online school or in person essay

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The Observer

In-person vs. online classes: which are better?

Courtesy of News 5

We weigh the pros and cons of in-person vs. online classes so you don’t have to.

Christie Lanfear , Life Editor February 4, 2022

The week of Jan. 24, Case Western Reserve University students saw the return of in-person classes. Many students welcomed this step in the direction of normalcy. But for some, the allure of attending online Zoom classes in pajamas from the warmth of their dorm rooms put a damper on the excitement. There are clear mixed feelings among CWRU students between learning online versus in-person.

Now to the real question: is either form of learning superior to the other? Or is it merely a personal preference? I hope to provide an honest and unbiased “review” of the two types of learning, with the goal of encouraging students to see both the positive and negative aspects of both mediums.

Seeing as we began the semester with online learning, it seems logical to discuss this novel and controversial form of learning first.

Pros – Online classes

Increased flexibility

The increased workability of our jam-packed student schedules is arguably the most appealing attribute of online classes. With lectures recorded and no time wasted walking to Case Quad, students have a much easier time fitting in their hobbies and sports practices or even just hanging out with friends.

Increased class engagement

A rather shocking advantage to online classes that we all discovered during the shift to Zoom was the greater number of questions that came from students. This was, at least in part, due to the removal of the intimidation of raising your hand in front of your peers, with the Zoom chat now a compelling option. Instead of having 350 students all staring up at you, expecting a profound statement, one can ask any question they want without fear of judgement. Being behind a screen brought forward a plethora of students who just needed that little extra push. 

Focused environment 

For lots of students, sitting amongst hundreds of peers for over an hour is akin to a nightmare when it comes to focusing and being productive. Concentrating on organic chemistry is quite challenging when the people behind you are trying to resolve a long debate about which shoes they should buy or are discussing what the best Saturday night plans are. Online learning provides an escape from these annoyances, and many students welcome it with open arms. 

Cons – Online classes

Procrastination 

An insurmountable beast for most students, procrastination rears its ugly head especially when the classroom is replaced with the dorm room. Indirect or direct motivation from being around fellow students is taken for granted until online classes take it away. How can we be expected to motivate ourselves when we don’t have that support? 

Demand for independence and self-motivation

The need to actually manage oneself is the most devastating aspect of online school. In the absence of face-to-face interactions with professors and peers, students are cast off to fend for themselves in the treacherous sea of Canvas, with the dreaded “To Do” list as their only company. It is up to us to make schedules and eliminate distractions such as the glorious and seductive Netflix.

Some would consider this a pro of online learning when it comes to the current public health situation of COVID-19, but socially, isolation is a major con. Unless one works hard to actively make plans with friends, attend club meetings and go to sports practices, social interaction is hard to come by. Even if you manage to make it to a previously populated study spot, no one seems to be there to keep you company. 

As you can see, there are clear positives and negatives to online learning that make both sides of the argument strong ones. But what about in-person classes? Are they as amazing as students make them out to be when complaining about learning through Zoom?

Pros – In-person classes 

Social interaction 

This seems like an obvious point. However, spending time with others genuinely is one of the most appealing aspects of in-person learning. Going to class and seeing people outside of your close-knit group is essential to your mental health and well-being. Learning amongst your peers makes the college experience exponentially more fulfilling than sitting alone in your dorm room. 

Higher-quality education 

Based on my observations around campus, an extensive amount of students feel very strongly about this one. For some classes, there is not much of a difference in the delivery or type of information delivered, whether it be over Zoom or in a lecture hall. But for classes such as labs, discussion-based seminars and other hands-on courses, being in person is essential. Students will simply not get the same quality of learning when, for example, attending a virtual lab. 

Fewer distractions 

Categorizing increased focus with more social interaction might sound silly. Surely, being around more people would be more distracting? This is simply not true. Being surrounded by other people who are studying and paying attention can have a facilitating and motivating effect, making you more likely to join in those activities. 

Cons – In-person classes 

COVID is a big one, obviously. Daily gatherings of hundreds of students who frequently remove their masks to eat or sip some water is risky business during these times. Wouldn’t it just be safer for all of us to remain online? Are the pros of in-person learning worth the risk? Well CWRU made its decision to bring us back in-person anyways, but whether they were justified is up to you to decide.

Getting to class

Living in Cleveland makes all of us bitterly aware of the term “lake-effect snow.” The wind and slippery sidewalks make walking to class a liability. To make matters worse, every single member of the first-year class seems to be trying to get on the shuttle the moment that you decide to try your luck. In the current situation, we have to strategically plan our choice of shuttle stop if we are to have any chance of getting to class without braving the harsh conditions.

After all of that, what is the answer? Which is better? In short, neither. The purpose of this article is to encourage students to adopt logical and rational thinking in terms of their feelings towards the two types of learning. Keeping an open mind during these times is the most fruitful way to be as conditions keep changing. Use this article to remind yourself that despite any strong feelings you have towards online or in-person learning, neither is perfect—both are good and bad in their own ways. Think rationally, and no matter the form of learning, you will succeed. Remember what this time has taught us. As Max McKeown said, “all failure is failure to adapt, all success is successful adaptation.”

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The Benefits of In-Person School vs Remote Learning

How parents can use the most recent research to weigh the risks and rewards..

Posted August 20, 2021 | Reviewed by Davia Sills

• The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the education of about 95 percent of students around the world.
• Remote learning is associated with negative efects on social, emotional, physical, and mental health.
• Remote learning is also associated with lower scores on tests of academic abilities.
• Parents and caregivers should carefully weigh the risks and benefits of remote versus in-person learning.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the education of around 95 percent of the students in the world, representing the largest disruption to education in history, according to a report from the United Nations.

As children are returning to school this Fall and the Delta variant continues to spread, many parents may be wondering whether schools should continue to offer a remote learning option, and if so, whether they should choose that option for their child. In order to address these concerns, it may help to take a look at the emerging research on the psychological and educational impact of remote learning versus in-person learning.

Impact on mental and physical health

Research clearly indicates that remote learning (or even a hybrid model) has significant negative effects on children and parents' mental, emotional, social, and physical health. A study conducted by the CDC included 1,561 parents of children aged 5 to 12 years who were surveyed from October to November 2020. According to the research, parents of children who were attending school virtually were more likely to report poorer mental and emotional health, reduced physical activity, and less time spent with friends (either virtually or in-person) compared to children who were attending school in-person.

Parents of children in virtual schooling were also more likely to report loss of work, emotional distress, difficulty sleeping , and problems with finding childcare. The findings suggest that in-person learning may be critical to the physical and mental health of many families.

In addition to providing education, schools also provide many services to families, including free or reduced-cost meals, social support, opportunities for physical activity, and mental health services. Virtual schooling places an undue burden on parents, who do not have the training, time, or resources to provide all of the services that a school can offer.

Impact on academic achievement

A large study from the Netherlands found lower standardized test scores in math, reading, and spelling following remote learning during the pandemic. On average, students' scores were three percentile points lower following the pandemic. Importantly, the effect was disproportionately greater in children from less-educated families (the size of the learning loss being up to 60 percent greater for these children).

The study involved 15 percent of Dutch primary schools and included students aged 8 to 11 years. The researchers examined the effect of an eight-week period of virtual schooling due to the pandemic by comparing test scores from 2020 to test scores from the three previous years.

The results suggest a lack of learning during this time or even a regression —that is, a loss of academic skills. The researchers point out that the Netherlands is a best-case scenario, as the the country had only a short period of school closure (eight weeks), high rates of internet access among children, and school funding that is relatively equitable. In other words, the results may be more dramatic in countries like the U.S., where school closures were typically longer and technological access is more limited.

Long-term effects

Although it is difficult to predict the long-term mental and emotional toll of remote learning, the World Bank estimates that school closures during the pandemic will result in a loss of between 0.3 to 1.1 years of schooling, when adjusted for the quality of education, and between $6,680 to $32,397 in lost lifetime earnings per student (in present value terms).

How to handle the schooling decision as a parent or caregiver

Although research suggests that a return to in-person learning is important for children’s academic achievement and physical and mental health, every family needs to make the decision based on their own unique circumstances. Some families may choose remote learning, and they should be supported in this choice.

However, if you do decide return to in-person learning, and it is an option in your area, how should you cope with your own and your child’s anxiety about returning to school?

The following strategies may help you and your child to transition successfully back to in-person learning:

1. Research the school’s mitigation strategies and create a book, picture, or visual aid to explain these strategies to your child. Create a “visual schedule” for your child with words and pictures that explains when they will wear their mask, when they will wash their hands, and other procedures

2. Talk to your child about how they are feeling about the upcoming school year. Recognize that their feelings may be complicated (for example, they may feel both excited and nervous) and different from your own feelings.

3. Explain to your child how you are feeling and what coping strategies you will be using to help yourself feel better (“I am feeling a little nervous about you returning to school since it’s been so long. When I start feeling nervous, I’m going to do some deep breathing and remind myself of everything your school is doing to keep you safe.”)

4. Validate your child’s worry and encourage them to face their fears (“I know you feel nervous about this, but I also know that you are so brave and can handle this!”)

5. Gradually (and safely) engage in activities and situations that might cause anxiety for you and/or your child before going back to school. Help your child to use coping strategies to address any anxiety that comes up during these activities. For example, engage in outdoor, socially distanced play dates before school starts.

6. Decide on the best way to separate from your child on the first day back and talk through (or write out) the plan. Stay calm and relaxed during the transition, as your child will likely reflect this feeling.

7. Drive by the school a few times prior to the first day. Meet the teacher or other children in the school, if possible.

8. Do not hesitate to talk with a mental health professional if you or your child are struggling with the transition. This is a difficult, unprecedented time, and many parents and children may need additional support.

Azevedo, J. P., Hasan, A., Goldemberg, D., Geven, K., & Iqbal, S. A. (2021). Simulating the potential impacts of COVID-19 school closures on schooling and learning outcomes: A set of global estimates. The World Bank Research Observer, 36(1), 1-40.

Engzell, P., Frey, A., & Verhagen, M. D. (2021). Learning loss due to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(17).

Verlenden, J. V., Pampati, S., Rasberry, C. N., Liddon, N., Hertz, M., Kilmer, G., ... & Ethier, K. A. (2021). Association of children’s mode of school instruction with child and parent experiences and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic—COVID experiences Survey, United States, October 8–November 13, 2020. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 70(11), 369.

Cara Goodwin, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in translating scientific research into information that is useful, accurate, and relevant for parents.

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Online Classes Vs. Traditional Classes Essay

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.

