Intricacies of traditional education and online learning | Assignment Help
The concept of traditional education has changed radically over the course of the last few years. Tectonic shifts in business and its influence on society occurs when corporations experiment with an innovative idea. Currently, coronavirus pandemic is drastically and acquiescently changing the direction of technology’s involvement in personal and professional lives to a higher, more driven road. There are many indicators that this global contagion is likely to transform various aspects of life including that of education sector. As the crisis-driven experiment of E-learning as a frequent practice is launched, the impact of hybrid model of education on both the lives of students and their instructors are being analyzed.
In this assignment, I will explore the intricacies of traditional education and online learning along with my personal preference considering the experience of both.
Keeping in view the economic utilities of time, place, form and possession; I will discuss the advantages and leverages that one has over another.
The traditional way of taking a class requires unswerving commitment and consistency. You are expected to follow a rigid schedule with little flexibility in time. On the contrary, online classes allows the integrity of choice and freedom from obligation. Just like any other asset, time is a valuable resource. The biggest advantage of an online course is that your classroom and instructor (theoretically) are at your service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can receive announcements and assignments, avail notes, take practice quizzes, and participate in discussions with fellow classmates at any time you want.
I prefer the online delivery method as it expediencies me to study at my own pace especially with my continually changing work schedules. Personally, time utility is the most crucial factor to consider since I work as well and my working hours are unbendable. Hence, with online learning, I can only study according to my own feasibility whenever and wherever I get the chance.
In online education, lectures that require little personalization or human interaction are recorded as multi-media presentations, to be watched by students at their own pace at their desired place, often at the comfort of their homes. Such commoditized parts of the curriculum can be easily delivered by a university or even a non-university instructor on platforms such as Coursera or Skillshare. These disciplines are distinct from one another and some cannot be delivered through the internet such as medical sciences and engineering as the virtual learning cannot compensate for an autopsy or industrial building projects.
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In traditional classrooms, numerous factors thrust students to utilizing their maximum potential in a minimum timeframe. It is imperative for most of the students to have an authoritative figure guiding them and keeping a short leash in order to make sure they follow deadlines and syllabus synchronously and meticulously. However, online degrees promote intrinsic motivation over extrinsic motivation as there is no external pressure to perform according to a systemic schedule or pertaining to a prior commitment. It gives students power over how they delegate their time and energy among different activities.
Acquiring knowledge in higher education requires thorough structure and attention to insinuations through observing different perspectives. This can only be achieved through interaction dialogue, hands-on skills, and applications. Traditional classroom gives students opportunities to attain better social skills and learn how to navigate social situations but E-learning invites students to explore deeper and more abstract concepts with less hassle and break free of stereotypical learning. It urges people to overcome challenges and hurdles in the way of knowledge by designing their own personalized learning experience, and explore more than one way to approach a notion.
As per Alkharusi, H., Kazem, A. and Al-Musawai, A., (2010), the social constructivist approach is based on the assumption that individuals learn to construct their knowledge and meanings through interaction with others. It holds that knowledge is not presented to the individuals, but emerges from active dialogue where people create their own learning paths and knowledge. According to the constructivist approach, learners communicate their knowledge to others who provide feedback.
Exposure to conflicting perspectives is the most crucial aspect of education. It promotes critical and adaptive thinking and enhances open-mindedness. The main aim of education is to help students think critically and creatively. A healthy learning experiences pertains to diversity and inclusivity. Online education provides students with the prospect to network with peers across nations or even different continents. This leads to collaborative efforts among individuals in implementation of a project. Consequently, it makes them mutually sensitive to cultural environments and more likely to interact with miscellaneous communities and learn inclusively. While there is still a huge disparity between those who have access to the internet and those who don’t, the mere fact that any of us can communicate across the globe speaks to the importance of this medium.
With E-learning, colleges and universities have brought education straight to homes where once it was confined to campuses and classrooms. It has made a tremendous impact on instruction and learning, allowing students the privilege of pursuing college degrees without the inconvenience of actually traveling to campus to take the course. Many students also find substantial savings on fuel costs with no commute for classes.
Online courses have also considerably increased student-teacher interactions. Even though traditional classes offer extensive face-to-face communication and the lack of it leads to ineffective performance in a team setting, online guided discussions and personal talk time with professors and lecturers is a hallmark of online classes and the rest of the flaws can be corrected if tried. Video chats, discussion forums and feedback appointments are often established to prevent social isolation and to maintain a healthy dialogue.
In addition, online programs are considered more cost effective and affordable as compared to traditional classrooms. Though not all online degrees offer less expensive net tuition prices than traditional colleges, associated expenses almost always cost less.
In terms of possession of product, you cannot get lifetime access to traditional classes but online ones are more suitable for investment as they ensure life-long learning at desired time.
Synchronous Vs. Asynchronous Learning
Synchronous learning involves online studies that are conducted with the aid of chat rooms. This kind of learning can only happen online. Online communication helps your learners stay in touch with their teacher and fellow students. It’s called synchronous learning because the system allows students to ask their teacher or fellow students questions instantly through instant messaging.
This method can be carried out online and offline. Asynchronous learning involves coursework delivered by web, email, and message boards that are posted in online forums. Students do not have access to instant messaging through this online forum
As a personal choice, I would prefer synchronous learning over asynchronous learning due to various reasons as discussed below.
Synchronous learning pertains to active discussions, immediate feedbacks, and a personal familiarity that you can only get through real-time interaction. The personal contact that you get through live videoconferencing, lecture broadcasts or messenger chatting are remarkable substitutes to traditional classrooms and make it easier to make transition,
Moreover, it allows for a more dynamic exploration of topics, ideas and concepts than is possible in a medium with time lag. Videoconferencing, for instance, makes it possible to ask questions and receive answers mid-lesson; to discourse and debate with classmates at a brisk and exciting pace; to collectively drive a conversation into unexpected new directions.
Synchronous learning evokes the same level of accountability and engagement as classroom attendance. If you thrive at a swift pace, surrounded by competing and complementary ideas, this is as close as you’ll come to the real thing.
You’ll interact regularly and frequently with your professors. You’ll actually get to know your instructors. This is not just a good way to confirm your instructor’s credibility. It also provides regular opportunity for face-to-face discussion, individual guidance, and perhaps even the chance to establish a mentorship.
Social media and email simply can’t deliver the same kind of intellectual energy as real-time interaction. This atmosphere is also a less collaborative one. The opportunities to interface with, debate, and network with classmates are scarcer.
Asynchronous learning mainly depends on intrinsic motivation and provides a sense of independence which is not experienced in synchronous learning. However, self-paced training requires a level of self-motivation to complete. Students benefit best from access to clearly stated expectations, immediate feedback, and, to an extent, a watchful eye. An external influence is necessary to keep students motivated enough to complete their courses and fulfill its prerequisites.
In the final analysis, I conclude with a stance which states that online learning is the future of higher education. The duet of online education and synchronous learning is the ideal experience in my opinion. Innovative thinking is required to address the challenges facing higher education. This transformation demands an opus of creative work on a grand scale. A collaborative effort should be made in education sector that produces better informed and intellectually agile individuals at an affordable price.
It is expected, and personally suggested, that once the crisis subsides, online education should not rest on its laurels and strive to take over the market that was already ripe for a disruption aka the pandemic.
References:
Alkharusi, H., Kazem, A. and Al-Musawai, A., 2010. Traditional versus computer-mediated approaches of teaching educational measurement. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 37(2), p.99.
