argument essay about face to face classes

Home — Essay Samples — Education — Online Vs. Traditional Classes — Online Learning vs Face-to-Face

Online Learning Vs Face-to-face

• Categories: Online Vs. Traditional Classes Technology in Education

About this sample

Words: 768 |

Published: Aug 24, 2023

Words: 768 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Advantages of online learning, disadvantages of online learning, advantages of face-to-face education, disadvantages of face-to-face education.

Cite this Essay

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below:

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Dr. Karlyna PhD

Verified writer

• Expert in: Education Information Science and Technology

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

3 pages / 1505 words

1 pages / 580 words

1 pages / 593 words

1 pages / 600 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Online Vs. Traditional Classes

Students may have the opportunities to attend an online school and they can make a choice between online schools and traditional schools. The debate of "online school vs traditional school" is prevalent, as both have their [...]

The Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, has played a significant role in the history of education and has had a profound impact on various fields of study. Founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in the 16th century, the [...]

Hybrid learning, a combination of traditional classroom instruction and online education, has gained prominence as an alternative educational model. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Hybrid Learning Essay delves into the [...]

Most of the college using the electronic textbook which purchase from some website or using the PowerPoint nowadays. A traditional textbook is made by hundreds of pages of information, but all of this information is being write [...]

Whether or not to take an online class is something almost every college student has to decide at some point in their college career. Taking an online class has both advantages and disadvantages, and students differ on their [...]

Online learning has become important of a typical post-secondary or university experience; in fact, about 29 per cent of all Canadian post-secondary students registered for courses online. Its prevalence in institutions of [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

• Entertainment
• Environment
• Information Science and Technology
• Social Issues

Home Essay Samples Education Online vs. Traditional Classes

Online Classes or Traditional Classroom: An Argumentative Examination of Learning Formats

Table of contents, advantages of online classes, benefits of traditional classroom settings, drawbacks of online classes, challenges of traditional classroom settings, 1. flexibility and convenience, 2. accessibility, 3. personalized learning, 1. in-person interaction, 2. structured learning, 3. social and emotional development, 1. lack of in-person interaction, 2. self-discipline challenges, 3. technical issues, 1. rigidity and accessibility, 2. limited personalization, 3. reduced flexibility.

• Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2013). Changing course: Ten years of tracking online education in the United States. Babson Survey Group.
• Cavanaugh, J. (2001). The effectiveness of interactive distance education technologies in K-12 learning: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Educational Telecommunications, 7(1), 73-88.
• Diaz, D. P., & Cartnal, R. B. (1999). Students’ learning styles in two classes: Online distance learning and equivalent on-campus. College Teaching, 47(4), 130-135.
• Hurst, D. (2021). The Benefits of Traditional Classroom Learning. Bright Hub Education. https://www.brighthubeducation.com/teaching-methods-tips/40754-benefits-of-traditional-classroom-learning/
• Rice, K. L. (2006). A comprehensive look at distance education in the K-12 context. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 38(4), 425-448.

*minimum deadline

Cite this Essay

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below

• Segregation in Schools
• Academic Dishonesty
• Distance Education

Related Essays

Need writing help?

You can always rely on us no matter what type of paper you need

*No hidden charges

100% Unique Essays

Absolutely Confidential

Money Back Guarantee

By clicking “Send Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails

You can also get a UNIQUE essay on this or any other topic

Thank you! We’ll contact you as soon as possible.

Online Classes Vs. Traditional Classes Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Online Vs. In-Person Classes Essay – Introduction

Online and traditional classes differences, works cited.

The article compares and contrasts online classes and traditional classes. Among the advantages of online classes are flexibility and convenience, while in-person classes offer a more structured learning environment. The author highlights that online lessons can be more cost-effective, although they lack support provided by live interactions. Overall, the online vs. traditional classes essay is very relevant today, and the choice depends on the individual student’s needs and preferences.

Modern technology has infiltrated the education sector and as a result, many college students now prefer taking online classes, as opposed to attending the traditional regular classes. This is because online classes are convenient for such students, and more so for those who have to both work and attend classes.

