It is true that online courses are becoming a common feature of university education. Although there are some drawbacks of Internet-based learning, I would argue that there are far more benefits.
The main drawback of the trend towards online university courses is that there is less direct interaction. Students may not have the opportunity to engage face-to-face with their teachers, and will instead have to rely on written forms of communication. Similarly, students who study online do not come into direct contact with each other, and this could have a negative impact on peer support, discussion and exchange of ideas. For example, whereas students on traditional courses can attend seminars and even discuss their subjects over coffee after lessons, online learners are restricted to chatting through website forum areas. These leaners may also lack the motivation and element of competition that face-to-face group work brings.
Despite the negatives mentioned above, I believe that online university courses are a positive development for various reasons. Firstly, they allow learners to study in a flexible way, meaning that they can work whenever and wherever is convenient, and they can cover the material at their own pace. Secondly, the cost of a university education can be greatly reduced, while revenues for institutions may increase as more students can be taught. Finally, online learning offers open access to anybody who is willing to study, regardless of age, location, ability and background. For example, my uncle, who is 65 years old, has recently enrolled on an online MBA course in a different country, which would have been impossible in the days before Internet-based education.
In conclusion, while I recognise the possible disadvantages of online learning, I consider it to be a positive development overall.
的确，网络课程正在成为大学教育的一个共同特点。虽然基于网络的学习有一些缺点，但我认为有更多的好处。
网络大学课程的主要缺点是直接互动较少。学生可能没有机会与老师面对面交流，而不得不依赖书面的交流方式。同样，在网上学习的学生不会直接接触到对方，这可能会对同伴的支持、讨论和思想交流产生负面影响。例如，虽然传统课程的学生可以参加研讨会，甚至在课后学习咖啡，但在线学习者只能通过网站论坛聊天。这些学习者也可能缺乏面对面组工作带来竞争的动机和元素。
尽管上面提到的消极，我相信网上大学课程是一个积极的发展，由于各种原因。首先，他们允许学习者以灵活的方式学习，这意味着他们可以随时随地地工作，他们可以按自己的速度覆盖材料。第二，大学教育的成本可以大大降低，而学校的收入可能会随着学生的增加而增加。最后，在线学习为任何愿意学习的人提供了开放的机会，无论年龄、地点、能力和背景如何。例如，我65岁的叔叔最近在一个不同的国家注册了在线MBA课程，这在网络教育之前是不可能的。
总之，虽然我认识到在线学习可能存在的缺点，但我认为这是一个积极的发展。
