Online education is becoming very popular in the world but will it be able to replace traditional learning, which is the on-campus education? This is a complex issue that involves questions of educational access, models for teaching and learning, development of new and better online technologies, and the health pressures facing the world.
From the onset, we can easily agree that on-campus education promotes collaborative learning and students become keen learners inside and beyond the classroom. It also enhances critical thinking skills when students engage in critical thinking since everyone is forced to participate. On-campus education enables a student to improve their social skills since they will be interacting with peers and establishing rapport with their lecturers.
This interaction with teachers can also be motivating. The on-campus education offers more spur-of-the-moment questioning opportunities which help a concept click in the minds of students. It also provides experimental learning in forms of studios, laboratories and more.
It also develops essential personality and career-building skills within a student through presenting in front of other students; a student will gain confidence. Teachers are also able to see the needy to modify their teaching styles depending on how students will understand what he will be teaching.
Students learn a lot from discussions (arguments) in class and also from interacting with international students. On-campus education builds organizational skills within both the teacher and the student, for example, on the issue of time and work management.
Online education is the one that takes place over the internet and can also be called distance learning or e-learning. Online learning requires a workspace with minimum distractions. One can learn from the comfort of their homes. E-learning is flexible and gives students time to attend to their work and their families.
However, social interactions are not frequent there because some studies use prerecorded videos. Others use video calls and zoom, but interactions and communication can never be compared to on-campus education interactions. Students do not have to work under pressure when using online education; they can work on their own time.
Online education is more practical now considering the current situation that is being faced by the whole world. The COVID 19 has left people with no other option but to use online education to prevent the spreading of the virus. People are now learning from home until there is a solution or when the global pandemic passes us.
Nevertheless, blended education seems to the best option. This is the use of both traditional and online learning; students can meet twice or thrice monthly while doing their projects and other activities online.
The world had to take such a huge step, but online education should not be taken as a replacement to replace on-campus education outrightly.
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