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Home — Essay Samples — Education — Online Vs. Traditional Classes — Online School Vs Traditional School

Online School Vs Traditional School

• Categories: Online Vs. Traditional Classes

About this sample

Words: 570 |

Updated: 7 December, 2023

Words: 570 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Video Version

Good Hook Examples for “Online vs. Traditional Schools” Essay

• At the Education Crossroads: As students today stand at a critical juncture in their educational journey, they must decide between online schools and traditional brick-and-mortar institutions. These two paths offer distinct learning experiences.
• Face-to-Face vs. Digital Learning: In the realm of education, an ongoing debate centers on the choice between face-to-face and digital learning. Do students thrive more with direct teacher interaction, or can the online landscape provide an equally enriching experience?
• The Diversity Dilemma: Traditional schools function as microcosms of our diverse society, where students learn not just from textbooks but also from one another. What happens when this crucial element is missing in the online school environment?
• Learning at Your Own Pace: Online schools boast the flexibility of self-paced learning, but does this convenience outweigh the social dynamics and cultural diversity found in traditional schools?
• The Self-Motivation Challenge: Studying online may offer freedom and convenience, but it necessitates a unique set of skills: self-motivation and time management. Are these skills the keys to a successful educational journey?

Works Cited

• Alleyne, E. (2013). Face-to-face vs. online learning: Why can’t we have both? Education Dive. Retrieved from https://www.educationdive.com/news/face-to-face-vs-online-learning-why-cant-we-have-both/156820/
• Ryan, R. (2019). Face-to-face vs. online learning — which class is best for your student? The Denver Post. Retrieved from https://www.denverpost.com/2019/01/20/face-to-face-vs-online-learning-which-class-is-best-for-your-student/
• Lawrence, J. (2013, July 5). Traditional school vs. online school: Which is right for you? ECPI University. Retrieved from https://www.ecpi.edu/blog/traditional-school-vs-online-school-which-is-right-for-you
• U.S. Department of Education. (2010). Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdf
• National Education Association. (n.d.). Online Learning. Retrieved from https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/online-learning
• Florida Virtual School. (n.d.). Benefits of Online Learning. Retrieved from https://www.flvs.net/about/benefits-of-online-learning
• Johnson, C. (2019). Online Learning vs. Traditional Learning: Which Is Better? Learning Liftoff. Retrieved from https://www.learningliftoff.com/online-learning-vs-traditional-learning-which-is-better/
• Jaggars, S. S., & Xu, D. (2010). Online Learning in Community Colleges. Teachers College Press.
• Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2017). Digital Learning Compass: Distance Education Enrollment Report 2017. Babson Survey Group.
• Clark, R. E. (2012). The Problem of Learning: What Should Professional Development Look Like? Journal of Staff Development, 33(4), 46-49.

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Online? In Person? The Power of Letting Students Choose

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I t’s been a full year since thousands of university faculty and millions of students made what’s likely the largest adjustment in instructional delivery in history, migrating mid-semester from physical classrooms to online ones. As the possible end of this great transition nears, higher education is exhaling a collective sigh of relief—but there is a new question facing most university faculty and administrators: now what?

Since last summer, university leaders have been busy determining when and how campuses can safely reopen. But as strategist and professor Vijay Govindarajan pointed out during an HBP webinar on COVID-19’s impact on the future of higher education last May , “while it’s important to attend to the challenge of the present, it’s equally important for universities and faculty to see the moment for what it is—a seismic shift within higher education.”

Those words ring even truer today. As most of us know by now, higher education is unlikely to fully return to pre–COVID-19 course delivery models. Millions of students have now experienced the intensive integration of technology into their courses, and this has likely reset their expectations for the future. Professor Govindarajan challenges us to use the lessons learned from the great transition to explore—more permanently—new models for instructional delivery.

Last fall, I did just that. I piloted a delivery approach, called the Choice Model, and implemented it in two of my principles-level business courses at Illinois College. The model, which allows students to choose, every day, whether they’ll attend class in person or online (via Zoom), was positively received by students. When surveyed, they said they preferred the Choice Model to all other delivery approaches combined (including fully in-person learning) by more than a two-to-one margin. Here, I will explain how I came up with and implemented this new model, how my students reacted, and how I plan to integrate it into my course design in the future.

What a Difference Autonomy Makes

While many colleges and universities have remained fully online since last March, many others—my institution among them—decided to open for face-to-face instruction for the Fall 2020 semester, with the first week and last two weeks taught remotely. As faculty, we were encouraged and supported to find ways to use technology to reduce student-to-student contact (per pandemic guidelines) and enhance learning. Empathizing with my students, I imagined that our announcement of in-person instruction was met with a combination of excitement about returning to the classroom and varying degrees of anxiety regarding the virus and what the fall might bring.

In times of stress, one of the factors that empowers individuals is the ability to exert a degree of control over their environment . I quickly determined that giving my students a choice in how they received their education would allow them to exert greater autonomy. Not to mention, developing students’ autonomy is a critical learning goal, and an explicit one in many UK universities .

This all got me thinking: if students were allowed to make choices in their education relative to the pandemic, perhaps their anxiety would decline and their performance would increase.

I developed the Choice Model in direct response to these factors. It’s similar to a hybrid model, but with one key distinction. The Choice Model lets each student choose—every day—whether they prefer to attend class in person or online.

Let’s dig more deeply into the model and how it came to be.

“One of the factors that empowers individuals is the ability to exert a degree of control over their environment.”

The Choice Model: Combining Flexibility and Engagement

During the summer of 2020, I began exploring students’ concerns about available course delivery options. Two common themes emerged:

Fear of the unknown. In conversations with former students, several said they would be hesitant to commit fulltime to a delivery format they weren’t familiar with (namely online learning). And they said risk was high: if the format wasn’t right for them, the only options would be to drop the course or to suffer through it for the entire semester.

Concerns about staying engaged and motivated. Several years ago, before my time at Illinois College, I conducted surveys with community college students about their experiences learning online. Their feedback was largely negative. Most had been in online courses that provided content, assignments, and a schedule of due dates, and students found it hard to be motivated or engaged.

Thus, an ideal course delivery system needed to provide students with a choice that enabled each student to move between delivery systems as their comfort level and environment changed. Giving students a daily choice could provide some feelings of control and reduced anxiety, while also allowing students new to digital course delivery to try it out. If it didn’t work for them, they could always return to attending in person.

For this model to work, however, I knew I needed a way to engage students both in the classroom and online. For me, the learning platform Echo360 became the critical link that elevated the Choice Model from other hybrid approaches. To keep in-class students and those participating on Zoom engaged in long class periods, I used Echo360 to ask students multiple choice questions every 10 minutes or so, checking in on students’ understanding of the content we had just covered in the session.

I graded responses on a mastery basis. Students received five points if they obtained a score of 70 percent or higher on the Echo360 questions asked on a given day, and zero points if they answered less than 70 percent correct. For students who paid attention and took notes, these questions were easy—for those who did not, they proved to be very difficult. As the semester progressed, the average scores on these questions increased (as did students’ exam scores, by one to two percent per exam). Similarly, student performance on an end-of-semester comprehensive final exam rose from 70.5 percent to 77.67 percent.

I also used the Echo360 platform to understand how my students would be attending class on any given day. The first question I always asked at the start of each session was, Are you attending today’s class:

A) In Person

B) Via Zoom

This allowed me to track not only what percentage of each student’s sessions were attended in-person versus on Zoom, but also the performance of in-person attendees versus Zoom attendees on the check-in questions asked throughout the session.

Positive Results, Positive Attitudes

What are the benefits of the choice model.

I’ve found the Choice Model, in which students can choose whether they attend class each day in person or online, benefits students, faculty, and administration in the following ways:

Student Benefits

Ease of attendance, ease of use. Requires only a smart phone and an internet connection to attend class. Echo360 is a free student download and takes five minutes to learn.

Fewer COVID-related anxieties. Students can decide whether to attend in person or online based on how secure they feel at the time of each class.

Faculty Benefits

Reduced risk of virus transmission. De-densifies the classroom, bringing fewer students into close contact with the professor and allowing for greater social distancing.

Relative ease of use. The only additional technology needed was a second webcam, a wireless lapel mic, and licenses for Zoom and Echo360.

Administration Benefits

Ability to maintain class sizes and avoid additional staffing. Due to the need to social distance in classrooms, a classroom that normally holds 35+ students might now only hold 15, necessitating additional classrooms and staffing. The Choice Model allows those students to voluntarily separate so that only one classroom and one educator is needed.

I also saw comprehensive final exam scores increase by seven points in a Choice Model class over another section taught fully in person a year earlier. Students credited the use of the check-in Echo360 questions during each class session as being helpful for keeping them engaged with the material during 70- and 100-minute classes.

Attendance also increased from 85 percent in Fall 2019 to 93 percent in Fall 2020, since the most common reasons for not being in class—not feeling well, being unable to get to campus, having to be out of town, etc.—were no longer barriers. An additional benefit of the Choice Model was the ease of teaching students who were placed in quarantine or isolation. In these instances, all I needed to do was to email the student to check on their health and well-being, and then to remind them to simply attend class using Zoom, if they were feeling up for it.

By the end of the fall semester, the Choice Model seemed to be a popular innovation with students. In a post-semester survey, I asked students to rate the model on a scale of 1 to 7 (with 7 being high), and the mean response was 6.7. When asked to rank the Choice Model among other course delivery alternatives—such as fully in person, fully on Zoom, and a 50/50 hybrid approach—30 out of 44 students ranked the Choice Model as their number-one preferred course delivery model, well ahead of fully in-person instruction.

Responding to Challenges

The model was not flawless, however. One challenge of the Choice Model was the passive nature of Zoom attendees. Echo360 was effective at engaging students with the course content, but getting students to engage with each other was another issue. Since these were principles-level classes, few of the students were familiar to me prior to the start of the course, which also made relationship building a slower process. In a post-COVID world, I intend to make greater effort to build those relationships when implementing this model.

A second challenge involved teaching quantitative material through the Choice Model. Students attending through Zoom seemed to struggle more with material that involved quantitative problem solving compared to their peers attending in person. Providing Zoom attendees with recordings of classes and additional video support was unsuccessful. A greater level of coaching on my part and increased diligence on the part of students was needed.

A third challenge was that, while giving students choices is generally positive and empowering, not every student choice is going to be a good choice. One of the unfortunate consequences of the Choice Model was that some students who needed the structure and peer-support of a classroom chose instead to attend through Zoom. The effect of not choosing wisely became apparent when grades were issued at midterm. While the number of poorly performing students was not significantly greater than usual, the extent of their poor performance was concerning, with most of the poor performers averaging below 50 percent.

Follow-up conversations with Zoom students who were performing poorly revealed that they had two other things in common—they attended class with their cameras off, and they were multitasking while attending (eating lunch, cleaning the room, working out, etc.). Most of the students with low performance said that they chose to attend via Zoom specifically for the convenience and so they could multitask. I had to explain to them that their strategy was not working. Many of those students chose to continue attending via Zoom, even after being told they would do better by being in the classroom. However, in most cases, students’ self-reported multitasking ended, their in-class quiz scores generally increased, and their performance improved to the point of passing.

