Are learners more successful, academically, in a brick and mortar setting, a distance education (online) setting, or in a hybrid setting that combines the two?
Brainstorming Map:
Technology taking over education
Bricks and mortar setting still has benefits
In-person interaction with teachers and fellow students beneficial
Online beneficial for busy adults
Digital applications for everything why not education
Which is better based on empirical evidence?
Is one more customized to personal tastes?
How does cost factor into determining which approach students and/or teachers prefer?
Does the course of study influence the approach taken?
Is there a risk to the future of bricks and mortar learning institutions? If so, is there judgment of online approaches biases because of this?
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"Education Approaches: Bridging the Digital and the Traditional".
Online education has become a visible trend in contemporary times. In fact, students may well one day learn exclusively from their home-base computers instead of attending traditional schools in person (Anderson, 2013). Of course, there has been some successful learning accomplished through this form of learning such as with English-language lessons, whereby students and teachers use online chats, Skype, and accompanying headsets to facilitate communication and education. At the same time, the advantages of traditional forms of education far exceed those of online methods. Students acquire social and life skills that cannot be achieved through simple online lessons. They are able to connect and learn from in-person classmates and teachers that enrich their lives with lasting relationships and guidance.
There has been adoption of online educational offerings but that it has not gained sufficient support to replace traditional forms of education in the near future. Nevertheless, advocates and executives of leading online educational institutions maintain that their vehicles are superior, given the price and rigid approach of traditional colleges, universities, and other forms of education. On one hand, some have found that online forms of learning made it easy for students to cheat and questioned the quality and value of the education provided (2013). Moreover, in their opinion, traditional forms of education offered the opportunity to network and connect with fellow students and teachers. This is something online education could not provide in the eyes of many students.
On the other hand, traditional educational forms offer benefits that digital forms cannot simulate. Given the human beings are social beings, receiving an education through seclusion is difficult. In a traditional learning environment, students learn to socialize with their teachers and contemporaries, which is something difficult to simulate online without in-person contact. Experts believe that developing these people skills are imperative, as humans progress with the help of others. Professors also teach other skills in-person such as study skills and timeliness as well as providing guidance for life choices outside of the classroom.
