Online vs. Traditional Learning Essay Example
Education is crucial for a successful society. Working to eradicate poverty and hunger. Opening opportunities to contribute to society and the key to making a difference in the world. That is why choosing the right style of education is imperative for students. School helps develop a student's personality, metacognitive skills, social cues, and emotional skills. There are two different styles, online/remote and traditional learning. No learning style is generally better, however depending on the person, one can be more beneficial. Several notable differences can be distinguished between online learning and traditional learning. These should be taken into account when students are deciding their direction in education. Online or remote learning is distance learning that happens over the internet, it can be synchronous or asynchronous. Subsequently, traditional learning occurs in a classroom with a teacher who plans out and presents a lecture. Online and face-to-face learning are similar in the sense that they provide a great educational experience and set students up for success, however, they differ in their response to student needs, scheduling and social outcomes.
“Online courses are increasingly popular in higher education, with over 3 million students nationwide having participated in at least one online course” (Bennett, C. F., and Monds, K. E., educators at Albany State University.) Technology is constantly ameliorating, resulting in online education becoming popular. Opening the debate of which is better: online or traditional. Marcus Specht, an educator at the University of Delft, said it best, “The students of the future will demand the learning support that is appropriate for their situation or context. Nothing more, nothing less.” Educators shouldn’t be looking at which is better generally, but which is better for the individual. Remote learning benefits students that require flexibility. Giving students a flexible schedule reduces stress and anxiety, burnout, procrastination, and increases time spent with friends/family. Students have problems outside of school, remote learning gives them an education and time for their problems/outside lives. Asynchronous (to teach and not to occur at the same time) lets them see a lesson/lecture whenever they want during the day, giving them a school-life balance. Online learning is also a good option for independent learners. Collaboration is an important skill, and working with others is a good skill to have. Regardless, distant learning offers an independent view on education. Independent learning improves cognitive and metacognitive skills. A study from the UK in Thomas Telford School proves this. Thomas Telford School was the first comprehensive school in which 100% of students gained A–C grades in at least five courses. The school claimed that one reason for their success was the development of independent learning skills. Another study from the Netherlands suggested that: Students in self-regulated learning environments are more motivated to learn, report more enjoyment of the material and are actively involved in their learning. As well as improving independent skills, it can also be cost-efficient. Helping students that are not in the best financial situation or who want to save money. Online learning is cheaper because it requires less equipment, they don’t have to manage buildings, paths, and land. It should be noted that even though online school is cheaper, it is still an investment. Online is better for students who need a flexible, independent, cost-efficient learning program.
Students should have a flexible school schedule, however, some individuals do not have the skill set required for the luxury of flexibility. With flexibility, self-discipline is needed. Motivation and self-reliance are needed to complete assignments independently and on time without guidance. No discipline leads to falling behind and falling victim to all the missing assignments. To prevent this, some students choose traditional learning. Self-discipline is a skill required because of its vital importance for success in the real world. Traditional learning helps teach self-discipline while also having assisted discipline. Individuals who struggle with self-discipline should think about traditional learning as it will help them develop the skill but also have others holding them accountable, therefore not mandating them to be fully self-reliant. With the debate of the learning styles, the social aspect always gets brought up. Humans are social beings, meaning a key part of development is socialization. People learn off of each other by analyzing facial expressions, actions, responses, experiences and emotions. Influencing our personality and communication skills. In a traditional classroom, meeting people face to face, learning new experiences, seeing different backgrounds is a daily experience. Lev Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist who created the social development theory. Like many, he believed that the social aspect of learning is more important than the development side. Saying “By giving our students practice in talking with others, we give them frames for thinking on their own.” Face-to-face learning gives group work and tons of opportunities for social interaction. Besides socialization and discipline, tradition also offers engagement. A 2018 Gallup study titled, 'School Engagement Is More Than Just Talk', show that “Engaged students are 2.5 times more likely to say that they get excellent grades and do well in school, and they are 4.5 times more likely to be hopeful about the future than their disengaged peers.” That is why Individuals who cannot keep themselves engaged and have a short attention span should consider traditional schools because teachers usually try to help students be engaged. Face-to-face learning is best for people who need to be engaged, need to be social and cannot regulate themselves.
Despite these advantages, both learning styles have faults. What one style has, the other lacks making no style perfect. For instance, while remote learning is cost-effective, alleviating pressure in households by saving thousands of dollars, it lacks socialization. This can have obstructive effects on individuals. Lack of socialization leads to social isolation, which can cause mental health issues. Julianne Holt-Lunstad is a psychologist at Brigham Young University. She has talked about the effects of social isolation stating that “There is robust evidence that social isolation and loneliness significantly increase the risk for premature mortality, and the magnitude of the risk exceeds that of many leading health indicators," However traditional learning isn’t flawless either, there is little flexibility. Flexibility gives a balance and lets students have a life. Being in a classroom for 5 or more hours and having assignments and homework on top of that means most of the day is spent associated with school. Leaving little time for free time. “It appears prioritizing time is associated with greater happiness,” said lead researcher Ashley Whillans from the University of British Columbia. Confirming that time for yourself is important. Getting rid of free time and being constantly ridden by school has negative mental side effects, including depression, burnout, and increased stress/anxiety. Flexibility is significant, remote learning gives that flexibility and free time. Palliating some stress, but it comes with a price. Distant learning relies on accountability, discipline, and integrity. No discipline means falling behind. There is no time for procrastinating, it is all on the individual to get themselves back in check as they don’t have peers or teachers at that moment. Face-to-face and distant learning are contrastable because a pro for remote learning makes a con for traditional learning and vice versa. They are intertwined and only differentiate on the students' needs.
The debate on which learning style is better has the wrong mindset. As stated before, each individual learns differently and debaters shouldn’t be concerned about which learning style is better generally but which learning style is more efficient for the sole being. They are similar choices, they both have the same goal to educate and prepare students for the world. However, they differ in their response to students' needs, scheduling and social outcomes. When students choose a style best equipped for them, they should take into account if they are independent or collaborative workers, if they can be self-disciplined or need assistance with motivation and regulation. They have to decide for themselves if they have the skills required for the luxury of a flexible schedule. Distant school allows students to be more flexible with the same level of education at a lower cost, but while it does that, it eliminates the social aspect and assisted discipline they would receive in face-to-face learning.
