Comparative Essay Example: In-Person vs. Online Learning

As technology advances, the way of living changes in all aspects. A major change that is occurring is the opportunity for students to attend in-person schooling, physically sitting at a desk along with other students, or learning online. The best way to learn is unique to the individual student, and whether learning is virtually or face-to-face, there will be many similarities and differences. The better fit for a student might be one they never considered would work for them. When evaluating the form of learning, it is important to look at the environment: resources, teaching style, flexibility, teachers, and structure. 

There are many similarities between in-person and online learning. To start, both types of classroom settings have access to many resources: tutors, teacher conferences, or extra study material. An example could be the Chemeketa writing center which offers meetings in person or virtually (College). In both forms of learning one could find many opportunities for extracurricular activities or clubs. The student can decide to arrange themselves to either scenario with a wide range of attendance options. A recent example of that would be a past parent theatre meeting, where those who could not make it in person to the auditorium, had the chance to attend via zoom. Another resemblance in learning would be the type of materials that teachers instruct their students with, which is overall the same. This could include, assignments and test material. The workload remains roughly the same as well. Although there are many similarities between in-person classes and online learning, they become different when it comes to the social aspect.

 In a classroom, students have the chance to learn with an active teaching style--one not easily offered through an online setting. Students during in-person learning, voluntarily participate in group discussions, while online learning is mainly silent zoom sessions. This is mainly because circumstances have changed for remote learning to happen and students’ lack of willingness to communicate to a screen (Morin). Human interaction is essential “in assisting the learner to organize their thoughts, reflect on their understanding, and find gaps in their reasoning,” although most of it is found through a physical classroom setting (Okita). Along with easier learning for group discussions, the more people participate, the wider the range of perspectives will be.  While in-person learning primarily has a structured schedule that only requires the student to complete work on certain days, self-directed skills are necessary to successfully pass online courses. Despite the distinct differences between the learning environments, there are positives to both sides.

One essential resemblance for remote earning and face-to-face would be the teachers or professors. They adapt and learn new techniques to engage their students. The instructor directing the students throughout all the material is what allows both resources to work. During in-person learning teaching could use more methods and experiments; in online learning, there are more virtual labs and videos. They both give out different information but are essential for each. For example during online learning, a teacher’s material could look like, recorded lectures, Youtube videos, or online assignments. The pace a student learns during either learning setting is dependent on the teacher. Ultimately, it is teachers who during online and virtual classes direct the information needed for students to learn. 

Another main difference stems from availability and flexibility for both ways of learning. In-person is more of a fixed environment, which can also limit the number of people attending. Students who go in person are required to go to class and meet attendance daily. Because of the difficulty to schedule around the school for students who work full time, it becomes an inconvenience to ever have free time.  For a smaller classroom setting the maximum number of students is no more than 25 in one place. Online that number can significantly increase and allow for more students to participate. This can also include students from a variety of locations around the world, where all they need is the internet to connect. There is a great deal of flexibility offered, in contrast to in-person learning with a strict schedule. Some students prefer an online setting because of the flexibility of the hours. 

It is important to evaluate the needs of individual students and not make a decision about how a child learns lightly. Both forms of learning have positives and negatives. For strong, individualists students, remote learning would be a better option. For students who need physical, human interaction to learn, then in-person learning could be a better fit. It is important to evaluate the essential needs of students like resources or preferred ways to learn.