Comparison of Online Learning and Traditional Classes

The competition for jobs in this present economy has become increasingly competitive over the years. The members of the current workforce can no longer get by on just having completed high school and attaining a full certificate. Employers are seeking out additionally skilled personnel, by way of being either more academically or vocationally qualified. More and more adults and teenagers who have finished school are therefore seeking ways to enhance their academic status or their skill set.

As a result, many employees show special preference to doing online classes. Why? Online learning affords students the opportunity to work, study and attend classes from the comfort of their offices or homes. This not only becomes more convenient, but also saves a great deal of time, energy and money. Some may argue that due to the lack of human interaction between students and instructor, it may cause difficulty when a student is studying and he/she has a question to ask. However, within the structure of the online class, facilities such as emails, live meetings, chatrooms and blogs are put in place in case a query arises. Additionally, having an online class does not imply a total absence of an instructor and solely reading and studying material. Some online classes are designed in a way that there is interaction between instructor and students via Skype or Zoom so that there is that human interaction element that some students may need in order for learning to take place.

Another benefit to online classes is the amount of energy, time and money that is saved. Time to commute from work or home to an institution is cut down considerably, along with gas or travelling money. After a hard day’s work, a working adult is exhausted most days and have to delve deep in order to muster up the energy to be alert for a three hour class on campus. Having an online course eliminates that element of having to attend class after work. With its flexibility, a student can access the online content and work at their own pace in their own spare time. Of course in some instances, too much flexibility can lead to students developing too much of a relaxed attitude. However, in order to reap the benefits of doing an online class one has to make that decision to be much more disciplined.

Thus far, it seems as though online classes will only benefit that part of the working population who are pursuing courses to improve their qualifications. They require that flexibility. What about school children though? Can they benefit from online classes as well? Consider a scenario where a child or teacher has to miss school for a short or long period of time. The child’s work suffers because they miss the lesson. The teacher’s class may suffer because they can complete the syllabus in time. How would online classes benefit this scenario? There is an approach called blended learning, which provides a perfect balance between traditional classroom teaching and online learning. Tolls such as interactive websites, games, PowerPoint and animation can be used to supplement some, if not at least half the time spent in a traditional classroom. So, a student who misses class has access to the content online. A teacher who couldn’t make it to work has an online activity or lesson planned for her class so all that is needed is for them to access the schools computer lab under some form of supervision. This way nothing is left behind.

Both online learning and the traditional classroom instruction has its benefits. For both adults and children it can be a source of convenience, added motivation and allows those involved to save time money and energy.