As such, online learning gives them the flexibility that they needed. In addition, online learning also gives an opportunity to students and professionals who would not have otherwise gone back to school to get the necessary qualifications. However, students who have enrolled for online learning do not benefit from the one-on-one interaction with their peers and teachers. The essay shall endeavor to examine the differences between online classes and the traditional classes, with a preference for the later.

Online classes mainly take place through the internet. As such, online classes lack the regular student teacher interaction that is common with traditional learning. On the other hand, learning in traditional classes involves direct interaction between the student and the instructors (Donovan, Mader and Shinsky 286).

This is beneficial to both the leaner and the instructors because both can be bale to establish a bond. In addition, student attending the traditional classroom often have to adhere to strict guidelines that have been established by the learning institution. As such, students have to adhere to the established time schedules. On the other hand, students attending online classes can learn at their own time and pace.

One advantage of the traditional classes over online classes is that students who are not disciplined enough may not be able to sail through successfully because there is nobody to push them around. With traditional classes however, there are rules to put them in check. As such, students attending traditional classes are more likely to be committed to their education (Donovan et al 286).

Another advantage of the traditional classes is all the doubts that students might be having regarding a given course content can be cleared by the instructor on the spot, unlike online learning whereby such explanations might not be as coherent as the student would have wished.

With the traditional classes, students are rarely provided with the course materials by their instructors, and they are therefore expected to take their own notes. This is important because they are likely to preserve such note and use them later on in their studies. In contrast, online students are provided with course materials in the form of video or audio texts (Sorenson and Johnson 116).

They can also download such course materials online. Such learning materials can be deleted or lost easily compared with handwritten class notes, and this is a risk. Although the basic requirements for a student attending online classes are comparatively les in comparison to students attending traditional classes, nonetheless, it is important to note that online students are also expected to be internet savvy because all learning takes place online.

This would be a disadvantage for the regular student; only that internet savvy is not a requirement. Students undertaking online learning are likely to be withdrawn because they hardly interact one-on-one with their fellow online students or even their instructors. The only form of interaction is online. As such, it becomes hard for them to develop a special bond with other students and instructors. With traditional learning however, students have the freedom to interact freely and this helps to strengthen their existing bond.

Online learning is convenient and has less basic requirements compared with traditional learning. It also allows learners who would have ordinarily not gone back to school to access an education. However, online students do not benefit from a close interaction with their peers and instructors as do their regular counterparts. Also, regular students can engage their instructors more easily and relatively faster in case they want to have certain sections of the course explained, unlike online students.

Donovan, Judy, Mader, Cynthia and Shinsky, John. Constructive student feedback: Online vs. traditional course evaluations. Journal of Interactive Online Learning , 5.3(2006): 284-292.

Sorenson, Lynn, and Johnson, Trav. Online Student Ratings of Instructions . San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 2003. Print.

• Distance Learning Foundational Concepts
• Learning Styles in Asian International Students
• Managerial and Public Attitudes Toward Ethics in Marketing Research
• Online Tutorial Services for Baltimore College
• Controlled Terminology and Standards
• Principles Application in E-Learning
• Cambourne’s Conditions of Learning
• Concept of Transformative Learning in Modern Education
• Podcasts as an Education Tool
• Wikis as an Educational Tool
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2019, April 25). Online Classes Vs. Traditional Classes Essay. https://ivypanda.com/essays/online-classes-vs-traditional-classes-essay/

"Online Classes Vs. Traditional Classes Essay." IvyPanda , 25 Apr. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/online-classes-vs-traditional-classes-essay/.

IvyPanda . (2019) 'Online Classes Vs. Traditional Classes Essay'. 25 April.

IvyPanda . 2019. "Online Classes Vs. Traditional Classes Essay." April 25, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/online-classes-vs-traditional-classes-essay/.

1. IvyPanda . "Online Classes Vs. Traditional Classes Essay." April 25, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/online-classes-vs-traditional-classes-essay/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Online Classes Vs. Traditional Classes Essay." April 25, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/online-classes-vs-traditional-classes-essay/.

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

• Basic site functions
• Ensuring secure, safe transactions
• Secure account login
• Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
• Remembering privacy and security settings
• Analyzing site traffic and usage
• Personalized search, content, and recommendations
• Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

• Remembering general and regional preferences
• Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy .

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy .

