Online Class VS Traditional Class-Essay by Carly Mathiot

Online Class VS Traditional Class

By Carly Mathiot

An online class and a traditional class are two very different ways of learning. The choice of either one is a big decision. To choose the right one for you, you should know what kind of learner you are.

SOCIAL LIFE

Online school is much less hands on; You stay at home alone all day on the computer and you never see your classmates. There are no study groups but there may be support forums. You never make physical contact with anyone including your teacher.  

In a traditional class you get out of the house, go to school, meet your teacher and get to know them in person. You sit in a class room with all your other classmates and sometimes even critique their work.

ASSIGNMENTS  

In an online class after you read the lesson and  teach yourself about the subject, you take the quizzes assigned to you, do the assignments and turn them in via internet.

In a traditional class, the teacher verbally gives you assignments and you go home, do the work and then physically turn in your work to them.

LEARNING

In an online class, if the teacher is not good at conveying their thoughts into words, then you must find a way to learn it another way.

In a traditional class, this problem is less common because you learn in the classroom and are easily able to raise your hand and ask a question or ask them to explain it to you another way.

Communication is less interactive over the internet. It's harder because you have no direct access to you teacher. If you need to ask a question, you must email them and wait for a response. If they don't get the email then what happens?

You can’t call them, you can't meet them. If your internet is down you have no hope of getting anything done and are set behind, much like when you get sick and have to skip a day out of school.

Online school is much less hands on. Interaction with your teachers and the other students in your class is important for your learning experience.

Being disciplined to sit down and read the lesson is the hardest thing. You become tempted to skim over the lesson, especially if its seven pages long with thirty questions, and to look up each question on the internet. When you sit down to do your quiz, you end up knowing nothing about the subject.

An online class and a traditional class are too completely different ways of learning and living.  

To make the right choice, you must know the best way for yourself to learn.  Making the right choice for yourself can affect your future and can make your school years much easier and pleasant for you. Not only that, you will get much more out of your education.