“Giving students a daily choice could provide some feelings of control and reduced anxiety, while also allowing students new to digital course delivery to try it out.”

Imagining a Post-COVID Future That Includes the Choice Model

While there are some issues and limitations with the Choice Model that still need refinement, I am confident this model is applicable well beyond the current pandemic for the following reasons:

From a student perspective, the Choice Model adds value to the student experience by allowing students to choose the form their education will take each day. Even if a student chooses the same option every day, the fact that they have a choice at all still has value.

The model offers convenience and flexibility to students, especially for those who prefer in-person instruction but do not want to be locked into being on campus. For the type of student who often has work or personal conflicts, the Choice Model provides a Zoom option as a safety net. Conversely, a student who is unsure how well they will learn in an online environment also has a safety net, knowing there is an option for in-person instruction if needed.

For colleges and universities, the Choice Model has significant potential as a cost-effective alternative to online instruction. This is particularly true for online courses that are unlikely to enroll large numbers of students yet need to be offered. It is inefficient to offer an online course with only 12 students while also offering an on-campus section of the same course with 20 students. This requires twice the staffing resources compared to one section of 32 students taught through the Choice Model.

In March of 2020, higher education faced one of the greatest crises it’s ever encountered, certainly in my lifetime. In the months following, institutions and faculty responded swiftly. We were called to create new ideas and implement new solutions, recognizing that higher education has likely changed forever. The Choice Model is one emerging idea that has the potential to more permanently improve course delivery long term. As we look toward a post-COVID future, the lessons of the past year should propel us forward; we do not want to regress and lose the momentum. Our students deserve nothing less.

John Drea is is an instructional assistant professor of marketing at Illinois State University. Drea retired from full-time teaching in May 2023 after a 39-year career in higher education, with 21 years spent in public higher ed administration and 18 years as a full-time faculty member in marketing and sports management. Drea is Professor Emeritus at both Western Illinois University and Illinois College. His career has been highlighted with several awards for innovation and teaching excellence.

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How Effective Is Online Learning? What the Research Does and Doesn’t Tell Us

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Editor’s Note: This is part of a series on the practical takeaways from research.

The times have dictated school closings and the rapid expansion of online education. Can online lessons replace in-school time?

Clearly online time cannot provide many of the informal social interactions students have at school, but how will online courses do in terms of moving student learning forward? Research to date gives us some clues and also points us to what we could be doing to support students who are most likely to struggle in the online setting.

The use of virtual courses among K-12 students has grown rapidly in recent years. Florida, for example, requires all high school students to take at least one online course. Online learning can take a number of different forms. Often people think of Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, where thousands of students watch a video online and fill out questionnaires or take exams based on those lectures.

In the online setting, students may have more distractions and less oversight, which can reduce their motivation.

Most online courses, however, particularly those serving K-12 students, have a format much more similar to in-person courses. The teacher helps to run virtual discussion among the students, assigns homework, and follows up with individual students. Sometimes these courses are synchronous (teachers and students all meet at the same time) and sometimes they are asynchronous (non-concurrent). In both cases, the teacher is supposed to provide opportunities for students to engage thoughtfully with subject matter, and students, in most cases, are required to interact with each other virtually.

Coronavirus and Schools

Online courses provide opportunities for students. Students in a school that doesn’t offer statistics classes may be able to learn statistics with virtual lessons. If students fail algebra, they may be able to catch up during evenings or summer using online classes, and not disrupt their math trajectory at school. So, almost certainly, online classes sometimes benefit students.

In comparisons of online and in-person classes, however, online classes aren’t as effective as in-person classes for most students. Only a little research has assessed the effects of online lessons for elementary and high school students, and even less has used the “gold standard” method of comparing the results for students assigned randomly to online or in-person courses. Jessica Heppen and colleagues at the American Institutes for Research and the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research randomly assigned students who had failed second semester Algebra I to either face-to-face or online credit recovery courses over the summer. Students’ credit-recovery success rates and algebra test scores were lower in the online setting. Students assigned to the online option also rated their class as more difficult than did their peers assigned to the face-to-face option.

Most of the research on online courses for K-12 students has used large-scale administrative data, looking at otherwise similar students in the two settings. One of these studies, by June Ahn of New York University and Andrew McEachin of the RAND Corp., examined Ohio charter schools; I did another with colleagues looking at Florida public school coursework. Both studies found evidence that online coursetaking was less effective.

About this series

This essay is the fifth in a series that aims to put the pieces of research together so that education decisionmakers can evaluate which policies and practices to implement.

The conveners of this project—Susanna Loeb, the director of Brown University’s Annenberg Institute for School Reform, and Harvard education professor Heather Hill—have received grant support from the Annenberg Institute for this series.

To suggest other topics for this series or join in the conversation, use #EdResearchtoPractice on Twitter.

Read the full series here .

It is not surprising that in-person courses are, on average, more effective. Being in person with teachers and other students creates social pressures and benefits that can help motivate students to engage. Some students do as well in online courses as in in-person courses, some may actually do better, but, on average, students do worse in the online setting, and this is particularly true for students with weaker academic backgrounds.

Students who struggle in in-person classes are likely to struggle even more online. While the research on virtual schools in K-12 education doesn’t address these differences directly, a study of college students that I worked on with Stanford colleagues found very little difference in learning for high-performing students in the online and in-person settings. On the other hand, lower performing students performed meaningfully worse in online courses than in in-person courses.

But just because students who struggle in in-person classes are even more likely to struggle online doesn’t mean that’s inevitable. Online teachers will need to consider the needs of less-engaged students and work to engage them. Online courses might be made to work for these students on average, even if they have not in the past.

Just like in brick-and-mortar classrooms, online courses need a strong curriculum and strong pedagogical practices. Teachers need to understand what students know and what they don’t know, as well as how to help them learn new material. What is different in the online setting is that students may have more distractions and less oversight, which can reduce their motivation. The teacher will need to set norms for engagement—such as requiring students to regularly ask questions and respond to their peers—that are different than the norms in the in-person setting.

Online courses are generally not as effective as in-person classes, but they are certainly better than no classes. A substantial research base developed by Karl Alexander at Johns Hopkins University and many others shows that students, especially students with fewer resources at home, learn less when they are not in school. Right now, virtual courses are allowing students to access lessons and exercises and interact with teachers in ways that would have been impossible if an epidemic had closed schools even a decade or two earlier. So we may be skeptical of online learning, but it is also time to embrace and improve it.

A version of this article appeared in the April 01, 2020 edition of Education Week as How Effective Is Online Learning?

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Online School Vs. In-Person Pros and Cons

F or centuries, students pursuing an education from accredited institutions had to physically attend classes until they received their desired certification or degree. For this reason, many people believe in-person schooling is the only way to receive a quality and reputable education. However, technological advancements of the past two decades have significantly changed this mentality and how people can obtain an education, resulting in countless students opting for online schooling. But which is best?

This article will delve into the highly relevant and debated decision of online schooling versus in-person schooling. It will describe what each educational path entails and the most significant advantages and disadvantages of each. It will also lay to rest the question of whether one of these options ultimately outweighs the other for all students.

Article Topics

What does it mean to study online vs. in-person.

When it comes to obtaining an education, there are two approaches students can take nowadays: online or in-person. Although there are much both of these educational paths share, they differ widely in how they function.

Online schools are exactly what the name implies—a school that students attend through online programs they access using a computer, mobile phone apps, or other electronic devices. In-person schooling differs in that students are expected to physically attend classes in a brick-and-mortar institution, meaning an established structure.

As you can see, the biggest difference in how these types of schooling work are whether a student can attend a course from anywhere using the internet and electronic devices or if they must go to a physical building and sit in a classroom to obtain their education.

Which Is Better: Online School or In-Person?

One of the most significant reasons there is so much debate surrounding online vs. in-person schooling is that people have very firm opinions that one is better than the other. We’d like to formally put this debate to rest here.

Both online and in-person schooling are legitimate ways for students to obtain an education, and one is not inherently better than the other. This ultimately is a matter of opinion, as both options have advantages and disadvantages that might benefit one student while hindering another.

It is not uncommon for people to believe that in-person schooling is the superior option considering it has been around for centuries.

There is also the question of whether degrees or certificates obtained through online programs are legitimate. To that, we say, as long as the online institution is accredited, meaning it adheres to educational standards set forth by the U.S. Department of Education, then degrees obtained online and in-person are of equal value. The only element that might increase or reduce one’s value over the other is the institution it was obtained from, not the style of schooling.

Countless institutions worldwide, including Ivy League and State colleges, offer students online programs of the highest quality. For some, the freedom this permits them in terms of their schedule and lifestyle makes online schooling the better choice. For others, attending school in person might help them focus better on course material and provide the ideal social atmosphere they enjoy.

This demonstrates that whether in-person or online schooling is “better” solely lies on the individual level. What works for one student in terms of their lifestyle and learning might not be the same for another. Therefore, it is important to know the pros and cons of each option so students can choose the schooling approach the best suits them, not what others deem superior.

Now that we’ve established that online and in-person schooling are legitimate options of equal educational value let’s discuss their overarching pros and cons. This will help any students weighing each option find the one that fits their lifestyle and learning needs and ensure future success in their educational journey.

The most significant pros and cons of online and in-person schooling are as follows:

While some people might think some of the pros and cons in this chart are on the wrong side, remember that much of this debate is subjective.

For the most part, these are the elements of online and in-person schooling people deem either beneficial or a hindrance to their learning. Therefore, we’d like to discuss each in more detail so you can see the reasoning behind each and use this to your advantage when deciding which method would be best for you.

Online School Pros

The pros of attending online schools largely revolve around convenience and comfort, whether that is in terms of schedules, financial burdens, or mental health.

In-Person School Pros

There’s a reason the vast majority of students opt for in-person schooling over online, even despite online schooling’s growing popularity. Most enjoy the pros of increased opportunities for genuine socialization and the structured atmosphere that comes with this option.

Online School Cons

Although we’d like to say there are no downsides to online schooling, there are a series of cons to this choice that render it less than ideal for some students.

In-Person School Cons

While there are countless people who prefer in-person schooling, online schooling was created out of necessity to overcome many of the in-person schooling cons we’ve listed below.  Whether it’s general certifications, degrees or even certifications in higher education , these tips or study apply to all.

Final Thoughts

As we discussed previously, both in-person and online schooling are legitimate ways for any student to obtain an education, and each has its pros and cons. Whether one option is better for you depends on your learning style and priorities as a person and a student. If you need a low-cost education that permits scheduling freedom, you’ll want to look into online schooling. Alternatively, if you prioritize structure and social interaction, in-person schooling is for you.

