The Battle of This Generation – Online vs Offline Education
OK time to set the record straight with an incredibly common question! Which is best Online vs Offline Education.
I am preeetty sure you have at least once in your life considered taking an online course, attend a free class online, or even one full semester program online.
No? Not even once?
Come on then, I’ll show you why the question of online learning vs offline learning is such a big deal nowadays.
If you are hesitating between taking lessons online, or go to an actual school with classmates for your education, this blog might help you see the pros and cons of each kind of learning, and eventually help make a decision.
In this blog we will answer the most frequently asked questions and bring more details to this very relevant issue of our generation.
DISCLAIMER – Every person is different, and every teaching method does not fit everyone. So be aware that there is no two similar cases and you need to take into account what would work for you and only YOU.
Let’s start off with the basics and define exactly what online and offline education means.
Online Education – Online Education is a very flexible learning system that allows students to study solely via the internet on their own computer at home, or wherever they see fit.
Basically, student-teacher face to face meetings are not required, allowing students to study anywhere in the world.
NOTE – There are several types of Online Learning. In this blog, Online Education will mainly refer to Online Programs where students meet their teacher for class through a software such as Skype or Zoom.
Offline Education – Also referred to as traditional training. Offline Education means a student needs to go in a school, in a classroom, and attend a class face to face with a teacher.
So you got it, the main difference between online education vs offline education is the location of the the learning process.
Another key difference between online learning vs offline learning is the flexibility of the classes.
Whilst offline learning requires you to physically travel to a training centre or a school and be present at fixed hours, online learning allows you to study wherever you want, whenever you want.
Unless, of course, you have an arranged schedule decided in advance with your teacher.
A third difference between online learning vs offline learning is the student-teacher interaction.
In an offline setting, students listen to long lectures and take notes, sometimes easily get bored and might doze off a little.
With online classes, and new technology teaching techniques such as interactive whiteboards and videos for example, students engage with the class and activities given by the teacher.
However! As you will see further down below, even though digital teaching techniques do improve students’ class engagement with the lessons and activities, it is not the case for student to student interactions…
Which leads us directly to our next question:
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Online Education?
You already know that as with pretty much everything on this planet, Online and Offline Education have pros AND cons.
Online is the latest trending teaching method and growing in popularity by the day, let’s have a look at Online first:
| Benefits of Online Education | Disadvantages of Online Education |
|---|---|
| Location doesn’t matter | Isolating |
| Flexible hours | No competition |
| Time saving | No interpersonal skills development |
| Cheaper | Limited topics |
| Convenient | Must have self discipline |
| Class recorded |
Let’s now have a look at Offline Education’s benefits and disadvantages before we talk about them both Online and Offline in more details:
| Benefits of Offline Education | Disadvantages of Offline Education |
|---|---|
| Individualised monitoring | Fixed location |
| Structured & disciplined setting | Fixed schedule |
| Face to face interactions | Study materials |
| Interpersonal skills development | Dependency on the teachers |
| Competitive atmosphere | Transport & Accommodation |
Both Online and Offline have many benefits and disadvantages and even though what can be called “benefit” and “disadvantage” depends on one’s point of view, these are the main aspects discussed amongst students.
Let’s have a look in more details at the main benefits and disadvantages:
Location & Time
Location and time is the MAIN and biggest benefit of Online learning that you should remember here.
Whereas offline learning takes place in a fixed location, with a fixed schedule and requires you to travel and be on time, online learning is the opposite.
Not that you don’t have to be on time, especially in the case where you have an online teacher and decided on a schedule with them, but Online Learning allows you to study wherever and whenever.
Let’s say you have children and wish to get a degree, but still have to stay home to take care of the kids, Online Learning will make that possible for you.
Let’s say you needed to find a job and didn’t have the chance to finish your curriculum and graduate university because, well…life, Online Learning will make that possible for you.
Let’s say you want to learn a foreign language but don’t have the time nor the money to study in that country, again, Online Learning will make that possible for you.
I can go on with even more examples, but I think you got the idea.
Expenses
Getting quality education is expensive, we all know that.
And I am not only speaking about the scholar fees, but also the travel to the place of learning, the commute, the accommodation if the training center is not nearby, the textbooks, extra-curricular activities and so on.
