Since the inception of the internet, people from all across the globe have been accessing it to learn things. From cooking to art to expert courses, online learning is now everywhere, thanks to the development of technology and the easy access to it.
Nowadays, almost everybody owns a smartphone or other mobile devices and all it takes is a working internet connection to start learning anything from anywhere. You can enroll in a program say at Harvard University from a different continent. So yes, distance or online learning has made ‘education reaching everyone’ a possibility.
But can it replace the age-old traditional classroom system of learning?
While distance learning is a great way to learn, but a one-word answer to the above question will probably be No. Online learning can never completely replace traditional classes because of the simple fact that it is not real. While it is a great way to learn, but being virtual, it will always remain a close imitation of a real classroom setting and can never be a replacement for it.
So, what are the factors of a traditional classroom that we think can never be replaced by a virtual setup? Let’s take a look.
Things That Can Never Be Replaced
More and more students and professionals are indeed opting for online classes as compared to regular ones. A survey by Pew shows 23% of college graduates went for an online course with the number rising to 46% with recent graduates.
However, an online classroom lacks certain features when compared to real-life classroom education and thus can never act as a complete replacement of it.
Real Classrooms Are More Immersive
Though virtual classrooms work well in imparting education like this BSc Top-up Distance Learning, they lack in what we call a classroom environment. Real classrooms are not just for learning things, they offer a more immersive and holistic experience altogether.
In traditional classrooms, we make friends, sometimes life-long ones. Friends with whom we can debate in the canteen on varied subjects over a cup of coffee. This experience is important in the personal growth of a person and lacks in distance education using virtual means. You can still make friends in an online environment but it simply becomes more difficult and lacks the face-to-face interactions that develop the bond. A text message or email can never replace the joy of in-person conversation and that is what creates the difference between these two modes of learning.
Apart from making friends, real classrooms have one more distinct feature that's not present in online classes. A traditional class will always have questions. Ask any teacher and he/she will tell you how many times someone asked a question and they had to stop the current discussion and dive into a completely different topic just to make things clear. Asking questions in class often enhances the confidence of a student as well.
Apart from these, with online classrooms, there is no place for joining clubs and finding other areas of interest that a real campus has ample scope for.
So, these important life lessons missing in a virtual environment, real classrooms are significant even in today's world.
Online Classes Work Only for Certain Disciplines
Online courses work well only for theoretical courses. Like in this MBA Top up Online, you get the course materials and detailed online guidance and you can learn with no problems at all.
But programs that require extensive lab studies like engineering or medical science cannot be taught through virtual lectures. Or when you go for vocational majors like film studies, music, dance, you need to be in constant in-person touch of a teacher.
Online courses also offer no field visits and as such students have no opportunity to observe the real-life applications of that being taught.
Real Classrooms Offer Emotional Healing
Real classes often act as an escape, a place of joy and laughter that online classes can never become. Students taking online classes are often reported to be showing signs of an emotional low.
Classroom setup and the environment itself can be at times so uplifting. Ask anyone when the best times of their lives were. All will unequivocally agree that it was their school or college lives. Now it's a real school or college they talk about. Because a virtual setup can never act as a mood lifter.
Online Classes Come With Prerequisites
Online classes are all good when you select a certain program that can be studied online, but it comes with a set of prerequisites.
You'll need a high-end laptop, a full-time working internet connection, and a place where you'll face no disturbance. Now, everyone in the world does not have access to all these three at once.
So, to make distance learning reach everyone, first, we need to ensure that everyone has access to these, which is but a societal issue.
Conclusion
Distance learning though has much to offer and can act as a valuable add-on to the traditional classroom model, it however lacks some attributes and thus can never be a complete replacement to it. It's true that distance learning has opened the gates to education for many across the globe, but it's also true that education is not just about learning programs. The aim of education is much larger and distance learning can never teach us the life lessons upon which our future stands strong.
