Online Vs in Person Classes: a Paradigm Shift in Education

The physical classroom is losing its monopoly as a learning environment. The Internet revolution has impacted nearly every part of our lives, from the global economy to personal and professional networks to information, news and education. Online learning is now possible because to the Internet, and many educators and researchers are interested in using it to enhance and improve student learning outcomes while overcoming resource constraints, particularly in higher education. Furthermore, students from all walks of life have increased their need for online learning. The essay examines features of online vs in person classes, shedding light on the evolving landscape of education in the digital age.

Education can become transformative when teachers and students synthesize information across subjects and experiences, critically weigh significantly different perspectives and incorporate various inquiries. Educators are able to construct such possibilities by fostering critical learning spaces, in which students are encouraged to increase their capacities of analysis, imagination, critical synthesis, creative expression, self-awareness, and intentionality. A by-product of fostering such new approaches has been the creation of online courses developed in the United States and worldwide at exponential speed. It is becoming increasingly common at many higher education institutions, offering fully online and blended courses combining online instruction with face-to-face teaching. The development of online courses in higher education doesn’t happen overnight such that the main factors influencing higher-education institutions to offer online courses included meeting student’s demands for flexible schedules , providing access to college for students who would otherwise not have access , making more courses available , and seeking to increase student enrollments.

That fact that COVID has changed the way we live is not news anymore. The lethal virus has led to tectonic shifts in almost every aspect of our lives be it business, entertainment, hospitality and mostly education and we are still grappling with the repercussions of these radical changes. What is also questionable is how permanent these changes are and what the new normal in each of these sectors will be.

Many traditional brick and mortar academic institutions were caught off guard with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and scrambled to migrate teachers, students, parents and administration to the online learning model. It is premature to determine the effectiveness of online education since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the COVID-19 propelled us to think differently about the available methods of delivering academic programmes. There have been many vigorous debates and thorough studies on the differences between online and face-to-face classroom teaching, which however is not a focus of this study. Instead, this study’s focus is on examining the effectiveness and strategies of the online learning and teaching process and the extent to which online courses can replace traditional classroom teaching.

Oline VS in Person Classes: Definitions and Comparison

With the development of online education over time, its definition has been evolved. Regarding the aspects of the conversion from face-to-face classrooms to online defined online education as no more than a hodgepodge of ideas and practices taken from traditional classroom settings and imposed on learners who just happen to be separated physically from an instructor.

Regarding the aspects of technology and organization, online education is teaching and planned learning in which teaching normally occurs in a different place from learning, requiring communication through technologies as well as special institutional organization. Regarding the aspects of being distant online education it as all forms of teaching and learning where the student and instructor are separated geographically and temporally. There is the purported need for conceptualizing distance education in rapidly changing technology and exponentially growing online education, but its various aspects make it difficult to agree on just one definition and on what constitutes distance education in practice.

According to Park 'Traditional face to face learning is an instructional method where course content and learning material are taught in person to a group of students'. All must be present if they want to get education. If a student does not attend any lecture, heshe may miss the topic taught by the teacher in that lecture. Teachers can teach a certain number of students in a classroom. All the students must learn the same thing whether it is fruitful or not. Some are not interested in a particular topic, but they have to study.

This allows for a live interaction between a learner and an instructor. It is the most traditional type of learning instruction. Learners benefit from a greater level of interaction with their fellow students as well. In face-to-face learning, students are held accountable for their progress at the class’s specific meeting date and time. Face-to-face learning ensures a better understanding and recollection of lesson content and gives class members a chance to bond with one another.

Is Online Education is More Effective That in Person Classes?

It is reasonable to say that face-to-face learning differs from online learning in many ways. Specific learning components suites the dynamics that online learning offers and academic institutions need to consider these dynamics in course delivery. The most important ones are: its effectiveness in educating students, flexibility, its cost-effectiveness to combat the rising cost of postsecondary education and the possibility of providing a world class education to anyone with a broadband connection.

Online learning can improve access to education for students grappling with geographic or time restrictions. Provided that they have Internet, students in more remote areas can regularly receive instruction even if travelling to a school or campus would be impractical. Additionally, many online courses offer what is called an asynchronous model. This means that students can engage with the learning material at the time that is most convenient for them. This aspect makes many online classes a strong option for young people who may be juggling other commitments like working a job during the day. Whatever the reason, with online learning students can have more flexibility to learn the material at their own pace.

