Online and Traditional Education - Essay Example

Online and Traditional Education Acquiring the ideal degree would serve as the right path for any individual, it is a big decision that many people are forced to make, rather than taking things lightly. In the current work environment, employers are demanding their employees to portray more skills, making online education to gain popularity. In fact, In the U.S., approximately 6.7 million learners enrolled for online courses during the fall of 2011. This reflected an approximate rise of 500,000 more than 2010. An increasing number of individuals are opting to take online courses because of the intense flexibility it delivers. When pursuing studies online, the curriculum usually takes about half time less compared to traditional colleges, while the chances for students completing their program at home has made distance learning to emerge as a multi-dollar industry. Many individuals are wondering whether the trend will keep progressing until the overall number of learners who enroll for online courses go past those pursuing traditional courses (Bird). This paper offers information as to why online education should not replace traditional learning. Today, people are living in an era that is characterized by convenience. Technology and time have provided individuals, who were previously incapable of gaining access to graduate or undergraduate degree programs because of family responsibilities and time restrictions. A program used to take more approximately four years for students to complete traditional colleges. Today, it is possible to complete the course in about two years based on the benefits affiliated with short durations in class. Nonetheless, this does not mean that online education for campus residents will go away. Since traditional classrooms provide opportunities for teachers and learners to interact in line with a plethora of other, vital benefits result from students pursuing traditional education. This means that there is still a need for traditional education. For instance, research has revealed that students that embark on one-on-one interaction with other students and their teachers tend to portray more balance academically compared to their online colleagues. This serves as one of the major reasons as to why employers still prefer those students with traditional college qualifications (Bird). Certain differences exist between traditional and online education. For instance, all students tend to adopt their learning processes differently. Hence, with the rapid advancing technology today, the question does not target taking classes online, but the ideal ways of implementing them. Various options prevail with respect to pursuing online or traditional learning degrees. The platform provides an avenue where individuals can acquire diplomas and certificates to advanced alternatives, such as bachelor’s or associate degrees. With the constant changes being witnessed in technology, it is ideal to consider the differences that prevail between online and traditional education as well as examine the diverse ways in which the two influence students (Bird). One of the major issues to consider when evaluating online and traditional education revolves around flexibility. The amount of time that a person gets each day to pursue a degree is vital. In this case, one needs to evaluate whether one would manage to attend full-time colleges or demand flexibility to handle busy schedules. For most working adults, they seek online courses because of the conveniences they witness. Furthermore, for those individuals raising their families and cannot encounter jobs that offer flexibility, then online education serves as the ideal alternative (Bird). Online education provides students with flexibility. This serves as a great opportunity for those individuals that have commitments to work or family issues. Online classes tend to mold the schedule of an individual. With regard to traditional education, it is ideal for those individuals having sufficient time in their schedules. Even if individuals seek for minimal flexibility, taking courses on campus provide day as well as evening schedules, meaning that it is possible for individuals to coordinate their daily activities. The only thing that learners need to consider in this case comprises of their location as well as work commitments based on campus proximity (Bird). Something else that is worth weighing regarding college options is the amount of discipline that individuals can exercise by themselves. For instance, one may question as to whether he needs structure to emerge as a successful learner, such as the to-do lists, which one needs before taking the course. Discipline plays a key role with respect to pursuing online degrees rather than traditional campus degrees in campus. For an individual to pursue online degree successfully, then it is ideal to exercise more discipline, especially when he or she has the right technological tools, offering a rewarding experience. Serving as an online student works appropriately among those students having the potential to motivate themselves. Without an ideal plan or a form of organization, one tends to suffer when pursuing online learning. However, for those individuals who set priorities and deadlines school schedule, then individuals are highly likely to succeed. In the case of traditional education, it works best for those individuals who demand discipline in order to complete their work. This method offers individuals the idea support they require to succeed in their assignments daily (Bird). A different area that demands consideration in the case of online and traditional education is if individuals need one-on-one interaction to realize success. Here, one may ask as to where he or she needs to interact with instructors and peers in order to succeed or whether one can survive in an independent environment for study. There are those individuals who love interacting one-on-one with their colleagues and instructors. When students are in class and want to engage with other individuals during the learning process, then it is ideal that traditional classroom is ideal rather than pursuing online courses (Bird). With respect to interactions with teachers and colleagues, they may still take place in online education although this can only be facilitated through online video. When individuals learn using online video, they are capable of focusing more on independent learning. In this case, the classes tend to be faster without the distractions associated with traditional classrooms. Traditional learning is better for those learners seeking one-on-one communication. When individuals lack direct interactions with their teachers, they may not perform well in the works assigned to them. In this case, then success tends to emerge from a traditional learning environment (Bird). Based on the issue of online and traditional education, it is apparent that various pros and cons are evident in the case of the two options. They may also appear as great options for students although the students need to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses to determine which alternative is ideal for them. For instance, research reveals that students who are subjected to a blended model tend to perform better unlike in the case of those who were alone. A blended model is capable of combining face-to-face communication and intimacy associated with a physical classroom in line with the convenience and flexibility of an online course. Schools prefer adopting a blended model since offers students with opportunities to access intelligence software for tutoring, while providing the educators with flexibility for planning their syllabuses. Students also appreciate the blended model since it offers a reprieve from mundane lectures by lecturers and dusty textbooks. In this case, it is apparent that various options exist for an individual to earn a degree. Based on the diverse pros and cons affiliated with both online and traditional learning, it is up to an individual to make ideal decisions on the ideal ways of earning a degree. These comparisons reveal that although online education is gaining popularity, particularly based on the advancement that has been seen in technology. In this case, it is appropriate for an individual to undertake research regarding traditional and online education to determine which is ideal with regard to the ideal needs of students. This way, a person would be in a position to select the learning environment that best fits the individual needs of a student. Hence, it is true that although, online education is gaining popularity, there are certain benefits and conveniences offered by traditional education, meaning that online education should not replace traditional learning environments. Work Cited Bird Kendall. “Online vs. Traditional Education: The Answer You Never Expected.” Rasmussen college, 2014. Web. 31 Oct.2015. Read More