Main Highlights:
- What is online education?
- What is traditional education?
- What distinguishes traditional education from online education?
- What are the benefits of online education?
- What are the drawbacks of online education?
- What are the benefits of traditional education?
- What drawbacks exist with traditional education?
What are the main distinctions between these two methods of instructing and educating as teachers and institutions move away from a rigid traditional education environment and toward online education?
What is online education?
Online education is a type of distance education that occurs over the internet. It can be student-paced and unguided, with the teacher leading at a specific time (synchronous) (asynchronous). Text, images, and video can all be used to deliver content, and features like online testing or interactive games may be included.
What is traditional education?
Traditional education takes place in a classroom with a teacher who prepares and delivers a lesson on a specific topic. The teacher can employ a variety of teaching strategies, including the use of a chalkboard or whiteboard for information introduction, student presentations, group or partner work, and individual exercises or activities. It is possible to assign homework and hold informal or in-class quizzes.
What distinguishes traditional education from online education?
Between online and traditional classes, there are a number of significant differences. When choosing between the two, students must take these important considerations into account.
Self-control and motivation
A traditional classroom setup offers a timetable with a structure for the classes. There may be other consequences if you don’t show up for a class at a certain time and miss the lesson and the teacher’s information. The teacher, whose job it is to present information to the students in an interesting way, and other students, who might discuss course material together before or after class, are two sources of motivation for learning.
The pace of education is determined by the student in an online education environment. They must have the self-control to set aside time each day to concentrate on finishing the course material.
In some cases, they have a deadline to meet in order to pass an online education. This is left open-ended in other instances. The student must find the motivation to continue and finish their online coursework even though there may be online discussion forums for those taking an online education or the option to video conference or instant message with other students.
Flexibility
A traditional class meets at a particular place and time. The teacher provides the students with a schedule of their upcoming classes, and they are expected to show up for a class at the scheduled time. The students will have missed the teacher’s lesson if they skip it.
There may be a chance to catch up on some work, but in most cases, this catch-up work won’t be of the same caliber as the lesson that was taught. In some cases, a student who misses too many required classes might not be permitted to take the final exam.
For some students who have obligations outside of school, like family or employment, the traditional educational approach is challenging because of this time dependency.
The online education strategy offers much-needed flexibility in these situations. Anytime, day or night, a student can access a course and work through the material at their own pace. They won’t be penalized if they don’t log in at the same time because they will receive the same lesson content as other students finishing the course.
Asynchronous communication is possible in these classes, for instance through an online forum where students can post messages and respond to one another whenever they want. Courses without a set end date allow students to fit their education in as they have time.
The majority of online education has set completion requirements, such as reading or watching all of the content and finishing an online assessment, rather than predetermined amounts of online time. This means that students who work full-time jobs or may need to care for a family member will find the flexibility provided by online education to be ideal.
Location
You might not have access to a wide range of educational options if you reside in a small town in a developing nation. Similar to this, you might need to relocate to the city or town where the school is located if you are interested in studying a specialized subject or with a specific professor.
This issue is resolved by online education. Online content is available to users in both London suburbs and Indian villages (assuming access to devices and the internet). This separates the learning process from the educational environment.
Social engagement
The interaction between students and the teacher in a traditional education setting is one of its main advantages. Social learning can be used to describe informal conversations, group projects, and classroom interactions.
The formal interactions in the classroom, hallway, or break room are challenging to replicate online, but teachers can simulate these interactions through forums or separate rooms for group work.
Because it can be challenging to study using a screen and browser at home or at work, some students who take online education also report feeling lonely.
Traditional education vs online education
Studies have demonstrated the efficacy of both traditional and online education. Online education might even be more efficient in some circumstances. This depends on elements like the student, the technological environment, and the chosen subject. Student engagement is one of the key ingredients in a successful online education environment.
In a traditional classroom, the teacher continuously assesses student engagement and inquires of particular students regarding their thoughts on a subject or any questions they may have.
Online educational success is largely dependent on student engagement. New concepts are connected to practical applications through original project work that emphasizes compelling content, community and peer engagement, instructor presence, synchronous meeting capabilities, advanced video production, and social learning opportunities.
What are the benefits of online education?