It is essential to your educational success to weigh the pros and cons of each option and determine which aligns with your priorities best before choosing. Of course, many colleges and other institutions allow course credits to transfer between schools, students could realistically test out one method for a semester or year and then decide if they want to stick with that method or switch to another.

The 7 Best Higher Education Certification Programs Online

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Luke Ocean is a writer, self-proclaimed bio-hacker, wellness advocate and yoga expert. Luke grew up on a small ranch in Montana and enlisted in the Navy to study and become a cryptologist. He later graduated from the US Naval Academy with a Minor in Mandarin and a Bachelor's of Science for General Engineering and a Major of English Literature. Luke's interests and career span multiple industries and various disciplines.  Luke resides in San Antonio and is a Certified Yoga Instructor, a student of Zen Buddhism, practitioner of Holistic Psychology and has completed his CYT-200 and is studying for his 300-hour yoga teacher training.

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Online Learning vs. In-Person Learning

With the rapid evolution of technology observed over the past couple of decades, the realm of education has been changed drastically, with innovative techniques, approaches, and tools being incorporated into the process. However, of all changes that the realm of education has experienced, the creation of online learning spaces is, perhaps, the most significant. Although the goals of online learning are precisely the same as those of offline one, the methods with the help of which teachers and students arrive at set goals are strikingly different. Due to the greater range of flexibility in online learning, it can offer better opportunities for time management and the creation of a personalized learning approach, whereas in-person learning provides a teacher with better control over the class.

Starting with the in-person learning as the most common type of education, one should address the opportunity to control the extent of students’ motivation and engagement carefully, adjusting the teaching approach accordingly. Since offline learning does not imply the same amount of control due to the restricted communication options and challenges in applying nonverbal communication techniques for spotting changes in learners’ attitudes, a teacher may have reduced control over the learners’ engagement in the offline setting. However, arguably, the extent of control over the learning process restricts the opportunities for building learners’ agency and implementing the guided discovery approach, where students take initiative in exploring the subject matter. Therefore, the level of control as an advantage is a rather contestable point.

In turn, the online learning setting has a range of advantages to offer both to students and to educators. The issue of time management is the most obvious one since, unlike the in-person learning process, students do not have to move from one room to another when switching from one class to another, which saves a significant amount of time. Additionally, learning in a familiar setting will imply a greater extent of comfort and, thus, will lead to increased motivation. One could argue that, unlike a classroom, which is always kept tidy and arranged in the way that allows maximizing its utility for learning, the home setting may be quite cluttered and not ergonomic enough to encourage learners to focus on studying. Therefore, online learning can also boast a more rational approach toward arranging the learning setting.

Given the range of characteristics mentioned above and the current focus on building independence, self-sufficiently, and agency in learners, the choice of the online setting appears to be more beneficial. Once a proper leadership approach to motivating students is developed, a teacher can utilize a broad range of tools and offer learning experiences that will be conducive to building academic curiosity in students. As a result, the online learning process needs to be considered as the next chapter in improving the current education system and promoting enhanced learning with additional opportunities for building critical skills.

Since offline learning does not require spatial arrangements, it offers greater flexibility both to students and to teachers, which improves time management; however, offline learning creates premises for better control over students. Thus, online learning can be considered more challenging in keeping learners motivated and engaged, which calls for the implementation of an appropriate leadership strategy and the development of interactive exercises that help students to remain proactive. Therefore, both types of learning have their advantages, yet online learning should be viewed as the course for the future development of the academic environment due to the potential that it offers for shared learning.

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Argumentative Essay Example: In-Person vs. Online Learning

For the last 18 months students had to sit at home with the discomfort of not seeing new friends and making new connections. I believe that in person school is superior to online school. I also believe that online school is not a good substitute for in person. This essay will show you research that supports in person attendance over online school.

Online school has caused serious learning delays that teachers have seen in their students. A study done by Mckinsey and Company showed that kids in online learning have a learning delay of up to three months. This can be bad for kids because when they come back in person they will be far behind the rest of the class and in some instances end up failing.  A survey done by Horace Mann shows that 97% of educators saw learning loss within their students.

Another reason that in person learning is superior to online is that teachers rate online learning very low in effectivness. A Mckinsey and Company study found that teachers rated online 5/10 all over the world. In another study by the RAND Corporation ⅔ of teachers said most of their online students were less prepared. Even though in person learning is clearly more effective there are some people who still disagree.  

Despite the evidence there are some people that say online school is superior. They say that it provides parents and opportunity to monitor and control their kid’s learning enviorment. According to an Ed Choice survey, 68% said flexibility for kid’s was an important factor in their decision to do online schooling, However this evidence is not valid because flexibility does not mean more effective education. It is not a persuasive argument.

Online school can cause serious learning delays as shown by surveys of teachers. Online learning is also much less effective as reported by teachers. In person school is clearly a better option.

In conclusion, in person school is much more effective than online learning. Online learning produces learning delays and is much less effective. In person learning should be the preferred method whenever possible.

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Online vs. In-Person College: Which Is Right for You?

Varonika Ware is a content writer at Scholarships360. Varonika earned her undergraduate degree in Mass Communications at Louisiana State University. During her time at LSU, she worked with the Center of Academic Success to create the weekly Success Sunday newsletter. Varonika also interned at the Louisiana Department of Insurance in the Public Affairs office with some of her graphics appearing in local news articles.

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Caitlyn Cole is a college access professional with a decade of experience in non-profit program and project management for college readiness and access organizations.

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

It’s no secret that online college is growing by leaps and bounds. You might be wondering what the difference is between online vs in-person classes, and luckily, we outline some of the pros and cons to each below. 

Be sure to continue doing your research on your options, so you can make the best decision for your needs and goals. No matter the type of college experience that you choose, you’re still moving toward earning a worthwhile education. Keep reading to learn more about online vs in-person college below!

Benefits of online college

Ability to pace yourself.

Online college can be a great option for people with demanding schedules and hectic lifestyles. Depending on the major, students are able to set the pace for their education. 

Some people might need more time to go over a specific subject while others might be able to finish several assignments for their classes at once. Keep in mind that some online classes, such as those in healthcare related fields, may require students to be online at certain times. 

Either way, online classes aren’t necessarily forced to adhere to a semester-long curriculum like in-person colleges. This can also be a lot less stressful for students who want freedom to choose when to study and for how long. 

Learning anywhere

Going virtual with education means that students have the freedom to learn when and where they want. Students can pursue their education in bed, at their local library, or even while on vacation. 

Students can even study in the comfort of their pajamas, which can save time and money that might’ve been spent on the commute to classes. This form of learning can also provide people with disabilities or illnesses a chance to get an education, even if they aren’t currently able to attend an in-person school. 

Related: Top colleges for students with disabilities

Benefits of in-person college

Structured education.

While you’re attending college in-person, your schedule can be a lot more structured than an online format. Classes are usually at specific times throughout the week, and assignment deadlines can be less flexible than in an online atmosphere. 

Students will also have more opportunities to speak directly with professors in class or during office hours. This can be especially helpful if you are struggling with a specific topic, or you want to go over previous exams or assignments.

On-campus atmosphere

University campuses can be your new home away from home! Living in dorms or apartments near your college can allow you to experience some of the biggest parts of campus life . There are events to meet other students or become friends with your roommates or floormates.

College campuses also offer students the chance to get involved in clubs or sports. Participating in some of these activities can even offer a way to help pay for college with specialized scholarships like ones for student-athletes or students involved in STEM activities. 

See also: On vs. off-campus living

Networking opportunities

Being on campus offers students access to networking events and allows them to foster connections in and outside of the classroom. These opportunities can be between peers, professors, and other professionals. 

Getting to know people in a learning environment can help you secure internships and letters of recommendation as well as positions in your desired field upon graduation. It can also help build up your profile on networking sites like LinkedIn , Handshake , and Indeed. 

Related: Top online colleges that accept the FAFSA

Drawbacks of online college

Limited engagement.

Being in a non-traditional environment for learning can be a lot different from what students are used to. As a result, online classes might seem limited in comparison to in-person engagement between students as well as with professors. However, you can be more engaged in classes by turning on your camera during Zoom meetings or actively participating in class discussion posts. 

In this format, getting in touch with professors can be a little different as well. Classes might be asynchronous with limited meetings with teachers, or you might have a scheduled Zoom class. Either way, the class website and emails are a great way to reach out to your professors to get answers to any of the questions you might have. 

Also see: Synchronous vs. asynchronous learning: What’s the difference?

Keeping up with deadlines

Since online learning has less structure, it’s important to set up a schedule for assignments and exams in order to stay on track. It can be easy to start procrastinating on work in the online atmosphere since you might not have to attend in-person classes. 

Staying on top of deadlines can also be difficult if you have other commitments like work or children. Students need to utilize available support systems to empower themselves and be successful students.

It’s also important to be self-motivating in order to stay on top of homework, projects, and tests. Setting up positive habits of studying can be especially helpful to make sure you get everything done, so you won’t have to stress later down the road when deadlines are approaching. 

Drawbacks of in-person college

Potentially high-priced education.

Generally, in-person colleges are more expensive than online alternatives because of additional fees and on-campus housing. Students also tend to take out student loans in order to afford their education, which can be a hefty price tag upon graduation. 

Fortunately, there is federal student aid, in-state options as well as scholarships and grants that students can apply for to cut costs. In-person colleges also offer work-study and internship opportunities, which can help with everyday expenses while providing real-world experience before pursuing your career. 

Related: Grants vs. Scholarships

Key Takeaways

• Online college offers students the chance to learn on the go while in-person universities give students a more structured college experience
• Online classes for certain majors might require being online at specific times
• Students living on campus are able to get involved in activities and make meaningful connections with their peers and professors
• Online learning can be more cost-efficient than in-person colleges, but there are still resources out there for both options that can make your education affordable

Don’t miss: Top online scholarships

Final tips for applicants

After evaluating online or in-person college formats, the price tag might still play a factor in deciding to attend either of them. Fortunately, there are a lot of options to help make college affordable such as tuition reimbursement , FAFSA , and the CSS Profile . By using these resources, it’s possible to attend college for free or at a discounted rate. 

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Home > Parent Resources > Attending Online vs In-Person High School: The Differences

Attending Online vs In-Person High School: The Differences

Thanks to the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic that continues to rage across the nation and the world, more students than ever before have experienced a range of differences between attending online vs in-person high school. It’s worth reviewing what those differences are both within the context of a public health emergency as well as when that specific extenuating circumstance doesn’t exist.

Online Learning in a Pandemic is Emergency Learning

When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, schools quickly shut down to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. It was a full-blown public health emergency the likes of which haven’t been seen in over a century. Because of how quickly schools closed, most had only one or two weeks at most to transition from in-person learning to virtual or remote learning. 

