Online Vs. In-Person College: Pros and Cons

Have you been wondering if online college is as effective as traditional in-person classroom learning (often called brick-and-mortar education)?

You might be surprised to know that studies have found that 70% of students prefer online classes to traditional classroom settings and that three out of four academic leaders consider online education to be equal or superior to traditional learning methods.

In this article, we look at the pros and cons of online vs. in-person college courses based on educational research. We hope to help you decide which mode of learning is best for your personal needs.

The Transition from Traditional to Online Learning in American Colleges and Universities

Until 15 or 20 years ago in the United States, 'going to college' evoked an image of moving into a dormitory on a grassy, tree-covered campus featuring large brick or stone buildings. Just think of all the movie images of college life that you recall, where students attended courses in classrooms where the professor lectured in front of a group.

The rise of the internet has enabled the explosion of a new style of learning that has revolutionized the educational landscape. Distance learning, defined as a method of teaching and learning where the student and teacher are not physically in the same place, has been around for almost two centuries in the form of correspondence courses carried out by mail.

However, the growth of educational technology that paralleled the introduction of the internet and the World Wide Web in the 1980s and 1990s led to the mainstream emergence of full online courses that gained popularity in the 21st century.

Types of Online Classroom Situations

Online classes involve the use of the internet and e-learning resources as platforms allowing teachers and students to engage in teaching and learning even when they are in different locations.

However, you'll find different variables leading to many possibilities for interaction styles.

One-to-one: This teaching mode is like a tutorial, in which a professor teaches individualized lessons to one student at a time, either synchronously or asynchronously

One-to-many: When a professor is teaching in a virtual classroom setting with many students who can interact not only with the professor but also with each other, it can be synchronous or asynchronous.

Synchronous: Synchronous classrooms require all participants to be online simultaneously, usually using a video chat platform to be able to see and speak to each other in real-time.

Asynchronous: Asynchronous teaching enables the teacher and students to access the materials and the interactive features on their timetable, leaving messages for each other but not requiring an arranged meeting time.

Pros: The Benefits of Online Learning

Online classes, also called virtual learning or eLearning, offer accessibility, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. Also, many studies find that students learn more effectively through online learning.

Accessibility

The rise of remote learning technologies — and especially the introduction of a wide range of online degree programs — has attracted new sectors of the population to take college courses and earn university degrees.

Today, college is no longer just for the 18-to-22-year-old traditional residential students. Since around 2010, online degree programs have opened possibilities for diverse learners such as established professionals, working parents, military service members, and lifelong learners.

In addition, students no longer need to live on campus or even near campus to be able to take classes. In fact, geography is no longer a barrier: they can live anywhere, even in another state or country.

Flexibility

For students who have other commitments, such as full-time jobs or raising children, taking asynchronous courses online allows them to complete their work at their own pace and follow their timetable.

Virtual learning also allows students to do their work of learning when they are most productive, so night owls do not sleep through their 8 a.m. classes or shift workers can do their schoolwork when they are well-rested.

Cost-effectiveness

Since online courses do not require the overhead expenses of a classroom with heating, air-conditioning, or other maintenance, many colleges can offer online classes with reduced tuition fees.

Also, students save time and money by not having to pay transportation costs to commute to campus or relocate to live near campus. In addition, many online programs provide e-resources to help students save money on textbooks.

According to the Education Data Initiative, you can save more than $10,000 by earning an online degree rather than a traditional on-campus degree.

Cost-effectiveness can be environmental, as well. The Open University in Britain found that online learning uses 87% less energy and 85% fewer CO2 emissions per student compared to traditional in-person learning.

Enhanced Outcomes

The U.S. Department of Education studies comparative learning outcomes of students in the same course offered both online and in-person for 12 years.

Their findings concluded that students who learned online achieved equivalent or even better learning outcomes than those studying face-to-face.

Other studies have found that students engaged in e-learning retain between 25% and 60% more information and learn 40% to 60% faster than in traditional classrooms.

Today's students, raised on the media, learn better and faster using interactive multimedia technologies.

Cons: The Drawbacks of Online Classes

Some people find online learning to be more challenging than traditional classroom learning.

If you need interaction to be face-to-face and the physical presence of other people to keep you motivated, online learning may not work for you.

If you are a person who lacks strong self-discipline and needs the structure of having a physically present teacher talking you through a process, online may not be the best option.

Most importantly, if you do not feel adept with computer technology and find yourself at wits' end if you encounter technical difficulties, you may need the personal support and resources of an in-person classroom setting

Pros: The Benefits of In-Person Learning

Why might you prefer traditional, face-to-face classroom learning instead of online learning?

Since online learning requires self-discipline, motivation, and self-direction, students who need a more structured and supervised learning environment may prefer a traditional classroom.

Some students find it easier to stay actively engaged and to avoid distractions in a face-to-face setting, where you are accountable to your professor in their presence. If you find it hard to stay focused or you get easily sidetracked, an in-person classroom might keep you more attentive.

Traditional classrooms provide a more structured learning environment in a dedicated space that encourages full interaction with both the teacher and also other students as appropriate.

Cons: The Drawbacks of In-Person Classrooms

In most ways, the benefits of online learning we listed above emphasize the cons of in-person classrooms. In general, in-person college learning was created for a particular type of student/ the 18-to-21-year-old residential (i.e., living on campus) student just out of high school and taking courses full-time.

This demographic of the 'typical' college student has changed greatly over the last quarter century, and this traditional style of college classroom and lifestyle is neither convenient nor accessible to a large number of people desiring to earn college degrees.

Also, for many people, sitting in hard classroom desk chairs and trying to maintain attention during an hour-long lecture are not as conducive to learning as using interactive technologies that allow you to learn at your own pace.

Whether that means rewinding a lecture video to better understand a challenging point or doing interactive, self-correcting exercises online, the new instructional technologies offer a broader range of teaching techniques that cater to a diversity of learning styles.

Choosing Online Vs. In-Person College Courses

Only you can decide which mode of classroom presentation best suits your own personality and learning style as well as your schedule and accessibility needs. Luckily, today you can find a wide range of online, in-person, or hybrid courses to help you achieve your goals.