Answer to Question #311337 in English for Sabza

Question

Compare and contrast class-room based teaching and learning with distance teaching and learning. Identify at least three points from any source and use them as examples to compare and contrast the two teaching and learning contexts. Conclude by stating which of the two is better and state at least three reasons for your standpoint.

Answer 1

1. Classroom Learning involves physical interactions with a teacher and peers, while online learning transfers this component to a virtual environment. So while there is human interaction, it happens online via virtual lectures, virtual discussions, face-to-face video workshops 
2. With online courses, students can always access learning materials such as module contents, assignments, lecture materials, podcasts and recorded sessions anytime during the course of their studies. For postgraduate courses module tutors are always there to assist with any questions through emails, messages and Skype calls. With Classroom Learning, be it for a school or university courses, a student has to visit the physical location to speak with tutors face to face, during assigned hours. This can be limiting, especially for working professionals.
3. For University courses, Online Learning students can fit studies around their work schedules, and can immediately practice new concepts learned by applying them in their current scope of work. With classroom learning university courses, this is not often the case. Since students have to leave their job and social commitments to complete a degree program, they will only be able to practice the new knowledge once they have re-joined the workforce. When it comes to schools and younger learners, a lot of Online Learning tools and apps help students understand concepts on a deeper level by providing problems they can interact and solve with in different ways. For example, logic puzzles or math puzzles that aren’t the cut and dry ‘solve for x’ prevalent in classroom learning.

As universities recognise the need of the modern workforce for education, learning and development, online programmes were developed with various specialisations to cater to professionals from different fields, industries and experiential backgrounds. It is no longer an absolute requirement to travel to a campus to study the programme, as our partner UK universities have a global reach, providing their distance learning courses to various countries worldwide.

The online mode of learning also inculcates a sense of discipline amongst students as they have to beself-motivated to finish their assignments and degree requirements to graduate on time. With student support always available to online students, they are guaranteed to successfully finish their degree course with a little commitment and dedication.