Needless to say, it wasn’t the smoothest transition in many cases. Not all students have robust internet access. Not all teachers were well-versed in videoconferencing technologies such as Zoom to create virtual classrooms. There was no time to train educators, which means many were at something of a loss for how to translate their lesson plans and learning content into something that could work online.

The point of reviewing what happened in the spring semester of 2020 is to highlight the fact that those who experienced what felt like not very good education and learning need to realize how that wasn’t online learning at its best—it was remote learning in an emergency for which no one was prepared. This is why quite a bit of the reaction to that first round of online learning was captured in headlines like this one from USA Today in June 2020: “‘ This is hell’: Parents and kids hate online learning, but they could face more of it .”

Did Virtual Education Improve for the Fall?

Quite a few schools did try to reopen for fully in-person learning in the fall. Other schools opted for a hybrid approach to reduce the number of students coming into a school building, meaning one group of students learn in-person while the others learn remotely, and then they switch off so all students get some of both. In many cases, a lot of schools that tried to fully reopen had to revert back to all-remote or hybrid learning because of the fall wave of COVID-19 cases and infection rates that showed the novel coronavirus was spreading faster than it had in the first wave of spring 2020.

This begs the question: Did online learning get any better for the millions of students who ended up getting more of it than anyone wanted? Generally speaking, it appears not so much. Most schools spent the summer preoccupied with figuring out how they were going to get students back in school safely for in-person learning whether fully in-person or as a hybrid model. There did not appear to be a wide-spread effort to train teachers or better prepare them for remote instruction in the virtual environment. 

In part, the lack of more teacher training and preparation for online instruction simply wasn’t possible. Most school districts and teachers’ unions have negotiated how many paid days of training teachers can be required to attend, which still left many teachers with all of a week’s worth of training to be ready for fall remote instruction. In many districts, additional teacher training was made available online, but it had to be considered optional, which means some teachers took advantage of it while many others did not. The New York Times ran a piece called “ Lost Summer: How Schools Missed a Chance to Fix Remote Learning .”

For these reasons, many students once again ended up experiencing less-than-stellar online education throughout the fall semester. And there were still all the same disparities in terms of students having or not having the necessary electronic devices and internet access to participate effectively. An article in the Boston Globe article noted how fully 20% of Boston public school students didn’t log in to online learning during the month of May 2020. Way too many learners slipped through the cracks and lost vital academic ground. 

What has been Lacking in Online Learning?

There is a laundry list below of why online learning at many public school hasn’t gone well during the pandemic. But this is not hold true same for all online learning. This list is more about what went wrong with last-minute, ill-prepared, emergency e-learning for students who were mostly only used to in-person education:

• Lack of Live Instruction: A surprising number of school districts (as many as two-thirds) didn’t require live remote instruction. This means interactions with teachers were largely by text and email messages. Lessons were often passive, in the form of watching online videos and completing worksheets. 
• Lack of Monitoring: In addition, a majority of school districts simply didn’t require the same level of academic monitoring as they normally would. Again, this is understandable in the midst of the initial public health emergency.
• Lack of Intervention: Even when it became clear kids were slipping through the cracks, there simply wasn’t an effective plan of action to intervene and figure out how to get learners back on track. 
• Accessibility Disparities: As mentioned, there were a lot of students who either didn’t have the equipment or the internet connection needed to participate, in spite of many schools who tried hard to get tablets in the hands of students, and even set up mobile hotspots in some places to provide connectivity. 
• Lack of Teacher Training: Over the summer too many school districts focused on how to safely reopen their school buildings for some amount of in-person learning, which was doomed to not happen when the predicted second wave of infections hit hard in the fall. Fewer than half of all school districts offered any kind of summer teacher training focused on improving the quality of remote instruction.

While the above issues were not rampant in every school district, they were certainly present to some degree in nearly all public schools. 

Online Learning Done Right is Very Different from Pandemic Learning

This is all to set up a way of answering the original topic of this article: The differences between attending online vs in-person high school. To assume that online learning during the pandemic is indicative of online learning in general would be a huge mistake. Answering the question has to begin with a recognition that online learning isn’t for everyone, as we’ve described in Is It Right for You? To succeed in online high school the way it would happen when there isn’t a pandemic requires students to be motivated, organized, self-disciplined, and have the support of parents or other family members. 

In more optimal (non-pandemic) conditions and for students well-suited to it, online learning has been shown to result in retaining significantly more material than in-classroom learners. These same online learners also tend to learn more quickly when they have the flexibility to move through the material at their own pace, which is why e-learning often takes much less time than classroom instruction. Again, none of this was true for pandemic online learning, but is possible when virtual learning happens in normal conditions with learners who want to learn that way.

Other Differences Between Attending Online VS In-Person High School

Other key differences that stand out when it comes to attending online vs in-person high school is the flexibility teachers have during in-classroom instruction to physically manage how learning happens. Take the formation of small groups. Very easy to do when in-person, and while it’s possible to do it in a live videoconferencing virtual classroom, the quickest way to do it is when the software platform being used (such as Zoom) instantly but randomly assigns breakout rooms, which takes away some of that flexibility the teacher would have in the classroom. Taking the time to form specific breakout groups would take too much time in the online environment. 

But this difference only applies to “synchronous” learning sessions where the teacher and students are all online at the same time and able to interact in the virtual classroom. Part of the learner flexibility achieved with most online learning is self-paced movement through asynchronous learning activities. 

There is also the matter of receiving one-on-one support from a teacher. This is more a function of class size whether in-person or online. Most online students receive just as much if not more individual support from their teacher than they would in a traditional classroom setting, especially if the physical class has a high number of students. 

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• May 17, 2021

In-Person vs. Online Learning — Can They Compare?

Updated: Sep 22, 2023

Online vs. In-Person Class for Learning — What is Best?

Many may believe with the changes in the way students are being taught that there is one medium of teaching that is better than the other. As technology has developed, we’ve been able to connect with people all over the world through apps like WhatsApp, FaceTime, Zoom, WeChat, etc. Needless to say, education has also evolved to connect students and instructors in virtual classrooms.

It’s clear that things are not the way they used to be before 2020, and many have debated whether or not in-person learning is better than online learning. But how do the two compare? Is one really better than the other?

What is the difference between in-person and online learning?

Online learning is exactly what it sounds like: classrooms and subject materials are all covered virtually. In-person learning is the traditional way of learning, where students attend face-to-face classes at allotted times. Let’s dig into the pros and cons of each type of learning environment.

Pros of Online Classes

Throughout the course of the pandemic, there’s been an increase in students enrolling for online programs. According to InsideHigherEd , women and Black Americans prefer online learning. 60% of Black Americans have confidence in the quality of online education, and 48% (nearly half!) of women would choose to pursue an education online. With so many opting to pursue online degrees, what are the pros of online learning?

1) Virtual classrooms provide great accessibility for students .

Online classes open the gate for many people who don’t have the means to attend in-person classes or for people who want to go back to school, but may also have other commitments. Online education is great for single parents, military personnel, or full-time employees. Online courses offer the opportunity for a larger group of people to receive formal education. Ultimately, when the barriers of an in-person classroom are removed, all students benefit from the freedom of choosing when to do their coursework on an online platform.

2) Online classes offer self-paced learning and schedule flexibility .

For people who do not appreciate the structure of in-person classroom meetings, online learning is a great alternative. Students all work and learn at different paces , and online classes offer the ability for students to follow their own schedules. With flexible scheduling students can mold the classroom to whatever learning environment and class schedule works best for them.

3) Online learning can be cheaper than in-person learning .

Traditional schooling tends to be more expensive than online schooling because there are in person experience costs. This includes extracurriculars, dorming, dining halls, etc. These are all amenities that students are typically happy to pay for, but the realities of the pandemic lead many students to realize that their want for that experience is less significant. Prospective students now tend to enroll in online classes for the affordability of a formal education with increased convenience and decreased cost.

Cons of Online Classes

Despite the positive aspects of the virtual classroom setup, there are undeniably some things lacking that in-person classrooms have. It is important to note that regular online classes have a different set of downsides in comparison to online classes that had to shift rapidly due to the pandemic. Certain subjects had a more difficult time modifying to the online realm. Nonetheless, here are some of the drawbacks of online learning.

1) There’s been an increase in online fatigue.

If you heard the phrase ‘ Zoom fatigue ’ floating around the internet, that’s because it’s very real. After a whole year of online meetings, Zoom meetings, and whatever it may be, it can start to feel dreary. Every live meeting is the same each time with little simulation, so it’s unavoidable that we all will get online fatigue.

2) There can be a lack of engagement in virtual classrooms.

This is mainly because teacher/student or student/student relationships are hard to maintain virtually - or at least we have less practice in this new learning environment. It’s difficult to get to know people through video calls, and without a palpable connection, students tend to lose focus during online classes because it doesn’t matter to them. Students are also reluctant to learn when attending online classes because they know they’ll just have to watch and memorize along the way (a.k.a. passive learning ). When students do put in the effort to build relationships, they are usually hit with technical issues like spotty Wi-Fi, crunchy mic sounds, or awkward lags.

3) Certain subjects are hard to accommodate online.

Subjects like chemistry, nursing, or culinary arts have a hard time being translated into an online teaching method because, quite literally, those classes are hands-on and require a physical classroom . Instructors in these fields were not prepared for the abrupt changes of the pandemic, so it was difficult for them to come up with ways to teach their students through a screen. Students, as well, likely had a hard time learning because of the lack of materials they had at home.

Pros of In-Person Class

In person, instructors can actively monitor what is going on in the classroom, from discussions to exams to student relationships. Online learning takes away many of these factors. Let’s dig into the pros of in-person learning.

1) Being in person in a lecture makes it easier for instructors to conduct discussions.

For example, students benefit from live conversation on case studies and live role playing activities that can be very effective. When instructors engage students in conversation and see that other students have the same enthusiasm, it naturally pulls them into the conversation to learn as well. Effective communication is key to successful learning. Some instructors may prefer in person classes because they are able to control the dialogue in the classroom more fully than online.

2) There can be more community and relationship connection opportunities.

Without the right tools, building relationships online is often not as effective as building them in person. Connections and relationships can be a great resource or reference, and with in-person classes, they don’t have to feel like they are stuck in uncomfortable isolation. In person classes allow for the before and after chatter in a classroom, catching up on weekends and working through tough problems with fellow students. That chatter is what helps students to feel comfortable , even if the subject is challenging for them. Mental health is a critical aspect of education that often gets overlooked, and in-person friendships and social interactions can greatly reduce levels of stress and anxiety.

3) There are less distractions in the classroom.