Choice: There are significantly more study topics available when you choose to enroll in online education than there are in a traditional educational setting. This entails that you can pursue specialized studies that are only offered by specific institutions or courses that are not offered to students in your city or town.
Costs: Compared to in-person or traditional education, online learning is typically less expensive. This lower cost is caused by lower physical infrastructure expenses and the lack of a full-time teacher needed to run the class. However, an increasing number of online education are being provided at a price that is comparable to that of a traditional college or high school education.
Flexibility: It is one of the key distinctions between traditional and online education, as was already mentioned. For students who, for instance, must work or are unable to attend classes at a set time or location, it is also one of the main advantages. Students can select subjects they are interested in but may not want to pursue as a career thanks to this flexibility.
Expert guest classes or lectures: Although it is possible to invite a professional or business figure to teach a lesson in a classroom, doing so requires that the course be scheduled during a time that the guest lecturer is available.
Asking them to deliver a lecture through Zoom or Google Meet, where they can take time out of their day but stay at their office or place of employment, is much simpler. Additionally, it enables lecturers to impart their knowledge to the class from all over the nation or the globe.
Participation: When there are rules for online education that mandate a specific number of interactions via various channels per student, participation rates in an online class may be higher.
High-quality teacher-student interaction: If the teacher or instructor is at ease using digital communication tools, the student may have more access to them for discussions or to ask questions. Email, instant messaging services like WhatsApp, online forums, and discussion groups are all possible methods of communication.
What are the drawbacks of online education?
Cheating: Both in traditional and online education, some students falsify their answers on tests. However, it is challenging for the teacher to keep an eye on an online test where students might have their browsers open in order to look up answers or use instant messaging to get help.
Interpersonal communication skills: are developed through listening to classmates in class, discussing subjects, presenting arguments, and hearing other people’s viewpoints. This is one advantage of a traditional education setting, as these abilities are challenging to develop in an asynchronous online education.
Procrastination: it is a common student trait. However, it is much simpler to procrastinate in an online education where there may not be set due dates for assignments or completion dates.
Online learners must be self-motivated: in order to put forth the time and effort necessary to complete the educational requirements. Self-motivation and time management abilities are essential for online learning since there is no set schedule and, in some cases, no teacher.
Social isolation: When taking an online educational course, some students, especially those who are not employed or actively involved in other activities, may feel some degree of social isolation. Although there are opportunities to interact with other students online, it is challenging to replicate the casual conversations and discussions that take place in a traditional education setting.
Time commitment: There may be significantly more reading or watching required for online education that is not instructor- or teacher-led. This indicates that the time commitment required of the student is greater than it would be for a student taking a comparable course in traditional education.
What are the benefits of traditional education?
Confidence: In an educational environment where students collaborate with teachers to solve a problem, students develop their academic confidence regarding how to approach new subjects.
Group work: is a crucial component of the traditional educational setting because it allows students to interact while collaborating on projects. These assignments can be completed online, but there is less opportunity for informal learning and social interaction than in a classroom.
Critical interpersonal skills: are developed by participating in a traditional educating environment with other students and learning how to communicate with a teacher. These abilities are beneficial in other circumstances in both the personal and professional lives of students.
Pressure: In traditional education, there is a set schedule, as well as deadlines and times for finishing assignments. Students must develop the ability to work under pressure, which they can use in other aspects of their lives.
Public speaking: having to ask questions in front of an entire class or debate your point of view in front of a teacher boosts a student’s confidence in their ability to speak in public. Even in a course that calls for Zoom presentations, it can be challenging to develop these skills online.
What drawbacks exist with traditional education?
Costs: enrolling in a traditional education-based course entails higher costs. These expenses include tuition, which can be expensive, especially at the college level, travel to and from the school or campus, and lost wages for students who were employed but had to give up their jobs to finish their studies.
Interactions: Depending on the lecturer or teacher’s personality and the size of the class, there may not be much direct interaction between the students and them. This might be a problem for students who need remedial help or who want extracurricular activities.
Lack of flexibility: Students who might need to work or take care of their family are not given any options by a set schedule, deadlines for assignments, required study hours, and exam dates. Similar to this, a student would only have a small selection of course options in a traditional educational structure.