Traditional classes vs. Distance
education
The face-to-face classes and
virtual classes are ways a students can acquire knowledge in order to achieve a
goal, in this case will be to approve a course. Face-to-face classes are when a
student needs to assist in physical way to the campus. In contrast, the
distance education occurs when the instructor and learners are separated by
location and/or time (Linder & Murphy, 2001). Nowadays, these two classes
are very useful in order to continue receiving education, no matter which one
is because both have validity.
However, the both classes, face-to-face and virtual, have
differences that a learner needs to take in account; in order to take a
decision in which is better according to their necessities. In the same way,
there are some advantages and disadvantages in both classes that confuse
learners, so sometimes they do not take a good decision.
In virtual classes students do not need to attend
physically to a specific point, and learners need to be self-disciplined; in
other words, to have independent learning because when the instructor delivers
the content the student must have greater initiative to access and to
understand the material (Arleen, 2008) . In contrast,
face-to-face classes do not need this skill totally develop for the reason a
learner could ask to the teacher in the precise moment or ask to a classmate.
It will solve the problem in a short period of time; meanwhile online the
student needs to wait until a classmate or the teacher sees the message.
Distance education continues to expand because of growth
of the internet, increased information technology competencies (Linder, 1999).
That is another reason is different from the face-to-face classes. In this one
is the choice of student is he/she wants to use it for the reason the classes
are in the campus; for example, if it has an assignment it can go to the
library, without having the necessity of using internet. Therefore, if the
student could not assist to class for whatever reason he/she could lose the
explanation of a topic, so the only way to solve the problem is to ask for
notes but is not the same if he/she will
be attended the class. In the other hand, in virtual classes the learner could
access to the tutorial videos or check the instruction the times he/she likes
to.
Nevertheless, in both types of classes the institutions
provide students with a community where they can engage, interact, and support
each other (Arleen, 2008) . However, in Virtual classes the
classmates and the teacher can mainly help the learner or give feedback in
writing texts, and even interact in forums and being able to have communication
with every person in the class. Therefore, in face-to-face classes they can ask
the teacher for feedback, but sometimes even if they are in the same class
students prefer to ask to their friends and not somebody else; probably because
students feel shy or afraid of the reaction of their partners.
A disadvantage of distance education a lack of instructor
and learner professional development and support, copyright and intellectual
property issues, and few financial models to create and sustain distance
education delivery (Advanced methods in distance education , 2005) . Sometimes, the time
is very limited and well organized that if it happens a problem in the online
courses; students could miss some explanations or not being able to send the
assignment before the deadline.
In the other hand, an excellent advantage is that some
online courses are time-flexible, where students and their teachers do not need
to be involved in the same activity at the same time (Arleen, 2008) . This feature is really good because
some students need to have a job, or just have others responsibilities; for
example, having children. Learners can manage their time to do the assignments
according to their free time, without worrying in assisting to the campus.
In summary, a face-to-face class is necessary to assist
physically to the campus; meanwhile, in distance education students do not need
to be in the same place or at the same time in order to acquire knowledge. A
difference in virtual classes is that a learner must possess certain knowledge,
skills, and abilities in order to complete a planned institutional sequence and
be successful (Linder, Dooley, & Murphy 2001) because is not easy to
comprehend the way a teacher send the material. In the same way, the use of
internet is an aspect that almost all the people have access to it, so is a
good tool to use it for educational purpose. Even though, sometimes could occur
problems in support. Therefore, the best advantage in online courses is the
flexible- time a student could have for the reason that he/she could manage the
time to do assignments, to watch tutorial videos, interact with his/her
classmates, etcetera. The important aspect is that the learner only knows which
class is better, virtual or face-to-face, according to their necessities.
Bibliografía
(2005). Advanced methods in distance eduacation . En
K. E. Dooley, J. R. Lindner, & L. M. Dooley, Advanced methods in
distance eduacation (págs. 2-4). United States of America: Information
Science Publishing.
Arleen, R. B. (june de 2008). communication
currents. Obtenido de Face-to-Face or Online Instruction? Face-to-Face is
Better: https://www.natcom.org/CommCurrentsArticle.aspx?id=884
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