The increase in education delivery methods has changed the learning and teaching methods over time through the centuries. Between 1900 and 1920, face-to-face learning was the main medium of instruction. From 1923 to the late 1930s, other multimedia was introduced in the classroom to improve the learning experience while still maintaining face-to-face learning. These include overhead projectors, films, and radios. The development of the internet and the integration of technology in the classroom in the 20th century has increased the options for learning in person or remotely. The different modes of learning both have benefits and challenges.
I have had the opportunity to acquire education through face-to-face instruction while pursuing my undergraduate degree and 100% online learning when studying for my master’s degree. Face-to-face instruction requires the presence of an instructor. The lecture method is mainly used to provide instruction. On the other hand, online learning can be both synchronous and asynchronous. Asynchronous learning does not require the teacher presence, and the instructor can choose the mode of engagement without “seeing” participants. In synchronous learning, there is a virtual presence of the instructor and the students. Virtual meetings are scheduled in real-time so that each learner is present. There is interaction and engagement as if the participants and instructors were in a classroom. As I was studying for my undergraduate degree, one had to go to the brick and mortar classroom to attend classes. Attendance was mandatory, and one had to travel to the location of the classroom. However, during my master’s degree, all I needed was internet access and a computer, and could study at my own pace while still meeting the assignments’ deadlines.
The challenges in asynchronous learning include that it is difficult to evaluate the learner’s emotions and how they interpret instruction. One had to be very careful when giving contributions in discussion forums as one’s statements or comments could be misinterpreted. Written instruction can be misinterpreted, resulting in poor performance and learning outcomes. The students may feel isolated from others and thus may terminate their learning. However, for a non-traditional learner, asynchronous learning is preferred; it provides flexibility in pursuing education.
During face-to-face learning, learners get narrated feedback from the instructor and thereby increase their performance as a result of the feedback. However, in e-learning, the learner depends on the written feedback, which would be sometimes be misinterpreted. When getting verbal feedback, the learner can ask for clarification and get instant feedback. This may be time- consuming as e-learning provides opportunities for providing feedback using multimedia and written text.
There are different forums in online learning to facilitate group discussions, thereby providing opportunities for extroverts and introverts to be engaged. This is different in face-to-face learning, as students have to speak to express themselves and show their participation in learning. As a result of this, the introverts will have difficulty in classroom participation. E-learning provides both synchronous and asynchronous discussion boards, which provide opportunities for more detailed and honest discussions. During my undergraduate studies, I found it challenging to be engaged in face-to-face discussions as I was an introvert. I also observed that introverted students would detest group discussions and always opt for other assignments given options. However, during my master’s degree, I found it easy to communicate my ideas in online discussion forums. This is because I did not feel pressured to participate.
Students have control of their learning in e-learning, while in face-to-face learning, the instructor determines the learner’s success. The students in face-to-face learning have to follow a required formal system to advance in their learning. However, in online learning, the student has the leeway to review all the course content without limitation. There are no set rules on when a module in the course should be accessed.
When e-learning effectively uses multimedia, learners are more engaged in the learning process. Some multimedia can be used to help create an immersive learning experience. However, the most preferable is blended learning that involves both face-to-face learning and e-learning. As stated by Ghanaee and Ahmadi (2016), blended learning improves performance and “focuses on increasing the levels of cooperation between humans and technology and the satisfaction of students in this type of learning is more” pg. 736). Brown and Clark (2019) state that research has found no significant difference between face-to-face students’ performance scores and those studying online. However, Brown and Clark (2019) further state that “mixed results with advanced -standing face-to-face students having statistically significant higher GPA scores than their online counterparts, but found no significant difference in GPA between non-advanced-standing face-to-face and online students” (p. 45).
The instructor presence makes learning more personalized, and students feel that the instructor is aware of their presence. This, in turn, results in students being more accountable for their learning and increasing in the quality of their assignments or projects. During my undergraduate studies, I found that the teacher’s presence and availability helped students’ to seek further clarification in work or complex projects in real- time. Research by Kemp and Grieves (2014) in their research on the students’ response to face-to-face learning and online learning found that 80% of students felt more engaged in learning activities were in a classroom setting as they felt that they were allowed to think more deeply, whereas, in online learning, answers had to be formal. On the other hand, 84% said that online learning allowed them to think of their responses. More research should be carried out on comparison of multimedia in e-learning and face-to-face learning. This is mainly in regard to comparison of use of multimedia with mobile technology for real-time feedback with face-to-face learning.
References
Brown, J. C., & Park, H. (2016). Longitudinal student research competency: Comparing online and traditional face-to-face learning platforms. Advances in Social Work, 17(1), 44-58. doi:10.18060/20870
EdSystango (2019). Online learning vs classroom learning: Which one to pick for your web development classes? Retrieved on November 9, 2020, from https://www.edsystango.com/blog/online-vs-classroom-learning-web-development/
Ghanaee, A., & Ahmadi, S. A. A. (2016). Explaining the impact of blended learning on relevant factors in west tehran payame noor university. Management Science Letters, 6(12), 735-744. doi:10.5267/j.msl.2016.11.001
Kemp, N., & Grieve, R. (2014). Face-to-face or face-to-screen? undergraduates’ opinions and test performance in classroom vs. online learning. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 1278-1278. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01278
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