The New York Times

The learning network | is online learning as good as face-to-face learning.

Is Online Learning as Good as Face-to-Face Learning?

Questions about issues in the news for students 13 and older.

• See all Student Opinion »

Some experts estimate that more than a million students in the United States, from kindergarten through 12th grade, are taking courses online. Have you ever taken a class for credit online? What was the experience like? In general, do you think K-12 students can learn as much in an online course as they can in a traditional class? Why or why not? What makes for a good online course, in your opinion?

In “More Pupils Are Learning Online, Fueling Debate on Quality,” Trip Gabriel writes:

Jack London was the subject in Daterrius Hamilton’s online English 3 course. In a high school classroom packed with computers, he read a brief biography of London with single-paragraph excerpts from the author’s works. But the curriculum did not require him, as it had generations of English students, to wade through a tattered copy of “Call of the Wild” or “To Build a Fire.” Mr. Hamilton, who had failed English 3 in a conventional classroom and was hoping to earn credit online to graduate, was asked a question about the meaning of social Darwinism. He pasted the question into Google and read a summary of a Wikipedia entry. He copied the language, spell-checked it and e-mailed it to his teacher. Mr. Hamilton, 18, is among the expanding ranks of students in kindergarten through Grade 12 — more than one million in the United States, by one estimate — taking online courses. Advocates of such courses say they allow schools to offer not only makeup courses, the fastest-growing area, but also a richer menu of electives and Advanced Placement classes when there are not enough students to fill a classroom. But critics say online education is really driven by a desire to spend less on teachers and buildings, especially as state and local budget crises force deep cuts to education. They note that there is no sound research showing that online courses at the K-12 level are comparable to face-to-face learning.

Students: Tell us about the experiences you’ve had with online learning. In general, do you think K-12 students can learn as much in an online course as they can in a traditional class? Why or why not? Do you tend to agree with online-learning advocates who say that this method allows schools to offer a richer menu of electives? Or do you tend to agree with critics who say that the popularity of these courses reflects a desire to save money on teachers in tough budgetary times? What makes for a good online course, in your opinion? (You might also read the related Room for Debate post in which five experts weigh in on this topic.)

Students 13 and older are invited to comment below. Please use only your first name. For privacy policy reasons, we will not publish student comments that include a last name.

Teachers: Here are 10 ways to teach with this feature.

Comments are no longer being accepted.

Hi there, most definitely learning online can be more, not less effective, but it needs to be done differently. You can’t really just take the offline model and slap it online.

I recently did some ESL case studiesusing Facebook and Skype and before and after audio can be listened to here:

//englishoutthere.com/listen

After 16 years of learning English in China Jane still spoke like a beginner, after 18 hours of using our specially designed course content that required her to work in a new way with popular and free online technologies, she was speaking comfortably at intermediate level (up 3 levels).

Don’t believe me…have a listen…still don’t believe me…you can listen to every second of contact I had with her and read all of my contact notes and what she thought of the experience here:

Online classes seem like a good idea but those that take it would not be able to participate in athletics so they would most likely not get the daily recomended amount of physical activity.

Online classes are for more self motivated people. No one tells them to get on the computer and do their homework as if you were actually in the class and could ask questions right there when the problem was being presented.

Online classes do have its advantages. Most students already know how to use a computer, less discipline is needed, and less cost for the school district and for the parents. I would recommend online classes for students in 7th grade and up who are trying hard but struggling in a real class. However I feel that younger students should not take online classes. These students need the social interaction and discipline of a real classroom and teacher. Online courses should not be used to bail out grade-school students or students who don’t want to learn at all.

I haven’t personally taken a course online, but I have a couple friends that have and they all say the same thing: “It takes a lot more work on an individual basis, since you don’t have a teacher. You have to study a lot more and try to figure the material out on your own.” I would like to take an online course, but my school doesn’t offer them, sadly. I also think it is a good way for student to be in a more relaxed enviornment and feel a lot less stress than they normally would because they can really just get work done on their own basis.

