Web-Based Education

Advantages	Disadvantages
Convenient, anywhere, anytime, anyplace	Considerable work in set-up, up front
Structured, clearly expressed	Can’t improvise
Standardized	Learners may not have all the technologies
Changed centrally	May have to use older technologies
Can engage experts easily	Some processes difficult (group formation)
Large numbers possible	Less cues about what’s happening
Course management system	“Cold way to teach and learn”
No apparent differences from FTF	Not always so flexible
Time to think and respond	Delays in communication
Whole Web as a resource	May need special skills to produce
Robust (e.g., SARS)	Technological dependence
Some may like less intense experience	Demands new skills for instructors
Can be enhanced with multimedia	Some topics may not be appropriate
Synchronous chat (real time) possible	May be credibility issues in certain cases
Can be supported by text, cds	May exclude some learners
Continuum from individual to group learning	Learners require new skills to learn
May enable groups difficult to reach	May not be appropriate for some cultures