At home, when taking classes online, learners tend to be distracted easily. Daily disturbances of the internet or common disruptions at home can make students and instructors loose focus frequently , adding to the lack of engagement. However, when students are sitting in a classroom setting with their peers where they can’t turn their camera off to do something else, they have more of an opportunity to be involved with the lesson because there is nothing else they can do in a more structured learning environment.

Cons of In-Person Class

One of the major disadvantages of traditional in-person learning is that it’s not always easily available to people. This is especially true for higher education institutions. Here are some of the drawbacks of in-person classes.

1) For some students, their local college may not offer their field of study.

Even for those who think they prefer in person classes, going going away for college might be completely out of their budget. This makes learning inaccessible and inefficient. Traditional colleges are expensive , and traveling to out of state colleges is even more expensive, which turns people away from enrolling in either. Online classes offer the ability to find a program that works for them at a more reasonable price.

2) Going to class can be time-consuming.

When attending school in a traditional classroom setting, you have to take into account the commute time and lecture length. Many students will have a class schedule that contains 3-4 classes each day that are at least an hour long, in addition to class time you must consider the additional time to walk, bike, bus, or drive to those classes which makes hours of the day disappear. In-person classes are not as flexible as online classes, which can frustrate many students that pay for the college experience, but have little time to indulge. For example, student athletes miss classes quite often due to athletic events, but are expected to keep up with the rest of their class even though their lectures may not be recorded for them to learn the material.

3) Some students’ learning styles do not align with physically being there.

Social anxiety has been a big issue in younger generations, so there is usually a division in bigger classroom sizes. Quieter, shyer students will tend to sit in the back, which can lower engagement if they can’t hear the professor or see the board. In some cases, big group discussions make students feel afraid to speak up, holding them back from fully participating as well. Online communities offer students the time and space to put together their thoughts, so that they don't feel that social stress that the typical physical classroom experience causes. Allowing students to have course conversations in an online platform like Yellowdig, as opposed to in-person, allows students who may be taking the course in their second language an equal opportunity to participate. This online conversation model enables students who would typically not speak in live classes the opportunity to shine through a less stressful social interaction.

At the End of the Day, Which is Better?

With all the pros and cons laid out about each type of learning sphere, it’s hard to say that one is better than the other. With increasing advancements in technology, there’s no way to avoid using it in the classroom altogether. Due to the impact of COVID-19, everyone has put the idea of online classes at the forefront of education. Whether it be in-person learning or online learning, both mediums can be great options and achieve exemplary educational outcomes.

We’ve seen many creative solutions arise, whether it is accommodating alternate in-person courses, shifting rapidly to online, or seeking out hybrid delivery modalities at a faster rate in the last year than ever before. While it is not clear that one modality is superior to the other, what can be seen is that the best way to support academic outcomes is by generating active learning communities both inside and outside the classroom.

Yellowdig recognizes that many students do not truly engage in discussion with their peers through traditional discussion boards, which only further constrains relationship building and effective communication. These two aspects are intrinsic to successful learning, which is why our platform was created to build that human bridge. For Yellowdig, learning should not just happen inside the classroom, but outside the classroom as well. Learn how it works here .

Want to talk more about building learning communities in your classrooms? The Yellowdig Client Success team is comprised of former teachers who now support the development of healthy communities in online, hybrid, and in-person classes.

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In-Person School vs. Remote Learning: The Pros and Cons

Bella Gonet '26 , Staff Writer | March 5, 2021

Credit: Adam Richins

We have all experienced in-person school. However, both last year and this year, pretty much everyone learned what it was like to attend school remotely. We all know some of the obvious differences between the two, but here are some of them.  

Remote learning is good in some ways, but many people don’t like it because they find it hard to focus, and staying at home with their siblings all day drives them crazy. Josie Marcucci ‘25, who prefers in-person schooling, said: “I just really don’t like remote school because I end up not leaving the house and I go crazy.” Many also agreed that it is extremely hard to focus on the computer during classes. Amelia White ‘25 said: “Firstly, I can’t focus on screens, and we get much less done in a day. Also, I love being in-person to see everybody.” From everyone I asked, nearly everyone said that they didn’t like remote learning because they can’t see their friends. 

However, other people prefer remote learning. An anonymous sophomore said: “I feel unsafe in school when people remove their masks inside. Along with that, at home, I’m much more relaxed and I can do as I please during study periods instead of being trapped in one space.”  Agreeing, a 7th grader said: “I can sleep in, and there are more breaks!” This is true: you can sleep a little longer when classes are remote. Usually, on a school day, I have to get up at around 5:45, so I completely agree that a very good pro in remote learning is sleeping in and avoiding the long commute.   

In-person school also has its benefits and disadvantages. An eighth grader said: “I like in-person school with Wednesday off because it has been so great for my mental health and overall management of the workload.” Wednesdays are good for getting homework done, meeting teachers, and having mentoring meetings. Additionally, people like my mom prefer to schedule doctor or orthodontist appointments for Wednesdays. Similarly, Rachael Botelho ‘26 said: “I prefer in person because it was so sad to see all the traditions we missed this year and last, especially for the new students. The whole Montrose experience is so important and every day at school feels absolutely amazing. Last year at Montrose, we experienced almost all the school activities but, due to Covid-19, we had to go online. Homecoming and Christmas traditions were so fun! It was, by far, the most fun and eventful experience I have had at a school. This year was a little different than last because of Covid-19, but I really hope we will be able to have that next year, and I can’t wait!” 

All of last year’s sixth-graders indeed missed a lot of the Montrose experience when we went into lockdown. When I asked if she would like in-person or remote if there was no pandemic, Maria Silveyra Dodds ‘26 responded: “In-person, because everything would finally be normal.” From the people I asked, this is how many people liked remote over in person and vice versa. 

Both remote and in-person learning systems have their benefits, but I am still very glad we have the opportunity to learn! Hopefully one day, we will be able to attend classes (in-person or remotely) without the loom of a pandemic and with even more gratitude and joy.

Bella Gonet ‘26, Staff Writer

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Why Is In-Person Learning Better Than Online

In the current era, innovation disruption has diversely allowed the advancement and acceptance of technology. The education sector has also been affected, and there is an option today to either choose online or in-person learning, especially at the tertiary or high school level. The teaching method has undergone a significant shift, given the technological advancements. Online education has developed into a versatile method of instruction that allows students to quickly access study resources without leaving their homes’ convenience (Tomasik et al., 2021). Students may promptly gauge their learning pace if they have the right tools and a reliable internet connection. Education that takes place away from a computer is called “offline,” and it is the precursor to the modern trend of online learning. Online learning may be the future wave, but it cannot change the fundamentals of education just yet. Offline or in-person learning allows students to create and maintain a consistent schedule, and it is unaffected by technical difficulties. Students benefit more from in-person learning since there is direct engagement among the students, the teachers, and peers, while they acquire practical experience as instructors gradually review their progress.

In-Person Learning

Lessons learned through in-person, hands-on methods provide a richer, more immersive educational experience. An advantage of in-person education is networking with other students and teachers in a real-world environment (Tomasik et al., 2021). In contrast to online education, face-to-face interactions are crucial for better clarity and understanding. To truly benefit from hands-on education, human interaction is essential. Learning by doing, or “hands-on learning,” describes a method of instruction that emphasizes direct interaction between the student and the instructor (Tomasik et al., 2021). Children of all ages can benefit tremendously from the hands-on education provided by physical learning settings which come with in-person learning. It has been shown through studies that students of all ages perform better academically when they are taught in an interactive physical environment throughout their education.

There is better student-teacher interaction and practical learning in the offline setting. Discussions and arguments between students and teachers may flourish because of the accessible information flow (Bali & Liu, 2018). Students can also get instant responses to their inquiries and comments in offline learning from their instructors compared to some of the online techniques used. As a result, teachers are modifying their methods to engage their students better. On the other hand, offline lessons provide an engaging environment that blends theoretical and practical parts of education (Bali & Liu, 2018). This blending of theoretical and practical components of education helps students learn and grow intellectually. Furthermore, learning through the in-person technique helps students better understand concepts and learn and adjust to new courses or subjects more rapidly because of the readily available collaborative help from the teachers and fellow students.

In-person learning is better because it instills self-discipline and time-management techniques. When attending in-person sessions, students are expected to adhere to a timetable set by their instructors (McCutcheon et al., 2015). Students will be required to complete assignments and projects on time because of the emphasis on interactive learning caused by the physical presence of instructors who can do follow-ups accordingly. In addition, students learn to focus better and complete their work on time in a traditional classroom setting. When teaching a course offline, technical difficulties are seldom an issue (McCutcheon et al., 2015). There are no technical difficulties because most learning still occurs in traditional classrooms, where neither students nor instructors need to be very tech-savvy since almost all of it takes place on paper or a computer.

Online Learning

The most significant advantage of online classes is their flexibility; however, they might still be ineffective because many students face time management barriers with online courses. This advantage allows learners to work at their own pace without feeling pressured. Course materials are available online; students may log in whenever it is most convenient. However, students taking online courses sometimes struggle to track their time (Wang et al., 2019). Those who choose to take their courses online often have a disorganized schedule and other commitments that pull them away from their studies. Students who benefit from online classes’ flexibility may struggle to maintain a regular study routine and give in to procrastination (Wang et al., 2019). In addition, students are expected to devote a considerable amount of time to their online courses, which might lead them to look for entertainment elsewhere online or check their social media accounts.

Despite online learning being cost-effective, practical knowledge and technical issues affect its effectiveness compared to in-person learning. These aspects hinder students’ participation in hands-on activities, which are crucial to their education. For instance, chemistry, physics, biology, art, and athletics need students’ physical presence for either live experimentation or active participation; however, they are absent in online learning (Gherheș et al., 2021). In addition, online courses often experience technical difficulties. To participate in an online course, students need access to a computer, camera, microphone, headphones, and a stable internet connection. Further, technical obstacles like a poor internet connection or a lack of suitable technical infrastructure may impede the smooth learning process, especially if the classes are on a real-time basis. Attending lectures in person or obtaining lecture materials like videos or online notes might be difficult for certain students.

In conclusion, in-person learning is better than online learning despite each having pros and cons. In-person learning ensures students benefit from a better interactive learning environment than online learning. It facilitates real-time communication between students and teachers, where they can get instant replies and comments from teachers and fellow students. Discussions and collaborative learning from fellow students is an added advantage of in-person learning, and it allows students to learn better amongst themselves. In a traditional classroom setting, students must be present and prepared for instruction at the regularly scheduled meeting time. Online learning has significant advantages like flexibility and cost-effectiveness; however, it lacks many other beneficial factors to the students, as discussed in in-person learning.

