Traditional Classroom Classes vs. Online Classes
Traditional classroom classes are the mode of education where students carry out learning from designated physical locations such as a school. The teacher meets students in a room that is specifically designed for learning and equipped with the necessary tools to facilitate teachings. Assignments are given to students while in class or complete it while at home.
Online classes are delivered through video conferencing, web browsers, and portable devices (Davidson-Shivers et al. 18). Students interact with their tutor through an online platform where they are given lectures, assignments, and tutorials to complete the various courses. There are different factors that are considered before choosing the best method to use for educating students. They include the distance of separation between the student and tutor, the cost incurred, and convenience.
Flexibility and Convenience
Online classes have schedules that are flexible and students have time to attend to family and work issues. Students learning through online classes often log in at a time that is convenient for them. Therefore, the student is at liberty to allocate time for different activities hence they can afford to do part-time jobs alongside taking a course and taking care of the family. The reading materials are provided online for students to download and read before attending lectures. Traditional classroom classes have fixed schedules and students have to adhere to the timetable provided (Oliveira et al. 4305). Students in the traditional learning setting may find it challenging if the school is far and they have to commute each day.
Discipline and Motivation
Students taking online classes find it challenging to remain disciplined and self-motivated. The comfort of learning from home affects students who take online classes since they might have the laxity to undertake assignments and read ahead of the teacher. Traditional education ensures that students remain motivated and disciplined. The daily encounter with the teacher prompts students to adhere to regulations and embrace time management skills (Davidson-Shivers et al. 13). Routine checks in the classroom help students remain on task. The availability of classrooms gives students ample time to tackle difficult and time-consuming assignments.
Social Interaction and Personal Touch
Online education does not provide the best platform for social interaction. Students are linked to the teacher through technological devices and online chats. Therefore, students who take online courses lack the personal or emotional touch that is experienced in the traditional classroom setup. At times, it is difficult for students in an online class to have personal time with the tutor such as in traditional classrooms for concept clarification. Students in traditional classrooms enjoy face-to-face communication with their teachers. They often create an emotional or personal bond with their tutors and have more time with the teacher for assistance than those in online classes (Oliveira et al. 4308). Teachers in traditional classroom classes are able to identify personal learning challenges for their students as they interact with them each day.
Conclusion
In conclusion, online education has both advantages and disadvantages just as traditional classroom education. The choice of a student depends on aspects such as the cost of each and personal learning ability. If the student prefers to interact with his/her teacher and may require additional tutoring, then traditional classroom class would be the best. However, if the cost of taking a course online is cheaper and the distance of separation is long, then the student can consider taking online classes. Besides, for a student who has a part-time job and would like to take a course at the same time, then online classes would be the best option.
Works Cited
Davidson-Shivers, Gayle V., Karen L. Rasmussen, and Patrick R. Lowenthal. "Overview of Online Instruction and Learning Environments and Communities." Web-Based Learning. Springer, Cham, 2018. 3-41.
Oliveira, J. H., et al. "Decision making under the environmental perspective: Choosing between traditional and distance teaching courses." Journal of Cleaner Production 172 (2018): 4303-4313.
