Online education vs. face-to-face education
Online education vs. face-to-face education
In contemporary society, education has witnessed a series of modifications that have changed the modes of learning in a broad spectrum. The internet has impacted how students learn, how students research, and how students interact with their teachers or instructors. One of the significant changes that the education sector has witnessed in the recent past is the introduction of online learning. Online education is the use of virtual platforms to learn whereby teachers and their respective students interact with each other via the internet. Statistics show that online studies are gathering momentum in different institutions with technology-based learning, shaping today’s education sector where learning materials and learning instructions are continuously being delivered via computer networks. As a result, the endeavor has attracted a wide-ranging debate about online education versus face-to-face education, emphasizing which method of education impacts society better than the other. Although both have pros and cons based on an individual’s point of view, this essay argues that online education is better than face-to-face education.
Studying online provides students with better flexibility, while face-to-face education does not. It is imperative to highlight that modern-day society is highly competitive, and the desire to improve the standards of living for every individual is imperative. It is in this respect that today’s students partly work as they study to enable them to meet their daily expenses (Li & Irby, 2018). With online studies being flexible, the system has been supported, making it possible for students to fit their work schedules around their coursework more easily as compared to the traditional face-to-face method, which was, and still is, inflexible. The idea has been made easy by the introduction of online asynchronous classes that allow students to log into their classes at their tome of convenience and interact with their teachers and colleagues at their own pace(Li & Irby, 2018). The flexibility of online courses is undeniably the best experience modern-day students accrue from its advent.
Studying online is cheaper, enhances comfort, and helps students avoid time-wasting, unlike face-t0-face education, which requires strict adherence to school schedules. Scores of studies establish that students who take online classes manage to avoid the extra costs of education synonymous with face-to-face education(Dumford& Miller, 2018). Some of the costs incurred in face-to-face education include transportation costs and housing costs. As a result, students enrolled in online classes end up with fewer debts and more savings, attributes that make education better. It is also worth acknowledging that online education avoids time wastage, which is common in face-to-face education where students have to move from one place to another or from one class to another, saving time for more productive activities. In online education, students have to study at the comfort of their home, thus making the entire education practice worth experiencing.
Studying online instills self-discipline and a sense of responsibility to students, unlike in face-to-face education, where students depend on their teachers and instructors for guidance and time management (Dumford& Miller, 2018). In online classes, a student is required to manage their time and to develop self-motivation skills because they are on their own. On the other hand, face-to-face education creates a culture of dependency, which negatively affects a student’s future professional life.
In conclusion, online education has positively impacted the education sector leading to the development of better professionals in a cheap and flexible scenario. With the rapid technological advancements experienced in contemporary society, online education will continue to be better. It may fully substitute the face-to-face mode of learning as it instills self-discipline and promotes a sense of responsibility, thereby creating better professionals. They can impact the society positively in their professional engagements.
References
Dumford, A., & Miller, A. (2018). Online learning in higher education: exploring advantages and disadvantages for engagement. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 30(3), 452-465.
Li, C. S., &Irby, B. (2018). An overview of online education: Attractiveness, benefits, challenges, concerns and recommendations. College Student Journal, 42(2).