Online Learning Vs. In-Person
The effects of COVID and the pandemic have been widely reported on, but today I want to focus specifically on how it affected college students and online vs in-person school. There are benefits and consequences for both online school and in-person school. When online it is easy to get distracted and not pay attention to the class which could negatively impact your grades greatly. This is because some classes do not require you to turn on your camera while meeting on zoom giving you the freedom of doing whatever you want to without your professor knowing. Even if your professor requires you to have your camera turned on they can not know if something else is distracting you in your room. This loss in engagement in the material makes lectures seem harder and more difficult to understand which can, in turn, lead to more kids skipping class. With so many different websites like Chegg and Khan Academy that offer answers to homework questions and teach you how to solve them, students find these lectures as a waste of time.
While in-person this isn’t as big of an issue as you are for the most part forced to pay attention to class when you go. This isn’t to say that in-person classes do not have their drawbacks as well, accessibility to in-person classes is a problem. No matter how you are feeling you need to be in a certain place at a certain time to make a class. This could get difficult if you come down with a sickness or injury that makes it unable for you to go to class making you miss valuable information. Knowing this people could show up to class with a sickness when they really shouldn’t have putting everyone in the classroom at risk for getting sick as well. With online learning, this isn’t as much of an issue with only needing to access the internet to be able to go to class. Access to the internet isn’t a given though so both methods have their setbacks in this category. Another negative side of online learning is that there is no way for professors to make sure their students aren't cheating. Being able to take exams, not in a classroom and alone makes school more about learning how to cheat without being caught and less about learning the actual material.
I think that overall in-person learning provides the best environment for student learning, but with the world we live in today, this isn’t the case often. I think that if universities want to do the most for their students they will stop moving classes to online only for an entire semester and if possible keep classes in-person for as long as they can.
For more information on the subject, you can visit these links
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/06/21/what-worked-and-what-didn%E2%80%99t-college-students-learning-through-covid-19
https://www.ef.edu/blog/language/online-learning-vs-in-person-classes-whats-better/
https://celebrateedu.org/resource/distance-online-learning-vs-in-person-learning-pros-and-cons/#:~:text=Disadvantages%20of%20In%2DPerson%20Learning&text=Or%20you%20will%20need%20to,bound%20by%20the%20meeting%20schedule.
I completely agree when you said that online classes are hard to focus in. I think they encourage people to not pay attention because one of the main distractions from paying attention or doing work is the internet. Many people use their device they attend classes with for leisure as well, so it mentally blurs the line between "work" and "leisure." Additionally, since the students are not paying attention and cheating is so easy to do, many students never learn the material and fall behind in later classes. In-person classes really do help people learn better. The only real criticism I have is that it felt a little clunky to read and that the pictures could have been larger.
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DeleteThis was a very relatable post. I feel like one thing that is also not talked about is the transition back to in-person learning after almost two years online. Personally, the first in person exam I had after coming back in person was so overwhelming and stressful. My study habits had faded and my attention-span had shortened but I was expected to pick up right where I had left off two years earlier. In online classes, it was easy to mistake listening and learning. I could sit in a class and listen, but that did not mean I was retaining information. Great post!
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ReplyDeleteI am glad that you have decided to write about the topic of online versus in person learning. I really like how you emphasized that online learning is more accessible, but in person learning has more accountability. This is an issue that I have struggled with a lot personally, as I'm sure all of us have. As a second year student currently, I spent the last half of my senior year in high school and my entire freshman year at Pitt Greensburg online. Because I was online, I have never even visited the Greensburg campus despite learning there for two semesters.
ReplyDeleteAt first, I really enjoyed being online and I was doing really well, because I have previous experience in cyber school. But after nearly two years, I got burnt out learning everything from a screen, and lost my focus. I also missed being in a classroom and being able to talk to other students. I am very glad that I can attend classes in person now, and I have noticed that my focus is a lot better in person.
I think that COVID has taught us the value of choosing the right learning environment for each individual. Schools now have the technology, accommodations, and experience to provide accessible learning for students, but schools also see the importance of in person learning for those who need it. - Braedon Ondos