In the fast-growing age of technology and internet, whether it is more educationally beneficial to hold classes online or not has been the subject of much debate amongst many individuals. While an increasing number of students are growing fond of virtual education these days, a considerable number of them still feel more comfortable with in-person classes. In what follows, I will attempt to explore both sides of the argument and present my own stance regarding this matter.
On the one hand, the number of students who prefer to attend online courses has been rising steadily over the past decade. In their perspective, virtual education is more effective because they can simply sit in the comfort of their rooms and take part in their classes. Although a stress-free environment is significant for effective learning, I firmly believe that too much comfort may run the risk of becoming lazy. For instance, the outbreak of the Corona virus declined the quality of education in our country, because students could do whatever they wanted at the same time as attending their classes. In addition, teachers cannot supervise the students’ behaviors and remind them to focus their attention on the lesson in online classes. As a result, classes often become less efficient than they have to be.
On the other hand, traditional classes, where teacher and students communicate face to face, can have undeniable benefits. First, participants in old-school classes can have more effective interactions with each other. In fact, I believe that genuine communication is a powerful tool for learning. This is much more difficult to achieve in the virtual education context. Next, teachers can control the amount of attention that students pay to the lesson. For example, if a student gets distracted, the teacher will direct his or her attention back toward the classroom. Lastly, teaching in in-person classrooms is more equal, whereas this is not the case in online classes. If students lose internet connection during virtual classes, they won’t have access to the information that the teacher provided at that moment. Therefore, attending traditional classes is not only more beneficial, but also more just.
To sum up, I subscribe to the view that teaching in in-person classes is more likely to result in learning. When it comes to effective educational environments, there is no substitute for face-to-face communication between teacher and students. To this end, I believe that the advantages of traditional classes outweigh their disadvantages to a large degree.