Many of the benefits of online learning are obvious.
To start with, it is convenient. You can study when and where you want. You do not have to waste time and money going to and from class. You can study after the children have gone to bed, or on your way to work in the morning.
You can keep up with lectures while on business trips. And if you suddenly learn that your company is transferring you to another city (or another country) you can continue your studies uninterrupted.
But there are other advantages, as well. One of the less obvious is that online learning provides a level playing field, giving shy students more of a chance to participate than they would in a classroom setting.
Another is that resourceful students can develop a global network of contacts in an increasingly interdependent world.
The skills developed while studying online, meanwhile, can pay big dividends in the workplace where cyber-literacy is becoming increasingly valued.