Traditional Classrooms Versus Online Learning

Is Education Better on a Campus or Through Cyberspace?

Nov 10, 2009 Cynthia Jones-Shoeman

Distance learning is popular these days because it's convenient, but is it better than traditional classroom education? Here are the pros and cons.

Online learning (or "virtual education") hasn't been around for too terribly long. But education itself has been valued by human beings for thousands of years. People are often hungry for knowledge, and we've usually met in a common place to learn from an expert (sometimes a teacher or professor), using books and taking notes. Distance learning, though, utilizes the internet, and most times teachers and their students never meet eye to eye.

These two education styles both have advantages and disadvantages, so it is up to the learner to decide which type of education would be better suited to him. Here are some of the pros and cons of both kinds of learning.

Why Some People Choose Online Learning

One of the best reasons to choose an online education is also the most obvious. A student doesn't have to move to another place. She can continue working the job she has. She can wrap her classes around her schedule. If she works forty hours a week, Monday through Friday, most online schools can and will accommodate her schedule. If she has children and can only "attend" class from 10 p.m. to midnight, online classes are key to her education.

The best reason then to attend an online university would be if one cannot uproot her life, if she must maintain the job she has in the place where she already lives. Online students also don't have to worry about commuting or carrying heavy textbooks around a large campus. Their living room is their classroom.

The Disadvantages of Online Education

It should go without saying, but students must not only be computer literate to excel in online learning, they should also feel quite comfortable with navigating the internet. When a student takes online classes, he must not only be able to attend class online, but he will also need to do his research online (often through the campus' virtual library). He also needs to have a computer or at least have access to one.

Obviously, he must be self-disciplined; he won't have classes on a set schedule and will have to be responsible. He should also feel that he is competent in email communication, and he should have a basic understanding of netiquette rules. Finally, the online student should be a fairly competent typist. If he types slowly, it will take him longer to "speak" online. Online colleges also tend to cost a little more than traditional schools.

Internet classes aren't for everyone. Some students feel a sense of isolation because they never really get to know any of their classmates. Sometimes if a student needs extra help, he doesn't quite know how to go about asking or how to communicate his needs online. Some students do better in a traditional classroom setting.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Traditional Classroom

The advantages of the classroom setting most students are familiar with include, of course, surroundings that students feel more comfortable in. In classrooms with a smaller teacher-to-student ratio, students can even get more direct assistance. Because there is real time interaction and students and their instructor speak instead of typing, more ground can be covered in less time.

There is also a physical space that can be utilized. An instructor or student can point to a page in their text. The instructor can write information down on a white board. Students can discuss information with each other, and because they are speaking in person, there is less chance that one of them will be misunderstood.

That said, the traditional classroom does have some disadvantages when compared to online instruction. The noisy students in the back of the room can be distracting to other students, just as noise in the hallway might detract from the professor's lecture. Quieter students also may not ever have a chance to participate if there are other students who tend to never give up the floor. Shy or marginalized students may not feel like they should speak up. The online environment is a more level playing field in that everyone can ask a question and be recognized, no matter how "quiet" she is.

And what about the commute? If the weather is bad or the she has a flat tire, the traditional student risks jeopardizing her grade. Some students live on campus to avoid these problems, but then expenses go up due to the cost of a dorm room and meal plan.

The Learner Must Decide What Type of School Environment is Best

Some students excel in online classes. They like the freedom to come and go as they please. They like being able to use their computer skills. They enjoy sitting at the computer in their pajamas on Saturday morning with a cup of cocoa to read their class lecture and do their coursework. Other students prefer the traditional classroom, thriving on the set schedule, the physical textbooks, and the face-to-face interaction with peers and their instructor. There is no right or wrong learning environment. It really does depend on the type of learner one is and what kind of classes fit into his lifestyle. Fortunately, in this day and age, students have lots of choices.

The copyright of the article Traditional Classrooms Versus Online Learning in Colleges is owned by Cynthia Jones-Shoeman. Permission to republish Traditional Classrooms Versus Online Learning in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Online Learning the Best Way to Get an Education?