Online Learning and Traditional Learning: An Outlook into the Past and the Future of Education - Essay Example

Online learning is a form of study set where learners combine the use of electronic means. It involves the internet to enable the transfer of knowledge. Traditional learning is a long-established custom found in schools and other environments set aside for learning traditionally seen as suitable. While both these are designed to deliver equal outcomes in education, their differences contribute to learning differently.

Traditional learning allows interaction with the tutor in a stimulated class set. Many stakeholders in the education sector are concerned that this education system is in threat to online learning. While online learning is wide and allows learners more space to research and broaden their understanding it also allows interaction (Robinson & Doverspike, 2006). 

  A misconception is that learners who learn online do not interact with others. While they may not do it on a personal level, they do it through online correspondence like blogs and e-mails (Dray et al, 2011). Interaction is a vital process of learning, as everyone needs to seek the opinion of other students on the subject course. Online learning produces academically strong students with personal relation skills based on correspondence. In a traditional setting, the spirit of research is absent as students rely on the recitation of one tutor to provide learning.

When a crowd of scholars is together in most cases, it leads to mob behavior where students misbehave. To quell them, sometimes administrators use physical reprimand, which might at times serve to discourage students learning. According to (Robinson & Doverspike, 2006) technology must serve the subject matter, not the other way round. In this, it means that the online course must be set in such a way that it fulfills the demands of the students without much hustle. Learning materials available online at times have no limit and advance to levels beyond what students may require sometimes.

This call for the alteration of learning materials available online to suits the demand of learners. Traditional students use books, set syllabus, and so need not worry about an encounter of any materials out of their curriculum.