some college education," noted Winograd. Similar to the way a high school diploma was viewed as crucial in the 20th century, employees are now learning that they need at least two years of college to compete in a global, information-driven economy. "Free community college is a way of making that happen quickly, effectively, and essentially," he explained. 

Free community college isn’t a universally popular idea. While many critics point to the potential costs of funding such programs, others identify issues with the effectiveness and fairness of current attempts to cover students’ college tuition. Here’s a closer look at the concerns about free college programs.

It Would Be Too Expensive

The idea of free community college has come under particular fire from critics who worry about the cost of social spending. Since community colleges aren't nearly as expensive as four-year colleges—often costing thousands of dollars a year—critics argue that individuals can often cover their costs using other forms of financial aid . But, they point out, community college costs would quickly add up when paid for in bulk through a free college program: Biden’s proposed free college plan would have cost $49.6 billion in its first year, according to an analysis from Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Some opponents argue that the funds could be put to better use in other ways, particularly by helping students complete their degrees.

Free College Isn't Really Free

One of the most consistent concerns that people have voiced about free college programs is that they don’t go far enough. Even if a program offers free tuition, students will need to find a way to pay for other college-related expenses , such as books, room and board, transportation, high-speed internet, and, potentially, child care. "Messaging is such a key part of this," said Dimino. Students "may apply or enroll in college, understanding it's going to be free, but then face other unexpected charges along the way." 

It's important for policymakers to consider these factors when designing future free college programs. Otherwise, Dimino and other observers fear that students could potentially wind up worse off if they enroll and invest in attending college and then are forced to drop out due to financial pressures. 

Free College Programs Don’t Help the Students Who Need Them Most

Critics point out that many free college programs are limited by a variety of quirks and restrictions, which can unintentionally shut out deserving students or reward wealthier ones. Most state-funded free college programs are last-dollar programs, which don’t kick in until students have applied financial aid to their tuition. That means these programs offer less support to low-income students who qualify for need-based aid—and more support for higher-income students who don’t.

Community College May Not Be the Best Path for All Students

Some critics also worry that all students will be encouraged to attend community college when some would have been better off at a four-year institution. Four-year colleges tend to have more resources than community colleges and can therefore offer more support to high-need students. 

In addition, some research has shown that students at community colleges are less likely to be academically successful than students at four-year colleges, said Dimino. "Statistically, the data show that there are poorer outcomes for students at community colleges […] such as lower graduation rates and sometimes low transfer rates from two- to four-year schools." 

With Congress focused on other priorities, a nationwide free college program is unlikely to happen anytime soon. However, some states and municipalities offer free tuition programs, so students may be able to access some form of free college, depending on where they live. A good resource is the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education’s searchable database of Promise Programs , which lists more than 100 free community college programs, though the majority are limited to California residents.

In the meantime, school leaders and policymakers may shift their focus to other access and equity interventions for low-income students. For example, higher education experts Eileen Strempel and Stephen Handel published a book in 2021 titled "Beyond Free College: Making Higher Education Work for 21st Century Students." The book argues that policymakers should focus more strongly on college completion, not just college access. "There hasn't been enough laser-focus on how we actually get people to complete their degrees," noted Strempel in an interview with The Balance. 

Rather than just improving access for low-income college students, Strempel and Handel argue that decision-makers should instead look more closely at the social and economic issues that affect students , such as food and housing insecurity, child care, transportation, and personal technology. For example, "If you don't have a computer, you don't have access to your education anymore," said Strempel. "It's like today's pencil."

Saving money on college costs can be challenging, but you can take steps to reduce your cost of living. For example, if you're interested in a college but haven't yet enrolled, pay close attention to where it's located and how much residents typically pay for major expenses, such as housing, utilities, and food. If the college is located in a high-cost area, it could be tough to justify the living expenses you'll incur. Similarly, if you plan to commute, take the time to check gas or public transportation prices and calculate how much you'll likely have to spend per month to go to and from campus several times a week. 

Now that more colleges offer classes online, it may also be worth looking at lower-cost programs in areas that are farther from where you live, particularly if they allow you to graduate without setting foot on campus. Also, check out state and federal financial aid programs that can help you slim down your expenses, or, in some cases, pay for them completely. Finally, look into need-based and merit-based grants and scholarships that can help you cover even more of your expenses. Also, consider applying to no-loan colleges , which promise to help students graduate without going into debt.

Should community college be free?

It’s a big question with varying viewpoints. Supporters of free community college cite the economic contributions of a more educated workforce and the individual benefit of financial security, while critics caution against the potential expense and the inefficiency of last-dollar free college programs. 

What states offer free college?

More than 30 states offer some type of tuition-free college program, including Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington State. The University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education lists over 100 last-dollar community college programs and 16 first-dollar community college programs, though the majority are limited to California residents.

Is there a free college?

There is no such thing as a truly free college education. But some colleges offer free tuition programs for students, and more than 30 states offer some type of tuition-free college program. In addition, students may also want to check out employer-based programs. A number of big employers now offer to pay for their employees' college tuition . Finally, some students may qualify for enough financial aid or scholarships to cover most of their college costs.

Scholarships360. " Which States Offer Tuition-Free Community College? "

The White House. “ Build Back Better Framework ,” see “Bringing Down Costs, Reducing Inflationary Pressures, and Strengthening the Middle Class.”

The White House. “ Fact Sheet: How the Build Back Better Plan Will Create a Better Future for Young Americans ,” see “Education and Workforce Opportunities.”

Coast Community College District. “ California College Promise Grant .”

Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. “ The Dollars and Cents of Free College ,” see “Biden’s Free College Plan Would Pay for Itself Within 10 Years.”

Third Way. “ Why Free College Could Increase Inequality .”

Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. “ The Dollars and Cents of Free College ,” see “Free-College Programs Have Different Effects on Race and Class Equity.”

University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. “ College Promise Programs: A Comprehensive Catalog of College Promise Programs in the United States .”