As somebody who has taken online courses in the past, and somebody who still does, I have to say that they can be very helpful and can achieve similar quality to regular classrooms. It’s also more comfortable, since you can do the work more at your own pace and in your own home. If someone is actually dedicated to the course and wants to take it, they will want to learn and will be more responsible with it. However, plenty of students wouldn’t want to do work in an online class, (or any class,) so I don’t think it’s a good idea to make online classes a requirement in high school or let it really be a part of a normal high school environment. While it can be beneficial to somebody who wants to take it, it can be detrimental to somebody who needs to do the work and needs to learn but just doesn’t want to. There is really no way to really make sure they are doing the work themselves, and in face-to-face classes it is much easier to prevent this problem. I do think that if a student has failed a class more than once, they should be able to take an online class to get the credit. They should also be made available to students who want to take them, but they shouldn’t be able to replace any core classes that can be taken in a normal classroom setting.

In my opinion, online learning seems like it would be a bit complicated. I know that I need to be able to have a teacher answering all my questions so that i could understand somthing much more clearly. If i were to sign up for an online class, my grades would most likely drop because of the limited communication with not only my professor but with my students as well.

One pro of learning online is that it gives students an opportunity to learn in a different way. In our school, if a student fails a class they can go afterschool to take a class online. They can earn the credit for that class. The con is that with online programs available their will not be as many teachers needed. Teacher will lose their jobs. Learning online can be boring and a very tedious task. Students might be less interested to learn. I wouldn’t want an online course to be a requirement because it just makes more unnecessary work for students. I don’t want to be worrying about taking an online class. In my junior year, I have to worry about SATs, ACTs, regents and other things necessary for my future.

I have taken quite a few classes online. I really like that I can work at my own pace. I actually attended graduate school online to get my teaching credential. It would have been much more difficult to attend a regular school and deal with child care for my own children. I loved that I could work while they were sleeping, in the early morning or late evening.

I now prefer to do almost all of my learning online, but I know many people prefer face to face classes.

Sacha from Luria Learning

I think that face-to-face learning is a lot better than online learning, because you can ask the questions. You get a better feel for the topic you are learning. I personally like face-to-face learning, but I guess it realy depends on the person.

I think that both face- to- face learning and online learning are entirely different and both have their benefits and negatives. I think that face-to-face learning is a good way to take in and absorb information, and allows people to question what they don’t understand state and share their opinion as well as hear others’ takes on whatever the topic may be. Though learning through text is definately beneifical as it is written in plain black and white, there are always those specs of red to throw off and confuse the reader. I feel that learning through interaction helps because the way you maty interpret the text or read it can lose the true meaning and emotion behind events and subjects. I do on the other hand feel that sometimes getting correct and accurate information is better learned from written text epecially when it comes to news and historical events because in order to get the most accurate and updated information online sources are the way to go. Sometimes word of mouth doesn’t pass off the most recents updates, however with technology’s helping hand the internet holds centuries of information, and a world worth of knowlege with just a press of a few buttons and a click. Also learning online allows you to process the information on your own time and at your own pace, but learning face-to-face pushes you to work at deadlines and at a moderate pace where you are able to balance the workload and still be able to process what it is you are actually learning; it keeps you on track. So to say which is truly better and more favorable is hard for me to say, just like anything both have their pros and their cons, the one to outweigh the other in the pros- I don’t know. I personally prefer both but in different situations.

Interesting that most comments here are positive compared to Trip’s hatchet job on 4/5. I’m chair of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL.org) and wrote this response to Trip’s poorly written front page piece: //edreformer.com/2011/04/nytimes-gets-it-wrong-again/

Where allowed by state policy, k-12 online learning offers access to quality courses taught by effective teachers. There is no reason that all students in the US don’t have access to all AP and all foreign language courses as well as credit recovery options for poorly taught courses at their school.

The pros of online dating is that it will make home schooling a lot easier. If someone wants to home schooled then keeping up with the curriculum will become easier. Many students who fail classes also have the opportunity to pass the course online. Also you are able to take classes that your school doesn’t offer The cons of online learning is the lack of attention student gives it and the amount of things that you are actually learning. Just because you’re able to pass the tests online but this doesn’t mean that you are learning anything. Many people online take the classes at home with a lot of distractions. The students end up taking the courses but not learning anything in the process. I don’t mind if the online courses become a requirement in my school. The reason I don’t mind is because I never took one so I don’t know how these courses are. Once I take an online course I could have an opinion on it but right now I think it would be cool to experience.