Online learning has allowed for classes on a scale that would be a logistical nightmare in person. There are special names designated for them and these examples include: Massive Online Open Courses, or MOOCs. These courses are a small fraction of the cost of in-person classes, or even completely free, and do not have to turn anyone away. With these courses, people across the world can participate in a course that interests them and fosters intellectual growth at their own pace. At the same time, these types of courses are not without their own drawbacks and may not provide the same level of personal interaction as smaller courses.

Intimately connected to this issue of cost and postsecondary education are the required credits to obtain a postsecondary degree. Traditionally, students have to earn most of the college credits at an institution before they are awarded bachelor degrees at that institution. The point of contention is how online classes will play a role in awarding credits or credentials, and many educators connected to online learning are hoping that there will be credit equivalency for some online classes. The goals of this endeavor are to increase completion rate, reduce time to degree attainment, reduce costs to postsecondary education, and offer more access to non-traditional students. However, there is concern over whether colleges will accept the recommendation, and there is also concern about the dilution of a traditional degree due to the transition .

Compared to classroom learning, the interaction occurring at online courses is more international. Learners can develop online conversations on forums and interview other students around the world by using web-conferencing technology . However, it is reported that students prefer face to face contact directly with the tutor who was seen as the focal point of learning, a channel through all interaction that connects ideas, builds understanding, provides feedback and gives summary immediately. Additionally, establishing social relations may need classroom environment. Classroom teaching and learning is a complex, multilayered, and social experience, which develops friendship, connection and satisfaction among students. Social community is considered to be relatively poorly experienced in online learning due to learners’ disconnection and could probably cause isolation.

To What Extent Can Online Classes Replace Traditional Classroom?

There are criticisms associated with online learning models and how they are changing student-instructor interactions, but it is undeniable that we are on the cusp of a dramatic change to the education model. With everything else going digital, it’s just a matter of time until the web-based education technology model replaces the traditional classroom.

There are many reasons why online learning has grown and continues to be popular all over the world. The benefits of online learning are just too great to ignore, especially with the internet becoming so universal. Online courses have been on the rise most notably for their affordability. Higher education is expensive, so much so that only a small amount of the world’s population can afford it. This movement toward online classes has raised more awareness for higher learning that people can easily access and afford. While a college degree could cost more(this would be a complete bargain) to significantly more for private universities, online courses provide an equivalent degree but cost dramatically less.

By providing students the ability to enroll in courses on their time and at their pace, online learning systems are far more convenient than in-person classes. To make up for the loss of a classroom community, online forums and groups are built around courses so that one can connect with other students and instructors from around the world. Online education offers more flexibility than a traditional education model in terms of when, where, what and how much one wants to learn. Since learners are in control, online courses allow for a whole new level of freedom.

Again, the world is evolving with new technologies and if one can’t keep up, being left behind is a possibility. Specifically, chances of getting hired are much lower if the applicant can’t prove that they have a dynamic learning style that embraces new ways of learning. Online courses can now easily help boost knowledge and skillsets to make people more hireable. Certification programs are also making gains in the online learning space for example, in the accounting field, there are lots of certifications, such as the CIA, CPA and CMA.

Also, the goal for many is not to complete the course, but to push themselves to learn more about something they would not have been able to without the access of an online course. And for these intellectually motivated students, the flexibility and convenience of online learning is looking increasingly bright

Conclusion

In spite of the traditional face to face learning and online courses differences, it is safe to assume that both sides want students to enjoy and excel in school no matter if it is traditional or online. It can be difficult to decide on one or the other when both traditional and online learning are effective. An option should be provided for each individual student with the option of attending the class traditionally or online. Hybrid learning can be a fair compromise that can benefit everyone more than it could inconvenience them. With online classes the student can control their environment. For students who take traditional classes over online classes may lack motivation to be independent learners. The interaction that teachers have with students can provide job satisfaction. The content of education one receives from online learning is the same material that is taught in the traditional way. Online classes allow students to attend class on their schedule and not have to worry about missing too many days while traditional classes allows students to engage and get a quick follow up for something that they do not understand.

Online learning is not going away. Undoubtedly, this fall will see an unparalleled spike in online classes due to continued school closures. Still, research into online learning over the last decade has shown us that this type of learning is no longer a trend, but rather a key player in the educational sphere. Even after schools are back to normal, there will be many students for whom online learning is their best option. It is possible to create the purposeful interpersonal interaction that makes traditional education so worthwhile online. On top of that, there are certain advantages and opportunities that online learning offers which in-person education cannot. The best thing we can do is continue improving how online classes function and thinking creatively about how to make the experience the most effective that it can be for students. When it comes to online education, there’s a lot we’re all still learning.