Face-to-Face Learning vs Online Learning: Which one is better?

Nowadays, online learning is prevalent all over the world. As during Covid-19, most of the people were quarantined; they have found online learning a handy and fantastic tool. In 2021, some countries are still struggling with high rates of Covid-19 infections, but even if the situation is better in other countries, people still keep using online learning. In fact, most remote hires during the pandemic received product knowledge trainings online for their new jobs.

This article will discuss online and face-to-face learning and analyze which one is better for today’s reality. If you want to explore opportunities on how to start teaching online please follow this link to receive your free online teaching website on Lrnkey.

Here are the points discussed in the article:

• What is online learning?
• What is face-to-face learning?
• Does online learning become famous only after Covid-19?
• What is the difference between face-to-face learning and online learning?
• Do students learn better online or face-to-face?
• What are the challenges of online teaching and learning?
• Why is online learning better than face-to-face learning?

What is online learning?

In today’s Internet world, virtual communities are earning currency, and the landscape for connecting people all over the world is changing. This is why the need for online learning platforms grows fastly. 

 But what is online learning?

1. Internet-based classes are offered synchronously and/or asynchronously. 
2. Online classes provide opportunities for flexible schedules, learning from home. 
3. Use your computer and choose a different range of classes at the same time. 

For starting a beneficial online practice, you might find an online private teacher and dive into the learning process. 

What is face-to-face learning?

Now let’s dive in and understand what face-to-face learning is and how it formulates in the 21st century. 

Face-to-face learning is when teachers and students meet and have a class together. Most of the time, those classes are group classes, where students interact with each other.

What are the essential components of face-to-face learning?

1. You can have the opportunity to interact with classmates who might come from different backgrounds.
2. You can get acquainted with your teacher better 
3. Have a chance to compete with your classmates and be motivated 

Did online learning become famous only after Covid-19?

Even though after Covid-19, most of the people practicing online learning was a global practice, online learning had high scales of involvement starting from 2014. As Allen & Seaman (2016) reported, in the fall semester of 2014, more than 2.8 million students took all of their courses at a distance, while more than 2.9 million took at least some of their studies at a distance. As online learning grows for students, workplace learning also thrives, with the rise of training tools that enable L&D teams to create interactive online training programs.

However, the relevance of online learning grew day by day during Covid-19. For instance, in Gmail, we got Google meets, which are very handy and comfortable for online meetings.

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What is the difference between face-to-face learning and online learning?

If we take into account online vs. face-to-face learning, we can underline essential differences.  

The online model emphasizes an interactive learning environment designed to create a dialogue between instructor and students and among students themselves. The online process requires both instructors and students to take active roles, which are more highlighted. The instructor should facilitate activities that engage students directly rather than relying too heavily on lectures and memorization.

If you want to become an online tutor, then you need to take into account some considerations. 

Online vs. face-to-face learning brings importance to highlighting some crucial features of face-to-face learning, which are different in online learning. 

1. Different settings of tutoring
2. The necessity for basic digital skills
3. Ready to answer more questions

The online tutor should be open, more concerned than in traditional classrooms, and flexible. Online vs. face-to-face learning shows that there is enough physical presence in face-to-face learning, and an online instructor must compensate for the lack of physical presence.

An online instructor needs to work on creating a healthy and interactive virtual classroom. 

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Important notice to all who want to be aware and understand what it means online vs. face-to-face learning. Especially those people who would like to switch from offline to online instruction and become online tutors. 

Do students learn better online or face to face?

Several researchers ( Mason, 2003; Rovai, 2004; among others) have reported on the differences in process, contents, activities, interaction, tools, and evaluation processes in face-to-face and online modes of tutoring. 

Coates et al. (2004) have pointed out that it is negative to explain only the differences between face-to-face and online methods and not the basic attitudes which form the starting point for each model.

That is why if you want to find the best way to learn a new language, you need to consider your personal preferences. But you might take into consideration some of those points.

1. Online learning is more flexible and convenient, offering different settings and online learning platforms
2. Face-to-face classes provide physical presents and opportunities to interact with your classmates

Online vs. face-to-face learning shows that the benefits of one-on-one instruction come from both online and face-to-face instruction. However, in online learning, the one-on-one learning method is more popular. 

What are the challenges of online teaching and learning?

While online learning is more practical and convenient for people who need a flexible schedule, it also requires more steps and practice for the tutors. And as a learner, you need to find the most popular ways to find online tutors and rely on your professional needs and goals.

Online tutors need to realize that:

1. People who prefer online learning might be super busy
2. Your students might need a very flexible schedule
3. Be ready to teach your students to benefit independent learning as well
4. Use several digital tools for online quizzes
5. Be very clear about home tasks
6. Always find interactive methods to make information flow very efficient and natural 

Online vs. face-to-face learning is a tricky topic, and at first, there is a need to define which classes are demanded nowadays. People tend to choose to practice high-income skills and the most creative skills very actively. 

Those skills are highly demanded by young professionals who mostly have a lack of time. 

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As an online tutor, you need to be ready:

1. To adjust the class to the need of the students
2. Use more real-life experiences
3. Give clear and meaningful explanations
4. Cut unnecessary introductions to save time
5. Always give additional materials to your learners 

Why is online learning better than face-to-face learning?

Well, online learning stands out with its benefits and convenience. The efficacy of face-to-face and online learning was compared by Solimeno et al. (2008). 

The results presented that learning online can increase professional competencies commonly acquired only in small face-to-face educational settings;  that online learning can be used to provide innovative opportunities to fit the particular needs of learners who have time management problems in their learning strategies, with low anxiety, and high problem-solving rates.

Online learning is beneficial for people who might overcome geographical, economic, or healthy obstacles. Such as having difficulties moving physically or living in small rural areas, where face-to-face instruction will be complicated to find. That is why online platforms are one of the best places to learn to code or learn more about IT skills. There are so many online lessons; you can even learn to crochet online or take guitar classes. 

You can even get licensed or certified in multiple industries after completing an online course. For example, a Texas real estate course includes material that covers the 180-hour coursework requirement necessary for the state. A potential agent doesn’t even need to sit inside a physical classroom to change careers or become licensed in Texas. How cool is that?

To present online vs. face-to-face learning and show why online learning is better than face-to-face learning, let’s point out key competencies.

• Convenience: For online classes, you need access to the internet, and it does not matter where you are
• Green Innovation: Online classes are greener, as we do not need pen, paper and are connected to E-books.
• Outreach: Gives more opportunities to explore and reach new methods of learning
• Savings: You save money on your transportation or eating outside, or buying paper books and materials. In other words, online learning doesn’t require extra expenses rather than paying for your class.

Final Notes

Today the internet assembles people all over the world and allows practicing different skills through the internet. As we have discussed in the article, personal preferences are significant when choosing face-to-face or online instruction. However, the benefits and convenience of online learning are comfortable and grow day by day, setting new global standards.  

Thank You for reading our article.