Online Edu Vs Traditional Edu
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), in fall 2016, in United States, approximately 50.4 million students attended public elementary and secondary schools. Of these, 35.4 million were in prekindergarten through grade 8 and 15 million were in grades 9, 10, 11, 12. Also, 5.2 million students attended private elementary and secondary schools (NCES). As you can see, there is a lot of students, who go school regularly, in United States. 5.8 million of them take courses in online, but rest of them choose traditional courses, which are face to face. However, after comparing their social interactions, flexibilities and discipline, we can clearly see which is better.
Social interaction is very important for the development of all children. Through social interactions, children begin to establish a sense of themselves and begin to learn what others expect of them. Although social interactions for young children initially appear within the family, as children grow, they become more and more interested in playing and interacting with other children.
I think, traditional education is better for those who need face-to-face communication. When you do not have direct interactions with your teachers, you may tend to do not as well with the work you already have. If this is the case for you, success will come with a traditional education.
The second point is flexibility. It is one of the most important thing in education because for education you have to create times on your schedule. If your education is flexible and you are able to choose time for lessons, this education will be more beneficial for you. Online education can provide these opportunities. This is a great option for those who already have a time commitment with family and work. Online classes mold your schedule. That is best for students as opposed to having a lecture at a specific time. On the other hand, if you have a little more time in your schedule, face to face education system is the best for you. Even if you are hoping for a little flexibility, traditional courses typically offer day and evening schedules so you can coordinate with your daily commitments. One thing you should remember is you need to live and work in proximity to the school.
Last thing to consider while weighing your education options is how much you can discipline yourself. According to NCES, approximately 40 percent of students in United States do not believe that they need to discipline themselves. Before deciding one of them ask yourselves “Do I need an authority to be a successful student?”. Discipline is important for online degrees as well as for traditional. Being an online student will work well for students who have the ability to self motivate. Without a plan or some type of organization, your work will suffer in the online classroom, but if you set deadlines and prioritize your school schedule, you should see success.
Majority of us think we do not need discipline but actually we need. For these type of people and students like who want discipline in education, traditional education like public schools or face to face education is probably the best. This method will give you the support and it will make you to complete assignments and tasks on a daily basis. Also it can make you more successful than flexible education.
I believe there are a lot of good opportunities for both options. The key is to find the best fit for student’s personal needs. Education has proven to be the key to success and it really does not matter which method you choose. But if you ask me, I think, there is nothing like the campus and school experience. However, online courses have the flexibility and convenience of distance learning.
Work Cited
Martin Garner. Online vs. Traditional Education. Owlcation. June 13, 2016.
Kendall Bird. The Answer You Never Expected. Rasmussen. February 19, 2014