I am currently a junior in high school and I am taking two online courses on top a full course load. The first of my online classes in AP Environmental Science. I decided to take this course online because my high school did not offer any rigorous environmental learning courses (the best class offered is geophysics which is notorious for being the easiest way to get a science credit). I have found that the online course has not been as effective in teaching material compared to having the actual class experience, however online courses do allow students (such as myself) to pursue the subjects they are most interested in.

I haven’t really taken an online class but in my opinion, learning face-to-face. You learn so much more through face-to-face because you get the chance to ask questions about the subject, like things that you do not get, or things that you might just want to know more. On the other hand, learning online doesn’t have that much advantages because you don’t have the chance to ask questions, you can basically take the class and just do the work, without actually knowing and learning what you do. For me, it would be so much better to learn face-to-face rather than in online courses.

I never took an online class, but I am actually not interested in it. I think that taking an online course does not have the advantages us students have learning face-to-face. I do prefer face-to-face because you may get into the topic more and do activities that vary so it helps you to learn the subject more. You can participate more and actually learn all together with the rest of the students and ask the teacher questions.

I have not taken an online course, but I have heard of them.I think that taking online courses has a greater variety of different courses and topics to take, but in my opinion I think face-to-face learning is more helpful. By learning face-to-face, you have the opportunity to ask the teach if you have any concerns or doubts. Online courses however, might not work the same. You may not have the same opportunity to ask questions and receive more help. Personally, I would prefer to take face-to-face course so I had the opportunity to ask for more help if I needed it, but I would also like to have a greater variety of courses.

Online courses can be disadvantageous for many students, and some not. But in my case, I have to learn with the “face-to-face” method. It is important to have a good relationship between a student and a teacher to make the course much better and productive. Chances are that the student would be more open-minded and do much more than just sitting in front of a computer… I think there would be more limits and pressure of choosing online courses than “face-to-face”.

No it isn’t. Online learning gives the student easier access to other sites when they should be working on one thing. Unless you restrict there movement on the internet to only that page or pages. I get more out of face to face learning than I would on the internet. You can’t have conversations with the internet about the problem as you can with a teacher.

No, I do not believe online learning is as good as face to face learning. You do not get proper assistance, and will not receive the right amount of discipline. Face to face, you get honest opinions and a bond can form, thus creating a better environment. Face to face is always going to be better than online learning.

Our new director came up with the idea of online learning. First, students were happy because that meant to have more time in the house than coming to the school. However, we later realized that online classes meant no more fun in high school. Although I haven’t experienced any online learning, I think that students can’t learn as much in an online course as they can in a traditional class. I say so because some students are better in self-studying, but there are many others who learn more while interacting with the classmates and teachers. Moreover, I like the idea of online learning, yet that’s all I like about it. The students would use their computers the whole day, which is bad to their health, and they might end up being antisocial because all they do is seat in the desk with a computer and study. I think that one of the charms of high school is to be able to have new relationships with people. To be able to interact with one another by exchanging ideas and thoughts. Nevertheless, with online learning, that would be hard. Anyways, what I want to say is that traditional classes are much better and they should just leave it the way it is.

I don’t think that online courses are as good as face-to-face classes. Well, I have never taken online courses but I have seen my cousin taken courses and what I have seen is that is a lot more difficult to communicate with the teacher because the teacher would go over the material very fast and leave you to do it all. Also, It takes a lot of work as an individual and you have to figure out things on your own. Besides the studies, the internet connection can be very slow and there can be times when it there are connection lags and in that moment the teacher can say something important but you miss it. I think that online courses are too complicated.

I do not think that online learning is better than face to face learning because you dont have the option to ask a question at anytime you want, which means there are some things that you cant learn.

As a student who has experienced both online learning and face to face, I can honestly say that face to face learning is a million times better than online. My grades, my personality, my lifestyle all changed when I did online learning, and not in a good way. I didn’t learn nearly as much as I needed too, and I missed the direct contact with teachers and students. Now, online learning might work for some, but for a large amount of my friends who were homeschooled with me, it was a horrible way of learning.

What's Next