• Bali, S., & Liu, M. C. (2018, November). Students’ Perceptions Toward Online Learning and Face-to-Face Learning Courses. Journal of Physics: Conference Series , vol. 1108, IOP Publishing, Nov. 2018, p. 012094. Crossref . https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1108/1/012094.
• Gherheș, V., Stoian, C. E., Fărcașiu, M. A., & Stanici, M. (2021). E-learning vs. face-to-face learning: Analyzing students’ preferences and behaviors.  Sustainability ,  13 (8), 4381.
• McCutcheon, K., Lohan, M., Traynor, M., & Martin, D. (2015). A systematic review evaluating the impact of online or blended learning vs. face‐to‐face learning of clinical skills in undergraduate nurse education.  Journal of advanced nursing ,  71 (2), 255-270.
• Tomasik, M. J., Helbling, L. A., & Moser, U. (2021). Educational gains of in‐person vs. distance learning in primary and secondary schools: A natural experiment during the COVID‐19 pandemic school closures in Switzerland.  International Journal of Psychology ,  56 (4), 566-576.
• Wang, C., Hsu, H. C. K., Bonem, E. M., Moss, J. D., Yu, S., Nelson, D. B., & Levesque-Bristol, C. (2019). Need satisfaction and need dissatisfaction: A comparative study of online and face-to-face learning contexts.  Computers in Human Behavior ,  95 , 114-125.
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The Pros and Cons of Online School: Is It Right for You?

Online learning is quickly becoming the norm. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, there were close to seven million students already enrolled in online college courses. Today, that number is higher, as more students are prioritizing their safety and health, and choosing to complete their degrees online .

However, this is not an easy decision for everyone. While there are clear perks to attending an online school, it can also come with many challenges. If you are debating whether to complete your degree online or in-person, keep reading. Below we outline the pros and cons of online classes.

Pros of Online School

1. comfort and convenience..

The most obvious benefit of online school is that you can attend it right from the comfort of your own home. There is no worry about your commute, or even how you will juggle getting from work to class. Online classes can be completed at a time and place that works best for you, so long as you have internet access. This convenience gives you more time to study up on important subjects, or more time to spend with your family, and less time getting to and from campus.

Many students are also more comfortable at their own home, than they would be in a college classroom. This may be due to safety reasons, given the current pandemic, or simply due to their personality and learning style.

2. Accessibility

Online school is more accessible than on-campus classes, in terms of time and expense. Let’s start with time. Online classes are designed to work into your schedule, so that you can still manage to fulfill other obligations, like a career or childcare. For those with full-time jobs or full-time family commitments, a college degree may not be possible without an online option. Online learning is accessible to just about everyone with internet.

The materials and coursework are designed to be easy-to-access, 24 hours a day. You no longer have to worry about where you put your notes from class, or what the teacher said in that lecture. All of the material is available online, just clicks away in an online knowledge base. Going back to review the materials is always an option, no matter where you are or what time it is.

3. Affordability

As mentioned above, online school is typically more accessible financially, as well. Online classes can cut the cost of learning in half . This is possible because online schools have fewer expenses and amenities than college campuses (such as food, dormitories, campus staff, and more). With online classes, you also cut expenses such as gas, parking, eating out, childcare, and other costs you may encounter when having to travel to campus.

4. Self-disciplinary skills.

Online classes are taken at the students’ pace, on a schedule that works for them. There is no professor telling them when they need to arrive at class, and when they need to put their phone down. Rather, students are in control of their own learning. There is more freedom and trust. While this may be challenging for some students, it can teach an invaluable skillset to those who put in the hard work.

Students in online degree programs often walk away with enhanced skills in time management, self-motivation, self-discipline, adaptability, and responsibility. They also learn how to organize their assignments, class schedule, and other obligations, and create a realistic work-life balance. These types of traits will carry over to an array of fields and occupations down the road.

5. Individualized attention.

In a traditional classroom setting, you may feel uncomfortable asking questions out loud. You may feel you are competing for your professor’s attention even as class concludes. Online courses can help eliminate this and provide you more of the individualized attention you crave. In an online learning environment, students can always email their professor directly. You can also set up one-to-one sessions with faculty, if needed, to get your questions answered live. Many schools are working to enhance online collaboration, and prioritizing the needs and success of students — specially now, as the coronavirus pandemic continues and distance learning is required in many areas nationwide.

Cons of Online School

1. not all classes exist online..

Some classes and degrees cannot be earned totally online. Some fields require that in-person and hands-on experience that you simply cannot get in an online school. For example, aspiring nurses must complete a number of hours in a clinical setting. Science classes, whether in medicine or chemistry, often demand a practical component. Hands-on industries, such as manufacturing and machining, also need some level of in-person training on equipment. If you are interested in a career in healthcare, science, or a hands-on trade, on-campus courses may be the right choice for you.

2. There is less interpersonal connections.

Online schools do not typically offer the “campus experience” that many crave when they go to college. Some schools offer online classes live, in real-time, so you can still get face-to-face interaction with peers and professors. However, most will allow you to take online classes on your own time. Depending on your preferences and learning style, reduced social interaction can be seen as a pro or con.

The lack of social interaction is listed as a “con” because, for some people, peer interaction can be stimulating and engaging. It can fuel their learning experience, and help them establish more emotional bonds with professors and their peers. Without this interaction, some students may feel very isolated.

For others, however, social interaction can actually be very distracting or intimidating. This is why we also consider it a “pro.” Many students are introverted, and feel shy to speak up or engage in a class full of other students. These people typically thrive in an online, individual learning setting.

At Goodwin, we offer a hybrid format for many degree programs, so that students can benefit from the autonomy of online courses , while still gaining valuable collaboration time, via on-campus courses.

3. There are also more distractions.

Inevitably, you will find more distractions at home than you will in a classroom environment. Maybe your partner or roommate is constantly talking on the phone. Perhaps your kids always need to be entertained. Or, it may be that pile of laundry (or that new recipe you’ve been dying to try) calling your name. Those types of distractions go away with on-campus classes. To succeed in online classes , you need to be able to self-motivate, rid the distractions, and find a quiet, dedicated space and time to complete your coursework.

4. Online can be challenging.

Many people feel that online school is easier than traditional college. While they may be easy to access, online classes are not any “lighter” than on-campus courses. In fact, many online programs are more intensive, to accommodate for the flexibility of being at home. Just like any college or university, online schools recognize the importance of a degree and will ensure certain academic standards are met.

The autonomy that students receive in an online school can also be intimidating for those who lack self-motivation or time management skills. When pursuing an online degree, you will be pushed to review course materials, listen to lectures, and complete assignments at your own pace. While this can be a swimming moment for some, it can be sinking for those who may require more discipline.

Finally, the use of technology can pose a learning curve for some students. Students who do not have access to internet or a computer at home will find online learning challenging. Those who are not well-versed in modern technology, or students with special learning needs, may also feel held back in an online learning environment. While many online schools will have tech support in place to mitigate challenges, these students may feel more comfortable and at-ease in a traditional class format.

Finding the Right Path for You

Online education has its pros and cons, as we can see above. Ultimately, the type of program or institution to pursue will depend on your own personal needs. Do you require flexibility in your schedule? Do you desire an in-person, on-campus learning experience? Is peer collaboration important to you? Or do you feel accessibility and autonomy are more up your alley?

You can learn more about the differences between online and traditional classes here.

If you recognize both the pros and cons of online school, remember there are also hybrid programs available. These programs blend both online and on-campus learning together, so students can get the best of both worlds. At Goodwin University, you will find hybrid degree options that allow for flexibility, accessibility, and interpersonal connections in class.

Learn more by visiting us online today ! Or, call 800-889-3282 to learn more about our online, on-campus, and hybrid degree programs.

Goodwin University is a nonprofit institution of higher education and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), formerly known as the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Goodwin University was founded in 1999, with the goal of serving a diverse student population with career-focused degree programs that lead to strong employment outcomes.

Argumentative Essay: Online School Worse Than In-Person

What is online learning? Online learning is learning through the internet so students don’t have to go to school in person. The question is, is online learning better than in person learning? No, although there are some good things about online learning, there are many problems with it. One problem with online learning is that children can get easily distracted from the lesson that they are learning. Another problem with online learning is that it is easier for kids to cheat so they don’t truly learn the subject. The last problem with online learning is the lack of being able to interact with others.

First, children can get easily distracted from their lesson while learning online. While a student is learning online their faces are hidden behind a screen so most students are able to do whatever they want without the teacher being able to do anything about it. According to Pennsylvania State University roughly ninety percent of students who did school online got distracted and did not participate in class as much as they would in person. A student is easily able to lie about their camera not working, with their camera off they could go on their phones, watch television, and do anything that they cannot do while at school. With a student able to do these things they get distracted from learning they do other things instead of listening to their teachers. This affects many children who would rather be doing other things instead of concentrating on their classes. Children can easily get distracted while learning online so they don’t learn as much as they would in school. This is one problem with remote learning.

Another problem with online learning is that it is easier for students to cheat so they don’t truly learn the subject. During tests it is really easy for students to cheat, they can search things up without the teacher knowing. Some students lie about their cameras not working and the teachers can’t do anything about this because they don’t know if the student is lying or not. Students don’t learn when they cheat on tests. When students cheat on tests they basically learned nothing from their teachers and were just sitting listening to someone speak for no reason at all. Students that cheat don’t truly learn the important subjects that are necessary for their future. Students must learn all of the subjects that are taught to them even if they think those subjects have no importance they still need to learn these subjects, and students can’t learn if they cheat. So when students learn online it is very easy for them to cheat and they don’t learn.

The last problem with online learning is that students aren’t able to interact with their friends and other students so they get lonely sitting alone behind a screen. Learning online can get lonely. Students are sitting behind a screen all day with nothing to do but listen to their teachers talk. So instead of talking with their friends, students end up going on their phones instead of listening to their teachers. During in person school students are surrounded by friends and other students all day long so students never get lonely. School online can get very boring without being with friends. The only time you get to interact with other students is when the teacher puts you in breakout rooms where you can talk to other students for a short time but this is way different from being with your friends at school. It is much harder to learn when you have to stay by yourself all day with no one around you. Without being able to interact with others, school is not the same that is why online school is worse than in person school.

In conclusion, online learning is not as good as in person learning. There are too many problems with online learning. Students get too distracted and they can’t concentrate in class. With online learning it is too easy to cheat on tests so students are not able to learn as much as they would in normal school. Students are not able to interact with others online and this affects many students because sitting behind a screen all day gets very lonely. Online school is too flawed to become permanent that is why we should stick with in person school.

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David French

Colleges Have Gone off the Deep End. There Is a Way Out.

By David French

Opinion Columnist

I had my head in a law book when I heard the drums. That was the sound of the first campus protest I ever experienced. I’d come to Harvard Law School in the fall of 1991 as a graduate of a small, very conservative Christian college in Nashville. Many of my college classmates had passionate religious and political commitments, but street protest was utterly alien to the Christian culture of the school. We were rule followers, and public protest looked a bit too much like anarchy for our tastes.

