Online vs. Classroom
Education
This blog is taking a look at
online classes and traditional classes, the advantages and disadvantages of
each. Education had been evolving forever, more so ever since the technological
boom of the past couple decades. Where once a few Apple computers in the back
of the room where something to behold to the point where we don’t even need a
classroom to conduct class, how long will it be before we don’t even need to
leave the house to gain a college degree, or can we already accomplish it?
Online Learning Benefits
Online classes allow for education
in distant or disadvantaged locations. It provides students an easy and
convenient way to gain access to homework, course material, exams, and
progress. The easy access is provided by just an average internet connection
and a typical run-of-the-mill personal computer. Since the course information
is usually accessible and transferred electronically via E-mail, it is possible
for tasks to be completed at any time.
Communication is based on simply
sending and receiving e-mail, providing a simple way to communicate with the teacher
and other students. Classes that provide chat sessions regularly for students
give them the opportunity to interact with each other about a certain subject in
turn enhancing the overall learning experience. Making the student become technically aware of
different outlets of communication could eventually benefit them by being able
to apply this knowledge to situations in the work place.
Online Learning Disadvantages
Online
classes take away from personal face-to-face social interaction a traditional
classroom can provide. The lack of social interaction can inhibit a social
skill which is a necessary skill in most all jobs in the work place, especially
in teaching which applies to most of the readers of this blog. The chance of
making new friends is limited during online chat sessions. People are more opt
to becoming friends meeting someone face-to-face and carrying a personal conversation
as opposed to typing messages back and forth to someone miles away.
Traditional Learning Benefits
Now this
may be a disadvantage to some but I feel as if it is an advantage: Traditional
classrooms make you be somewhere on time. This maybe an inconvenience to some
but I feel as if this teaches discipline and responsibility which are important
attributes when pursuing a career in teaching. They give you a chance for
one-on-one social interaction speaking with real humans and not in an electronically
designed “chat room” or E-mail. Social interaction in the class room is
important even for the most timid student .Getting people to break away from their
comfort zone (I once heard) helps people learn and gain different perspectives.
Traditional Learning Disadvantages
Having
to buy the text books for a traditional classroom is a burden on a student’s
wallet, whereas online courses, the material readily available for download and
found in a centralized location. We all have professors we don’t like,
traditional classrooms force you to see that teacher and take the class for an
entire term (if you miss the drop period). Online classes you may never see the
teacher. The more timid students are able to get there ideas across more effectively
in an online setting because the anxiety of speaking up and in front of people
is not existent.
Some of the disadvantages to some
may actually be advantages to others, depending upon student preferences (quiet
versus outgoing). Some of the advantages may actually be disadvantages, (maybe it’s
best for a timid student to be forced into a classroom and interact with
others) the student may not like it but in the long run better off gaining some
social skills.
There is no real evidence of the effectiveness
of online classes being better, equivalent, or less than that of traditional classes.
The proof just isn’t there yet that online classes educate better than
traditional classes. I believe it has something
to do with your own personal learning preferences. I’ve noticed while attending
Edinboro more classes are putting more content online and utilizing D2L. I’ve
never taken an online class and some of the views I have may lean towards
traditional over online. I have taken some classes where it would be considered
a traditional (be here Monday ,Wednesday, Friday for lecture) but all the work was found and turned in online,
making it an infusion of both. Shouldn’t the evolution of future classes lie somewhere
in middle?
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