Education on campus vs. online education! Is one better than the other? Can one completely replace the other? In fact, it seems that online education is the way of the future. Educational institutions, corporations, and government organizations already offer various forms of e-learning. However, can a computer really replace a teacher and a blackboard?
how people learn
Each individual has a way of learning that is best suited to them. Some people achieve fantastic results in courses taught online, however, most people drop out of 100% computer-led courses. Educational institutions, as well as companies when carrying out staff training, must recognize that there is no ideal way to carry out the teaching of a large group of people, so they must design the programs that best suit the needs. of the group as a whole.
People learn using multiple senses. This involves learning through the theoretical components of a course, as well as social interaction with both instructors and other students. Students learn from the mistakes and successes of others, not just from what the instructors tell them.
Each individual student has an ideal learning pace. Therefore, instructors are challenged to design courses that progress so that slower-paced students don’t fall behind, while not moving so slowly that faster-paced students become bored. .
online education
In the age of high-speed information transfer, online education is becoming a popular and affordable means of teaching people outside of the classroom and, in some cases, across the globe. Teaching can be done through CDs, websites, or through real-time online facilities such as webcasts, webinars, and virtual classrooms. However, each of the different online education methods has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Online education is still a relatively new concept, and in many ways still in its early stages. As such, various issues arise in different online education settings. For example:
1. Lack of immediate feedback in asynchronous learning environments – While some online education environments such as webcasts, webinars, and virtual classrooms work live with the addition of an instructor, most do not. Teaching via CD or website, while having the advantage of being self-paced, does not provide immediate feedback from a live instructor.
2. More instructor preparation is required: In an online education environment, an instructor cannot simply stand in front of a whiteboard and give a class. Lessons in online education settings should be prepared in advance, along with any notes and instructions that may accompany the teaching.
In many cases, it would also be necessary for the instructor to not only understand the concepts being taught, but also the technology used to deliver that teaching. Thus, this increases the required skill levels of online education instructors, leading to increased demand on educational institutions.
Staffing levels may also be higher for courses delivered in an online education environment, requiring, for example:
The instructor: able to teach both the course content and be skilled in the use of the technologies involved.
The Facilitator – to help the instructor deliver content, but you can do it remotely
Help Desk: To offer assistance to instructors, facilitators, and students in the use of the software and hardware used to deliver the course.
3. Not everyone is comfortable with online education: Education is no longer just sought after by the world’s youth. With an increasing trend towards adult and continuing education, there is a need to design courses suitable for students of a wider age range, as well as students from different and varied backgrounds. However, it is difficult to design suitable online education environments for everyone.
4. Increased Potential for Frustration, Anxiety, and Confusion – In an online education environment, there are a greater number of component parts of the system that can fail. Server failures may prevent online courses from working. Software-based teaching applications may require other specific components to function. Computer viruses can infect software necessary to run online educational environments. If these systems are complex, students may choose the ease of education on campus rather than taking the extra time and effort to master the use of online education systems.
5. The Digital Divide – Many people living in remote areas and developing countries do not have access to computers, making any form of online education virtually impossible. For this reason, online education can only be targeted at people lucky enough to be able to take advantage of the technology involved. Similarly, offering live teaching around the world means that different time zones and nationalities increase the demand for multi-skilled instructors.
In addition to these, there are also various legal issues associated with maintaining an online education environment. For example, intellectual property laws, particularly those relating to copyright, may or may not fully cover electronically created intellectual property. For example, information on a website is not necessarily considered to be in the public domain, despite being available to everyone. However, Australia’s Copyright Act was amended in 2001 to ensure that copyright holders of electronic materials, including online education environments, could continue to offer their works commercially.
education on campus
Still, the most common form of instruction is traditional classroom learning. These instructor-led environments are more personal than online education environments and also have the advantage of allowing immediate feedback for both students and teachers. However, the classroom allows for less flexibility than courses run in online education environments.
Instructors in modern classroom environments can still take advantage of various forms of electronic teaching tools while maintaining the atmosphere associated with the traditional classroom environment. For example, PowerPoint slides can be used instead of a white or black board. Handouts can be distributed via the course websites prior to the event. However, in the day, students can still actively participate in the lesson.
Like online learning environments, on-campus education comes with certain drawbacks, the most common of which is the classroom itself. This requires a group of people that, at a university, for example, might number a few hundred people, to meet in the same place at the same time. This requires a huge financial and time commitment on the part of the students and the educational institution.
However, it is this type of environment that is most familiar to students around the world. People of all ages can enter a classroom environment feeling comfortable with the way a classroom-based course is conducted. Older students who may not be comfortable using information technology are not required to navigate through potentially complex online education environments, making on-campus education the most accessible form of teaching.
On-campus education has an advantage that 100% electronically delivered courses cannot offer: social interaction. Learning comes from observing, not just what is written on a page or presented in a slideshow, but what is observed in others. Most students are curious by nature, so they will want to ask their instructors questions. The classroom environment allows students to clarify what is being taught not only with their instructors, but also with other students.
So which one is better?
There is no instructional style that is best suited for all students. Studies have shown (Can online education replace on-campus education) that courses that use online education to supplement on-campus education have been shown to be more effective than courses taught entirely with a single method. These courses take advantage of both online education materials and a live instructor, and have produced higher results than students in 100% online or classroom-based education courses. Students have the advantage of the immediate feedback and social interaction that comes with the classroom environment, as well as the convenience of self-paced online education modules that can be taken when it best suits the student.
It would seem that online learning environments will never fully replace on-campus education. There is no “one size fits all” method of teaching. Teaching styles will continue to adapt to find the method that best suits the learning group. By using a combination of online learning environments and classroom sessions, educational institutions, corporations, and government organizations can ensure that training is delivered that is convenient and effective for both instructors and students.
