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We each have our preferences, whether it is online learning or classroom learning. This article covers the differences between the two.
On March 16th, 2020, AISJ went online for 2 weeks, which then turned into 3 months. Online school felt like an eternity nonetheless, we started the next school year in person. As Covid-19 changed the world and the educational approaches, online learning became a necessity as we adapted to these unprecedented times.
Consequences of face-to-face vs online learning
Face-to-face learning has its advantages as it fully engages students academically, emotionally, physically, and socially. There has been a study that proves that there are significantly higher exam/test scores when doing face-to-face learning as opposed to the online learning mode. However, for people who do not appreciate the structure of in-person meetings, online learning can be benefitted from as it offers students to work and learn at their own pace. Nonetheless, for some learners, one of the biggest challenges of online learning is focusing on a screen for long periods of time. Being on a laptop for an extended time is not fun, additionally, there are greater chances for students to get distracted by youtube, social media, and other websites rather than paying attention to what is going on in class.
Interactions vs no physical interactions
An obvious difference between these two learning styles is the lack of human interaction posed by online school. Humans are social beings, who strive to interact with others and make social connections. Even though there is human interaction on Zoom, physical interaction is lacking, unlike in classroom learning. One of the important interactions that are missing in online learning is friendships. According to mentalhealth.org, physically seeing and interacting with your friends is a crucial element in protecting your mental health. They help keep us grounded, help keep things in perspective as well as helping us manage the problems life throws at us.
Time and place for when you learn
Attending face-to-face learning can take a lot of time to prepare for. You have to wake up earlier, get ready for the school day, and take a trip to the campus. With online learning, there is minimal preparation. All you need is your laptop and a corner in your house where you can participate in Zoom classes. Additionally, you can enjoy your beauty sleep as well as shorter class time.
Self-motivation
Many students struggle with a lack of motivation when learning online. When physically going to school, an environment designed and focused on learning, you are increasingly motivated to perform in-class activities and to do additional work. Similarly, your classes consist of peers that have similar learning objectives or goals, whereas, at home, a place of comfort, it can be very easy to lose focus due to distractions.
Separation of school time and rest time
Separating school time from leisure time with face-to-face learning is much easier than with online learning. As mentioned earlier, going to physical school puts you in a mindset that is ready to start learning, and when you come back home that mindset can be switched off, putting you in the mood to relax and have fun. Similarly, another challenge of online learning is that most of us learn in our rooms. Bedrooms are places where we relax the most and doing online learning (which requires an attentive and engaged brain) can result in less separation of school time from rest time. It is important for students, especially those who take the IB or engage in other rigorous high school courses, to find that balance between academics and social life.
Lots of us have been learning face-to-face since pre-school, and due to Covid, online learning has become a new normal. Whether you are grateful to go back to school or are whining, wishing you were at home on zoom, there is no doubt that online learning will continue to become more popular as we are still learning to adapt to this new world in which we are living in. These two learning modes have their differences but at the same time it all falls down to how you perceive the two. It is important to keep a positive attitude, no matter the situation.
