The rise in the digitalization of learning is difficult to ignore. Thanks to the internet, we can instantly access an abundance of resources. In theory, all the information we need to obtain a high school – or even an undergraduate – degree is out there, free of charge. Of course, when other factors like time management, discipline and self-motivation come into play, virtual learning may not be as efficient as imagined. Nevertheless, the sheer knowledge that we have at our fingertips is amazing.

There are many forms of online education. Some are free while others require payments. There are resources like MIT OpenCourseWare that publishes course materials from a class that has been taught in real-life. Resources like Cousera and edX allow you to register for online classes and use course material, only requiring a payment if you want to obtain an official certificate from the class. Then there are resources like Khan Academy which provide teaching videos and interactive problems organized by subject.

We lament the fact that our generation is growing less and less creative as we depend more and more on the internet, Google or any other external resource for ideas. This concern applies to online learning as well.

Online education usually includes some form of recorded video lectures or readings from a textbook. This is very much the "sponge" approach to learning. As long as we attentively sit and watch or sit and read, we can absorb the necessary information. In most cases, we miss out on real-time classroom discussions and questions. However, we can benefit from approaching learning in a new way.

I recently started taking the high school equivalent of an AP Latin class with an online school. As my first online class, AP Latin has given me a chance to experience a "true" virtual classroom ("true" in the sense that it's going on my transcript).

I went into the class expecting there to be a large workload. Like most AP classes, AP Latin was predicted to consume 10 plus hours per week. This has been true over the past few weeks. Since my class is not self-paced, I have to keep up with my weekly assignments and build in time to Skype my teacher.

Even though my AP Latin class is technically like any other high school class, I find that it requires more self-motivation and concentration. There is no teacher physically present, reminding me what to do, when to do it, how to do it and so forth. Reading instructions clearly is ever so important, because written word is our primary mode of communication.

Disclaimer: I absolutely adore Latin, so even if my AP Latin class went horribly, I'd probably still love it for the sake of Latin.

But, I can definitely see how an online class might detract from the creative thinking environment found in traditional classrooms. We listen to what our teachers say through our computer screens, and there isn't really a good way to challenge what they say when you're not actually in a classroom. We take what our teachers say as fact, which might not necessarily be a bad thing, but it means that we're more reliant on their thinking than our own.

Is virtual education hurting the way we learn?

I love online learning. The resources I've mentioned above, especially Khan Academy and MIT OCW, have played a large role in my education. I think it's up to us to maintain our intellectual curiosity and balance the way we learn because that is the path to a solid education.