Online learning is usually cheaper in scholar and booking fees, and as study materials are all online, there is no need to buy textbooks and manuals.
Since you are learning from home you won’t have expenses in petrol for your car, or for public transportation to the training centre.
The biggest saver of money? There is no need to find further accommodation and spend hundreds in rent every month.
Online Education is cheaper in that sense, and more convenient.
Social interactions
So yes, Online Learning is far less expensive, more convenient and flexible, but one major thing to mention is the lack of social interactions online.
And what I mean by that, is that with Online Classes, you don’t get that morning coffee with your classmates, those small chats in the corridor in between classes, the precious break during a long lecture where you can ask questions to the teacher….
In that sense, Online Learning can become quite isolating, as the level of human interaction is kept to minimum.
With Online Education, student to student engagement is very low.
There are less spontaneous debates in class and exchanges of ideas, as everyone is comfortably seated behind a screen, the screen maintaining everyone at a distance. Both virtually and relational-wise.
Another aspect of online learning we might take into account is that, over time, and especially if the online class concerns younger students, this distance in relations with other people might cause a lack of interpersonal skills development.
With offline learning, young students are all in a classroom, they develop crucial qualities such as patience and team spirit, and most importantly, respect.
It can be hard to create the same environment online, and for the teacher to build such aa space online is very complex.
However, with teachers’ experience and the best softwares, an online program for younger students
Self discipline
Self-discipline is by definition the ability to have control and motivate yourself, which let’s be honest, is not always easy!
Studying in class at school is already in itself challenging. There is always the temptation of chatting with your classmates, watch out the window, daydream…
Well, studying at home online is as challenging.
There are no classmates next to you sure, but there are a lot of other distractions such as social media, TV, playing games on the phone. The family can even also be distracting sometimes!
In an offline setting, the class is disciplined with the teacher always checking if students are indeed focused on the class and not doing anything else, coming to them physically to remind them to focus.
Not so easy to do screen to screen!
Online learning requires a lot of self-discipline as students will have less interaction with their teachers, and thus also need a strong motivation.
Is Online just as effective as Offline Learning?
There is no definite answer to this question. Only because, the efficiency of a class, being online or offline, all depends on one’s motivation and drive to success.
As we saw previously online learning requires a lot of self discipline. You need to get up, open your laptop and be there during class without anyone always reminding you to be there.
If you don’t want to join the online class, the teacher won’t come for you. But you’ll get behind real quick. That’s where self-discipline comes in.
Just as in an offline setting, online learning requires you to do homework, research, group assignments and turn in papers on time. So nothing new here.
What will be different though in an online course, is the use of digital learning technology such as videos, interactive white boards, games and other online study material you can access anywhere, anytime, with a laptop, tablet or mobile phone.
Also the opportunity to engage with more day-to-day resources as additional study resources and integrating it into your habits, such as social media and shows in the language you’re learning.
Through digital learning resources, engagement with the class activities is increased, students have more fun interacting with the lessons and as a consequence will learn better and faster, than in traditional learning.
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Which study is better, online or offline?
Again, this question is difficult to answer, as everyone’s situation is different. One might prefer a type of learning rather than the other according to their needs and availabilities.
If you have a training center close to your location, prefer to travel and study in another place than your hometown, then offline learning is absolutely fine.
If you prefer to stay home, need more flexible hours, don’t have the budget for a far away school or just learn better with digital technologies, then online learning is a great option.
Online learning has proved efficient in providing a good work-life balance, allowing more possibilities than offline learning.
Online vs Offline Education – Conclusion
Both online and offline have benefits and short comings, yes. And that is exactly why an education including both systems in a program with the use of technology would indeed create a very powerful education.
Not only would it allow students to engage and exist in a group in an offline setting, but they could also get a more engaging behaviour and stronger interest in an online class with the help of digital learning resources.
Nowadays, new technologies being so easily accessible to everyone and with young generations used to use the internet and the virtual world every day, having more visual and interactive study materials is becoming way more engaging than sticking to the old fashioned school book.
SO, to sum up about online education.
If you are motivated, well-organised and have self discipline, would prefer to study at more flexible times and at your chosen location, then Online learning would be a perfect fit for you and as efficient as offline learning.
It is all about MOTIVATION and SELF-DISCIPLINE.
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