But Harvard was different. The law school was every bit as progressive as my college was conservative, and protest was part of the fabric of student life, especially then. This is the era when a writer for GQ magazine, John Sedgwick, called the law school “ Beirut on the Charles ” because it was torn apart by disputes over race and sex. There were days when campus protests were festive, almost celebratory. There were other days when the campus was seething with rage and fury.

That first protest was in support of faculty diversity, and it was relatively benign. I walked outside and followed the sound of the drums. A group of roughly 100 protesters was marching in front of the law school library, and soon they were joined by an allied group of similar size from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. I watched as they danced, sang and listened to speeches by student activists and sympathetic professors. That first protest had an angry edge, but it was also completely peaceful and endlessly fascinating to a kid from a small town in Kentucky who’d never seen a drum circle before.

But things soon got worse, much worse. Protests got more unruly, and student activists got more aggressive. The entire campus was in a state of conflict. In Sedgwick’s words, students were “waging holy war on one another.” Small groups of students occupied administrative offices, and angry activists shouted down their political opponents in class and often attempted to intimidate them outside class. I was shouted down repeatedly, and twice I received disturbing handwritten notes in my campus mailbox in response to my anti-abortion advocacy. My student peers told me to “go die.”

Watching the protests and experiencing the shout-downs changed the course of my career. I was both enthralled by the power of protest and repulsed by the efforts to silence dissenters. Given the immense cultural influence of American higher education, I agreed with the Supreme Court’s famous words in the 1957 case Sweezy v. New Hampshire : “Teachers and students must always remain free to inquire, to study and to evaluate, to gain new maturity and understanding; otherwise, our civilization will stagnate and die.” Those words, combined with my own negative encounters at Harvard, helped define my legal career. From that point forward, I would defend free speech.

It’s been more than 30 years since that first campus protest, and over that time I’ve seen countless protests, I’ve defended countless protesters — and I’ve even been protested against at several schools. In the course of those cases and confrontations, I’ve learned that the issue of campus protest is remarkably complex and that campus culture is at least as important as law and policy in setting the boundaries of debate.

There is profound confusion on campus right now around the distinctions among free speech, civil disobedience and lawlessness. At the same time, some schools also seem confused about their fundamental academic mission. Does the university believe it should be neutral toward campus activism — protecting it as an exercise of the students’ constitutional rights and academic freedoms but not cooperating with student activists to advance shared goals — or does it incorporate activism as part of the educational process itself, including by coordinating with the protesters and encouraging their activism?

The simplest way of outlining the ideal university policy toward protest is to say that it should protect free speech, respect civil disobedience and uphold the rule of law. That means universities should protect the rights of students and faculty members on a viewpoint-neutral basis, and they should endeavor to make sure that every member of the campus community has the same access to campus facilities and resources.

That also means showing no favoritism among competing ideological groups in access to classrooms, in the imposition of campus penalties and in access to educational opportunities. All groups should have equal rights to engage in the full range of protected speech, including by engaging in rhetoric that’s hateful to express and painful to hear. Public chants like “Globalize the intifada” may be repugnant to many ears, but they’re clearly protected by the First Amendment at public universities and by policies protecting free speech and academic freedom at most private universities.

Still, reasonable time, place and manner restrictions are indispensable in this context. Time, place and manner restrictions are content-neutral legal rules that enable a diverse community to share the same space and enjoy equal rights.

Noise limits can protect the ability of students to study and sleep. Restricting the amount of time any one group can demonstrate on the limited open spaces on campus permits other groups to use the same space. If one group is permitted to occupy a quad indefinitely, for example, then that action by necessity excludes other organizations from the same ground. In that sense, indefinitely occupying a university quad isn’t simply a form of expression; it also functions as a form of exclusion. Put most simply, student groups should be able to take turns using public spaces, for an equal amount of time and during a roughly similar portion of the day.

Civil disobedience is distinct from First Amendment-protected speech. It involves both breaking an unjust law and accepting the consequences. There is a long and honorable history of civil disobedience in the United States, but true civil disobedience ultimately honors and respects the rule of law. In a 1965 appearance on “Meet the Press,” the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. described the principle perfectly: “When one breaks the law that conscience tells him is unjust, he must do it openly, he must do it cheerfully, he must do it lovingly, he must do it civilly — not uncivilly — and he must do it with a willingness to accept the penalty.”

But what we’re seeing on a number of campuses isn’t free expression, nor is it civil disobedience. It’s outright lawlessness. No matter the frustration of campus activists or their desire to be heard, true civil disobedience shouldn’t violate the rights of others. Indefinitely occupying a quad violates the rights of other speakers to use the same space. Relentless, loud protest violates the rights of students to sleep or study in peace. And when protests become truly threatening or intimidating, they can violate the civil rights of other students, especially if those students are targeted on the basis of their race, sex, color or national origin.

The result of lawlessness is chaos and injustice. Other students can’t speak. Other students can’t learn. Teachers and administrators can’t do their jobs.

In my experience as a litigator , campus chaos is frequently the result of a specific campus culture. Administrators and faculty members will often abandon any pretense of institutional neutrality and either cooperate with their most intense activist students or impose double standards that grant favored constituencies extraordinary privileges. For many administrators, the very idea of neutrality is repugnant. It represents a form of complicity in injustice that they simply can’t and won’t stomach. So they nurture and support one side. They scorn the opposition, adopting a de facto posture that says , “To my friends, everything; for my enemies, the law.”

I’ve experienced this firsthand. I vividly remember representing a campus Christian group in a dispute at Tufts University in 2000 . The group had been derecognized for requiring that student leaders of their group share that group’s traditional sexual ethic, which reserves sex for heterosexual marriage. You might disagree strongly with that view, but granting religious groups the flexibility to impose faith-based requirements on religious leaders fits squarely within the American tradition of free exercise of religion.

Tufts is a private university, so it has some flexibility in suppressing religious expression on campus, but it had no excuse for attempting to toss a Christian group from campus at the same time that it permitted acts of intimidation against those Christian students. For example, at the most contentious moment of the dispute, Tufts officials prevented my student clients and me from entering the hearing room where their appeal was being heard, while a crowd of protesters gathered in a darkened hallway, pressed up around us and herded us into a corner of the hall. There was no campus outrage at this act of intimidation. We saw no administrative response.

University complicity in chaos isn’t unusual. In a case I worked on when I was president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, we discovered that administrators at Washington State University’s Pullman campus had actually helped plan a disruptive protest against a play put on by a student director, an intentionally provocative show that mocked virtually every group on campus.

University or faculty participation in unlawful protest isn’t confined to the cases I worked on. At Oberlin College, administrative facilitation of ugly and defamatory student protests outside a local business ultimately cost the school $36 million in damages. At Columbia, hundreds of sympathetic faculty members staged their own protest in support of the student encampment on the quad, and there are reports that other faculty members have attempted to block members of the media from access to the student encampment.

None of this is new. All of it creates a culture of impunity for the most radical students. Disruptive protesters are rarely disciplined, or they get mere slaps on the wrist. They’re hailed as heroes by many of their professors. Administrators look the other way as protesters pitch their tents on the quad — despite clear violations of university policy. Then, days later, the same administrators look at the tent city on campus, wring their hands, and ask, “How did this spiral out of control?”

There is a better way . When universities can actually recognize and enforce the distinctions among free speech, civil disobedience and lawlessness, they can protect both the right of students to protest and the rights of students to study and learn in peace.

In March a small band of pro-Palestinian students at Vanderbilt University in Nashville pushed past a security guard so aggressively that they injured him , walked into a university facility that was closed to protest and briefly occupied the building. The university had provided ample space for protest, and both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian students had been speaking and protesting peacefully on campus since Oct. 7.

But these students weren’t engaged in free speech. Nor were they engaged in true civil disobedience. Civil disobedience does not include assault, and within hours the university shut them down. Three students were arrested in the assault on the security guard, and one was arrested on charges of vandalism. More than 20 students were subjected to university discipline, three were expelled , and one was suspended.

The message was clear: Every student can protest, but protest has to be peaceful and lawful. In taking this action, Vanderbilt was empowered by its posture of institutional neutrality . It does not take sides in matters of public dispute. Its fundamental role is to maintain a forum for speech, not to set the terms of the debate and certainly not to permit one side to break reasonable rules that protect education and safety on campus.

Vanderbilt is not alone in its commitment to neutrality. The University of Chicago has long adhered to the Kalven principles , a statement of university neutrality articulated in 1967 by a committee led by one of the most respected legal scholars of the last century, Harry Kalven Jr. At their heart, the Kalven principles articulate the view that “the instrument of dissent and criticism is the individual faculty member or the individual student. The university is the home and sponsor of critics; it is not itself the critic. It is, to go back once again to the classic phrase, a community of scholars.”

Contrast Vanderbilt’s precise response with the opposing extremes. In response to the chaos at Columbia, the school is finishing the semester with hybrid classes, pushing thousands of students online. The University of Southern California canceled its main stage commencement ceremony , claiming that the need for additional safety measures made the ceremony impractical. At both schools the inability to guarantee safety and order has diminished the educational experience of their students.

While U.S.C. and Columbia capitulate, other schools have taken an excessively draconian approach. Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas posted on X, “Students joining in hate-filled, antisemitic protests at any public college or university in Texas should be expelled.” On April 25 the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression sent a forceful letter to the president of the University of Texas at Austin condemning the display of force on campus. “U.T. Austin,” it wrote, “at the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott, appears to have pre-emptively banned peaceful pro-Palestinian protesters due solely to their views rather than for any actionable misconduct.”

At Emory University, footage emerged of police tackling a female professor who posed no obvious danger to the police or anyone else. Protests are almost always tense, and there is often no easy way to physically remove protesters from campus, but the video footage of the confrontation with the professor was shocking. It’s hard to conceive of a justification for the violent police response.

At this moment, one has the impression that university presidents at several universities are simply hanging on, hoping against hope that they can manage the crisis well enough to survive the school year and close the dorms and praying that passions cool over the summer.

That is a vain hope. There is no indication that the war in Gaza — or certainly the region — will be over by the fall. It’s quite possible that Israel will be engaged in full-scale war on its northern border against Hezbollah. And the United States will be in the midst of a presidential election that could be every bit as contentious as the 2020 contest.

But the summer does give space for a reboot. It allows universities to declare unequivocally that they will protect free speech, respect peaceful civil disobedience and uphold the rule of law by protecting the campus community from violence and chaos. Universities should not protect students from hurtful ideas, but they must protect their ability to peacefully live and learn in a community of scholars. There is no other viable alternative.

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David French is an Opinion columnist, writing about law, culture, religion and armed conflict. He is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and a former constitutional litigator. His most recent book is “Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation .” You can follow him on Threads ( @davidfrenchjag ).