Comparative Essay Sample: Online vs. Traditional Learning

Before technological advancements, traditional face-to-face learning was the typical way of education. In-person school was the only way to attend until the pandemic of Covid-19 struck the world in 2019. Students, from grade school to college levels, have had to readjust to learn completely online or hybrid. Due to the force of having to learn online, some colleges are remaining remote and offering online classes as well as traditional ones. Since the pandemic, it has been a controversial topic on which type of schooling is best. However, with recent studies, it is found that taking online college courses is better for students and superior to traditional face-to-face learning. 

One major difference between online and traditional learning is the availability, as online learning is more adaptable and accommodating to students. Taking classes online allows students to sign up for more classes than may be offered in traditional schools. Why this may sound crazy, it is true. When learning in person, students can not take two classes at the same time, as it is not possible to be in two places at the same time. However, being able to take school online, if two classes are scheduled simultaneously, students can split the time between classes. Not only can students take advantage of taking two classes, but online learning is more accommodating to students with illnesses or injuries, or students who have full-time jobs or family events. Courses can “truly [be] personalized to meet an individual’s requirements including a time, place, and pace to suit each individual’s circumstances (Hoyle). Due to the availability of time in online classes, students who have several priorities or are not fit to attend school, are able to still continue their education. 

On the other hand, traditional face-to-face learning is not as flexible or available to students. A typical day of school is around eight hours sitting at a desk. During this time, the student’s main priority is their education were then after an eight-hour day, they head to work or extracurricular activities. The students must do their work during the time period given to them during the day to get a decent grade on the assignment. Students are forced to fit in a schedule of time-limited classes as well as finish the workload before the end of the semester. The students must work at the same pace to stay on track. The study found a concern that “when students are learning individually, rather than in a group setting, they benefit when required to reflect on their own learning and monitor their own understanding of the content” (Angiello 3). Due to the lack of time and availability, in-person learning is not near as efficient as online learning. 

Another difference between online learning and traditional learning is internet access, as online learning has a few bumps in the availability of communication through technology with professors. Most of the time, online courses are not happening right at the moment they are being taught but are pre-recorded or videos from the internet. Due to the fully remote style of learning, students need a high-speed internet connection to participate in class. Not only is the service a problem, but another challenge is the ability to reach out to a teacher through the internet. As the “Feedback response time from the instructor in a distance course may also be slower than that of a traditional classroom” (Doskocil 7). With the internet being essential to an online class, without fast-speed internet access, online learning can become difficult. 

Conversely, traditional learning has the best potential for no complications in courses or problems in reaching out to teachers. The advantage of being involved in face-to-face learning gives you the opportunity to reach out to your professors with in-person meetings or conversations. The classroom also, “allows for immediate student-teacher interaction, while distance education instructors are not necessarily capable of providing immediate feedback to student questions and/or comments (Doskocil 8). When students need extra help on an assignment or want to review an assignment with their professor, being in person is much easier to do. Traditional learning gives students and professors the benefit of face-to-face communication and interaction. 

The largest difference between traditional and online learning is the performance of the students in the class and the outcome from their education. Grades and reports are perhaps the most important results from the class. The report found that “students who took all or part of their classes online preformed better than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction” (Angiello 2). Studies show that students who take online classes preform better in the class and take more from the course. Not only do the students get a better education and understanding of the class, but they are more interactive with the class. Online courses say that students, “interactions are more useful in enhancing communication skills and the ability to work well with others” (Angiello 3). Students show more growth and development in education through online courses. 

Unlike online learning, due to the distractions in a traditional classroom, success rates are not as high. A report said “that up to 70 [percent] of lesson time in some primary schools was wasted by children wandering about the classroom” rather than doing the assignment handed to them (Bullock 1). With the distractions and students not completing assignments, the students then begin to fall behind and their grades start to lack. One report it said, “Studies in which learners in the online conditions spent more time on task than students in the face-to-face condition found a greater benefit for online learning” (Angiello 2). Several studies and reports have shown that traditional in-person studies scores typically come out lower and the students do not take as much information out of the course. Therefore, traditional learning is not the best option for courses when it comes to the outcomes of the class. 

Online learning overall is the better option between the two types of education styles due to the flexibility in time and outcomes of the courses. Professors’s main goal for every course they teach should be that the student is succeeding and getting the best information and knowledge from their class. Online courses, based on the reports and tests, show that they benefit students more than traditional schooling. With technology today, more and more courses are available for college and high school students online. Although communication is easier in person, overall the results of the class top the other needs, which makes online education the best option for students.