The topic of Traditional Education vs. Online Education has long been debated among educationists, each having its own pros and cons. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, social distancing became one of the crucial measures to contain and control the pandemic. Among various things, it has greatly impacted the educational infrastructure worldwide, and students cannot be allowed to study in classrooms that have not been designed, keeping social distancing in mind. This has largely impacted academic activity worldwide after the lockdown and made room for online education now more than ever. Now the debate is more important than ever, “Traditional VS Online Education. Which is better?”
To answer, this writer up lists some of the key differentiating points between online education and traditional education.
Traditional education
What is the meaning of traditional education? In a traditional education environment:
The teacher plays a vital role in establishing a meaningful classroom environment for students, but in the final analysis, it is the social and psychological activities and responses of each student that determines what they learn.
Traditional classes are more likely good for young students. Young Students who just started studying. Through traditional education, students have interactions with students of their age so that they can enjoy and learn easily. At this age, a person needs to understand the discipline and follow the schedule or meet the targets.
Now the question comes to our mind as to why a person needs to learn discipline or commitments. These two things help us enhance our physical and mental health.
Life skills are part of this curriculum. “A skill is a learned ability. Life Skills are those competencies that assist people in functioning well in the environments in which they live.”
Therefore a traditional education is required to practice these life skills.
Online education
What is online education? According to India Education:
Computer-based training, Web-based training, Internet-based training, online training, e-learning (electronic learning), m-learning (mobile learning), computer-aided distance education – online education goes by many names. It comes in a variety of styles, but at its core:
“Online education is an electronically supported learning that relies on the Internet for teacher/student interaction and the distribution of class materials.”
Online education is appropriate for those who need to learn for promotion purposes and do not have enough time to spend in classes. So online education provides us the flexibility to attend the class any time we want.
We can get a feasible degree or certificate on the completion of any study/knowledge we want.
Through online education, we can give enough time to our work, family, and studies.
Still, we cannot Degrade traditional education because online education gets zero scores when it comes to practical work. Therefore, we need to adopt traditional education if we want some practical abilities like sports or laboratory abilities.
| Online education | Traditional education |
Interactions Online education offers lectures for students. Students can interact with each other through a conference call. Flexibility It provides flexibility to those who are already working or busy with their family. Budget online education is not so expensive because online education provides a lot of options. Others In this era, people prefer this education. At the same time, some people think online education is not that appropriate specifically when it comes to practical courses. Discipline The success of anyone depends on the level of commitment he or she has. Online education is appropriate for those who are self-motivated and have the ability to manage their time. | Interactions Tradition education is good for interactions face to face plus group discussions help us to generate different ideas. Flexibility Traditional education is good for those who have enough time to spend on daily classes. Budget Traditional education provides us with fewer options and is comparatively expensive. Others Traditional education provides us with practical courses and experiences. Discipline The traditional education system is good for those who are not as motivated as such. Because of inn traditional education, we need lots of commitment. |
How to get started with Online Education
1. Contact our instructor. It also means that we should be very clear about our teacher/ instructor’s expectations of us.
2. For the online study, we should have some homework before class. Basically, the preparation of the class is needed.
3. Very importantly we should know the necessary instruments for the course we are going to learn.
4. When we know the instrument, we need to learn how to use that instrument. We should know the navigation and tools. So, that we can easily use the instrument which is required.
5. We all think that a home is a comfortable place so for online classes, we should create a sort of schedule and stick to it.
6. We should not hesitate to ask a question. Even if we understand the point, ask further questions. The teacher/instructor always appreciates a student who asks a question.
7. We have to be organized. As we know, all students taking traditional classes follow the schedule efficiently. Same like that, while attending online, we should be organized to complete the semester or class successfully.
8. Like when we go to school, our classes used to be very clean and maintained. Same like that while studying from home it is important to have a clean and consistent environment.
9. Another important topic is while traditional classes, we have to work on a daily basis. We have to do it within time. But in online classes, we feel lazy and leave our work pending. We should be very clear that working at the very last moment is just useless; better is to work daily with full understanding.
10. Lastly, we should know which routine/time works for us better. If, for example, some of us feel fresh in the morning, our mind works better. Most of us use our owl hours at night.
11. We should be in touch with the organization we are associated with. When we used to be in contact with our instructor, it allowed us to learn even more.
Key Players in the Children Online Education
Khan Academy | Free Online Courses, Lessons & Practice
Sabaq Foundation, Free Videos & Tests, Grades K-12, Pakistan
Free online courses in Pakistan. (instutor.com)
Points to remember when doing online education with your children
Experts have created a “to-do” list when doing online education. Compared to traditional education, internet education requires that parents keep these points in mind.
1. Create a space
2. Set a time
3. Clearly define your expectation
4. Keep discussing their work
5. Take short breaks
6. Make presentations
7. Do projects
8. Make the handwriting part of education
Conclusion
When we compare traditional education with online education, we notice both have advantages and disadvantages.
The two biggest disadvantages of online education are
1. Getting distracted
2. Staying motivated
The first issue can be resolved if parents keep watching the child’s work. The second issue is resolved when students do online discussions and presentations.
Due to lockdown caused by covid19, parents have to choose online learning for their children. Therefore, it is recommended that they adopt online education as much as possible, keeping in mind all the suggestions and guidelines provided in this article.