Online Classes vs. Traditional Classes: What’s the Difference?
Technology is revolutionizing everything, and education is not an exception either. The debate between online and traditional classes is becoming increasingly popular, especially after the COVID-19 crisis.
Amidst a global pandemic, all the learning activities had to occur online. Anyone who experienced online learning during this period has different experiences, so now you may wonder, “which learning is best for me?” Both paths have pros and cons, so let’s explore their differences, similarities, and more.
What Are Online Classes vs. Traditional Classes?
Online learning is a type of distance learning that occurs through the internet, hence the name. On the other hand, traditional classes happen in a classroom setting, with a teacher teaching a specific lesson. That said, these two approaches have their differences.
Online learning delivers the content through text, images, or videos, and the students are asked to complete an online assessment or other activities. The teaching can be set at any specific time, but there’s limited interaction.
On the other hand, traditional learning has a fixed schedule and place. There’s more social interaction with this learning as it allows students to work or have activities in different groupings.
According to research, over 75% of academic leaders think online learning is equal to or superior to traditional classes. It’s no wonder why. Many students have benefited from online courses as they’re more accessible and flexible, especially for those who work full-time or have other obligations.
When it comes to effectiveness, students have mixed thoughts. While 37% of students expressed that online learning was better than traditional learning, 15% said they weren’t as effective.
Pros of Online Classes vs. Traditional Classes
When weighing the pros and cons of online vs. traditional classes, it’s essential to consider your learning style and schedule. Below are some of the most apparent pros of these two approaches.
Flexibility
One of the most significant advantages of online classes is flexibility. Although students have deadlines, they have more flexibility during their day since they can work, run errands, and take classes simultaneously. They can also choose when they want to study, finish assignments, listen to lectures, etc. Additionally, this allows students to log into the course at any time and complete the tasks at their own pace.
There’s a lack of flexibility within a traditional learning environment since students have to attend classes in person. While this leads to a stricter schedule, there are some flexible options like finding a school or university that allows you to create a customized schedule.
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Independence
When it comes to learning styles, both approaches have their advantages. Online learning allows students to work independently without interacting with the teacher or other peers. This is ideal for students who have social anxiety or tend to learn better alone.
If you’re not used to talking to other people, you’re at a great advantage because you can communicate with the professors through email or other discussion groups.
Traditional learning is also beneficial because teachers can assign students to work alone, in pairs, or groups. In all cases, you can learn from and with other students. However, you will spend the whole day in school, so you’ll inevitably meet different teachers and classmates and learn how to socialize as well as work independently.
Pace
Taking online classes gives you more independence and control over your learning style. If you work and are busy, you can speed up or slow down your pace based on your needs. During that time, you can learn at your own pace by reading and completing the assignments without having anyone disturb you. You can also take one class at a time or double up on classes.
Traditional classes are not as flexible as online classes because you have to stay consistent and attend courses in the required schedule. However, traditional learning might be better if you struggle with keeping pace in an online class. Depending on the type of professor or classroom, you may have the possibility of taking your classes at night.
Applicability
Applying what you learn in online or traditional classes is easier said than done. Many students get job opportunities because of their skills and knowledge before they finish their degree. However, with both courses, you can use the concepts in your job by putting theory into practice.
Financial cost
Another beneficial aspect of online classes is that they’re more affordable than traditional ones because the cost per credit is usually lower. The lower cost is because there are fewer traveling costs, and the teacher doesn’t need to work full-time to conduct the class. At the same time, more online courses are being offered at the exact cost of a traditional school or college education.
Traditional learning is valuable but also expensive. Online classes are more affordable because they don’t have additional costs like training facilities, printed materials, or hiring an instructor.
One-on-one interaction
Many students dream of the traditional college experience and enjoy meeting new professors and colleagues. You’ll enjoy one-on-one interactions in a face-to-face classroom environment if you’re a social learner.
The biggest misconception about online learning is that it involves no interaction. The truth is, your professors and peers are right there in front of you, and you can still interact with them. Online classes utilize other resources such as video tools and Blackboard to help students communicate, discuss, and brainstorm better.
Cons of Online Classes vs. Traditional Classes
If you’ve never taken an online class or just started, it can take some time to adjust to it. You can expect some common cons that we describe below.
Less social interaction
Online classes lack social interaction, at least in the traditional sense. You don’t get to discuss with your peers in the hallway or go for office hours, but that doesn’t mean you can’t interact through digital communication.
Most online classes use video chat (Google Meet or Zoom), Livestream classes, and assign group projects, so you can still communicate with your instructors and peers.
Networking
Getting hands-on experience and expanding your professional network are two benefits closely related to traditional classes. Unfortunately, you’re at a disadvantage when you take online courses because there are fewer networking opportunities.
In that case, you need to sacrifice a lot of your time and effort to look for online colleges that include mentorship opportunities, allow you to get in touch with professional organizations, and can connect you with a strong employer network.
Motivation
Motivation is one of the most debatable cons of these two learning approaches because each student is different. Some people enjoy meeting face-to-face regularly as it boosts their self-motivation, while others prefer online deadlines. Being surrounded by instructors and peers makes many students more motivated to complete assignments or tasks.
If you’re someone who sets personal deadlines, this can help you stay more motivated so you don’t procrastinate and leave everything at the last minute. You could also create a personal space for online learning by removing unwanted distractions.
Focus
It’s easy to stay focused in a classroom surrounded by peers and your instructor, but what about online learning? With remote learning, you are more prone to getting distracted if you have other priorities or are busy doing something else. Again, we recommend creating a dedicated space to eliminate any distractions, which means removing your phone, TV, or anything that might distract you while learning.
Conclusion
You should know that the learning environment can vary in online and traditional classes based on many factors. It usually depends on your priorities and how flexible you’re willing to be for your classes.
Ultimately, the choice is yours and depends on your preferences, but both learning approaches have pros and cons, so make sure you weigh them out equally. There’s no right or wrong answer regarding online vs. traditional learning.