Face education versus online education

In previous times of education, online education was not so popular. Students and teachers probably find convenience in online education. It became trendy when online education made its way due to some critical factors related to health during the covid-19 pandemic. When students and educators find an online system needs only technological tools at their fingertips to get mastery of online education.

Types of education:

People are mostly known for two types of education, i.e. face to face education and online, but there are three types of learning. So let’s have a look at them.

1. Online education:

Once the word comes to mind online, everybody has known the requirements of online education, i.e. gadgets, technology, the internet and their correct use that might help commence the online classes. Virtual education is nowadays most commonly called “asynchronous education”. Online education helps students learn from anywhere at any time in their way by accessing e-learning materials. Online education is promoting students to self-study. All learning materials are full-fledged and organized online to give students a good online learning experience.

• Face-to-face education:

People are well-aware and practice this type of education where students and teachers meet physically in the classroom to carry on the classes for the course completion. Students are passive learners in this type of education while the teacher arranges the class. The benefit of face-to-face learning is that it provides the experience of live interaction between the teacher and the student.

• Blended education:

Blended education provides a system where online and face-to-face education is implemented. Blended education is also called a hybrid system. The hybrid method helps students to learn in both ways. The lecturer delivered in the online class might be recapped in the physical class or deliver lengthy and time-consuming lectures online. A blended system provides the entire education facility to the student and the teacher. This system also enables adaptive learning as students’ flexibility is its priority.

When online education started to commence in the educational institutes, some typical teachers and under privilege students came to the ground to fight against the issue. They were stubborn about getting rid of online education. Teachers of old ages never knew the smart access of technology while under privilege students did not have technologies at home.

Students with good financial backgrounds and technological access at home were also not practicing using Google classrooms or zoom, so they started to search and pay someone to take my online class, increasing their costs. These all negative outcomes of online education were only perceived by such people who were either old, privileged or not known to technology.

Apart from all these negative aspects, they did not realize the plus points of experiencing online education. Online education provides education in a phlegmatic environment by truncating the operational cost and time. When students and teachers started realizing the first-hand benefits of online education, which were more than their expectations, they started availing of all its benefits. For privileged students, governments globally have announced the distribution of gadgets that might help their online education.

Although online education has many benefits, it is somehow not appropriate for developing or underdeveloped countries or people residing in the mountains. The people living in such areas have technological awareness and stuff, but they can’t attend online classes because of the slow internet or no internet. The shortage or lack of internet facilities harms their academics because they can hardly take an online class. They might migrate to the city to take online classes, which is somehow difficult for them.

This article is all about comparing online education and face-to-face education so that we will take a deep look at the key differences between both the education type;

1. The learning culture and environment:

As we all know, in physical classes, teachers well-plan the lectures, they are prepared all the time, and the classes are properly structured. There is a properly defined schedule according to which students are bound to present in the class. Considering all these schedules and properly structured classes, it is the most disciplined study method. In face-to-face learning, students are present every day with fresh minds because they have to interact with each other to make the lecture worthy.

Online learning is considered to be a spontaneous way of learning. In physical classes, there is a proper schedule for taking and commencing the classes, but in online learning, students and educators are given the flexibility to set the time and discuss it mutually. Students in online learning take notes and lectures according to their feasibility. The teacher tends to record the session and send it to the group so the absenteeism might get the formal lecture. In this type of education, educators and students do not experience a live session as it is more adaptable.

• Learning materials:

In physical classes, students are bound to study from their designed textbooks and workbooks and take the proper notes of the lecture.

While in online learning, students might study from different learning materials like links, visuals, YouTube channels, Google, etc. In digital education, students get different learning modules, including video understandings or audio sessions.

• Learning pace:

The learning environment is centralized in physical classes, where the instructor speaks, and the students take notes passively. There is hardly any time for the students to slow down and revise the lecture while the teacher covers the course non-stop. This problem hinders the mindset of the students.

While in digital learning, students can learn freely according to their cognitive capability. They can slow down and recap the lecture whenever they want to come up with the whole class. The student can pause the video and audio to write a fine lecture and queries to be discussed in the future. Online education is not a passive approach for the students but an active approach because it ensures interactive learning.

• Assessment types:

In face-to-face education, the teacher takes quizzes and exams of the lecture discussed rigidly in the class. The test occurs at a specific class at a specific time and can no longer be shifted.

Assessments and monitoring in e-learning are quite flexible as it differs from the traditional and typical method. Online education has quick and smart ways to assess students. The exams are sometimes screen recorded to ensure the integrity of the students.

CONCLUSION:

Both online and face-to-face education have pros and cons, and they are unique in their own way. There are a lot of students who are still preferring the traditional method, while some are interested in seeking online education. Choosing either system is based on the learner’s feasibility of the method chosen for their studies. The main objective of the educational institute must be to benefit the learner.