Free Essay: Online Vs On-ground Education

The efficiency of online and on-ground education

People have had mixed reactions on the efficiency of online and on-ground education. Online education entails the learner not attending class sessions physically. The method has been highly acclaimed by educators all over the world for its efficacy to both students and their instructors. On the other hand, on-ground education is the standard approach that is applied in many school settings in the world. The students have to physically attend class sessions, listen to the instructor and take notes. Both online and on-ground approaches have their pros and cons. This paper will give a comparison between the two education systems that may aid the reader in making a proper decision as to which approach suits their needs.

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Online education lacks the physical interaction between the student and the tutor. When teachers and students make a connection in the classroom, a bond is created between them. The interaction between persons is important in enhancing the efficiency of education (Roach, & Lemasters, 2006). On the other hand, on-ground training facilitates direct contact between the student and instructor. Under such conditions of direct contact, the students can pose questions to the tutors an answer on the spot. The latter is not possible in an online environment whereby the student may ask a question, and the instructor may not be available on the instant thereby delaying to deliver the answer.

Online education

Online education enables persons to source their studies from institutions abroad. For example, international students may benefit from the initiative rather than the on-ground education (Ury et al., 2006). Online education enables students who wish to undertake their diploma, masters, or doctoral degrees from universities in other nations to do so at the convenience of their country of origin. All applications and formalities are conducted online without the necessity of visiting the institutions physically. On the other hand, on-ground education is expensive since it requires the individual to travel to the school which is an additional cost. Also, the learners must make real applications which are time consuming and inconvenient to them.

Online learning allows the learner to have self-discipline since they have to maintain the schedule given by their instructors. One would not wish to breach an appointment given by their instructors since that will indicate laxity on the side of the learner (Ury et al, 2006). The student, no matter where they are, must make time for their online sessions since it is on a personal level between them and the tutors. On the other hand, an on-ground approach may at times promote student truancy behavior whereby learners may skip lessons. The practice is common especially in institutions that have large volumes of learners and therefore, it becomes hard to take into account the whereabouts of all students. However, many learning centers have taken the initiative of introducing the roll-call systems to ensure that this behavior is controlled. In conclusion, it is clear that both online and on-ground systems of education have different advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is upon the learner to scrutinize and decide which system suits them best.

References

Roach, V., & Lemasters, L. (2006). Satisfaction with online learning: A comparative descriptive study. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 5(3), 317-332.

Ury, G., McDonald, M., McDonald, G., & Dorn, B. (2006). Student performance online vs. onground: A statistical analysis of IS courses. Director, 07.