Online Learning Vs. Traditional Classroom

Online courses have become more common among colleges and universities. About thirty percent of all college and university students are enrolled in at least one online course (Bergstrand, Savage, 2013). Online classes provide flexibly for students, allowing them to work more hours or care for their families. Studies have found that there is no drastic difference in student achievement whether they are enrolled in traditional classes or online classes (Bergstrand,2013). This article will analyze the experience of taking an online class as a student and will provide information from a sociological perspective.

Many students have a difficult time choosing between online education and traditional education. Both styles of education offer advantages and disadvantages to the student. There are many things to consider when making this life altering decision, such as, cost, convenience, time, social interaction, and technology. This information is meant to inform prospective students looking to further their education of the pros and cons of both online education and traditional education. Taking the steps to further your education is a big decision and one that should not be taken lightly. One should weigh all of his/her options and be well informed and certain of their choice before taking that leap.

The topic I have chosen to focus on for my final project is Online Learning vs Traditional Learning

With the advancement of new technology, more students enroll in online courses (Spring), but this action alarms some who do not agree with online education. College Sophomore Alexander Spring’s editorial, “Online Learning: The Ruin Of Education,” argues “Online education turns a center into a diploma factory.” However, he experienced online education for only a brief period of time. Instead of providing statistics to support his proposition, he based his entire article on his own negative personal experience. Furthermore, Spring merely presents the harmful aspects of online learning, without acknowledging the benefits online education possesses. In his argument, he said this about his experience, “I had the horrific opportunity to experience online learning for a few weeks.” Contrary to Spring’s beliefs, online learning possesses many positive advantages.

When deciding to take college courses there are many choices you have to make. One of the more important choices is where you plan to take your classes. Online classes are becoming increasingly popular because they can be easier to fit into a busy schedule, but some people still argue that nothing beats a traditional classroom setting. Having the option of online classes makes continuing an education more appealing to people that have to balance many other responsibilities like family, jobs, etc.

Which type of learning is better, traditional or online? As we all know, attending a college or university is nothing new. For the longest time the biggest issues for students were which school to attend and how to pay for it. However, with new and constant developments in modern technology these students are faced with a new problem: which type of learning is better, traditional or online? Students are not the only ones dealing with this dilemma; schools are also presented with the same issue. Not only do schools have to be concerned with which type of learning is best for their students but also which type of

In the article “The Online Challenge to Higher Education” (2014), William B. Bonvillian and Susan R. Singer discuss the revolutions brought into higher education and their effects on conventional universities. Bonvillian and Singer talk about different approaches to higher education such as online learning, blended learning and traditional learning.

Among schools with 12th-grade students during the 2010–11 school year, the average percentage of 12th-grade students who graduated with a high school diploma was 89 percent for traditional public schools, 91 percent for public charter schools, and 92 percent for private schools (Institute of Educational Sciences). Traditional on campus classes are those in which a student earns a diploma or a degree in a classroom environment taught by a professor. Students are provided with high amounts of social interaction with students and faculty to prepare them for careers outside of the classroom. From the time children are enrolled in kindergarten up to graduation, the familiarity of a classroom atmosphere sets up structural support to help them through their studies as well as provide students a sense of societal discipline. Traditional on campus classes are more beneficial to a student’s education than online courses.

Learning is more than just receiving information. Traditionally learning was to be in campus, where students would interact with one a another, there were no other ways for learners to get educated beside going to the classroom and listening to the instructor. Nowadays the Internet has brought different ways for people to receive information, such as getting education and degrees online. A few years ago online education was never thinkable, and yet it has become to reality and it is widely expanding with popularity. Online education is a type of educational instruction that delivers learning to individuals to their own homes, and it is getting very popular among nontraditional student and others. Individuals prefer online education

The choices we make for our education are very important. Especially when it comes to our college education, and the types of courses we will take. In today’s society 30% of all college students take at least one online class. That brings us to the subject I want to talk about in this essay. What is the comparison and contrast of online courses versus traditional courses? We will examine the similarities and differences of online and traditional courses, when it comes to teaching, attending, and learning.

Today, students can choose more than one way to attend school. The ordinary way is by attending a traditional classroom setting which has been utilized for years. The other option is to attend school by learning online. This relatively new way of learning is rapidly growing especially with working adults. Both ways of schooling will allow a student to earn a degree but there are some differences between the two.

Technology is changing every aspect in our lives, even the way we learn. Online classes are a rapidly growing trend it today’s society. Online classes are a cost-effective substitute for traditional courses and more convenient for many, so more schools and universities are offering this option. Due to the increase in online course enrollment, people are questioning if students truly learn something from online classes because it’s not a traditional learning environment. Online classes are just, if not more, effective as traditional classes because grades have increased and online discussions provide students with the chance to interact through networking while earning a degree for less than what it would cost to enroll at the same university.

The advancement in technology has introduced a new education program that creates diversity in the learning systems. Today, many institutions of higher learning are or have introduced an online program that allows students all over the world to pursue their academic dreams using their computers. While this is an important innovative idea, most colleges and universities still maintain the traditional classroom setup where students interact with the educator on a face-to-face basis. Apparently, both programs achieve the objective of the education system which is to provide knowledge and skills to the learners. However, the two have multiple differences that make each unique and favored by some students than the other. Therefore, this essay examines the differences and similarities between the on online education and traditional education. The traditional and online educational programs are similar and different in their use of learning materials, teacher instructions, student assessment, and assignments.

Education has undergone significant changes because of the development of information and communication technology over the 21st century (Lin & Jou, 2012:2). As a convenient and inexpensive way to gain knowledge while pursuing higher education, online learning, a form of training or teaching that takes place over the Internet, has been considered as an alternative to traditional classroom learning (Zhang et al, 2004). This essay will argue that even though online learning has benefit such as flexibility which could outweigh traditional learning, traditional classroom learning might still not be entirely replaced. This essay will discuss positive and negative aspects of online and traditional learning in terms of four criteria:

Learning is an endless process, it is never too late to pursue more knowledge. Education has always been a controversial topic around the world because it can be applied to people in different age groups. As human’s achievement in technology has greatly improved, the access to education becomes much easier as well. Many people believed that the traditional style of education, which is a face-to-face learning, can provide the most beneficial result in terms of learning. Students attending school regularly based on an organized schedule can greatly avoid the laziness in learning and enhance the activeness in school life. However, some argue that learning online can achieve even better grades than a face-to-face learning while having an easier time arrangement. Moreover, as the increasing frequency of hearing the term online education, we, the learner, are being aware of an obvious growing trend of online learning. For many college students, they have very different perspectives toward online learning and traditional learning. It is very important for college students, who are one step into adulthood, and learners to discover the most effective style of education that will be most beneficial in different courses. In this essay, I want to discover whether online learning should replace traditional learning or not.