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When the President announced in his address the need for final year students to return to school, most tertiary students complained bitterly about the fact that they have already learnt a lot via the internet. Some claim they have benefited from it, and would like that decision to be reconsidered again.
Following the President’s address, some tertiary institutions decided to continue with the online learning, but also gave a chance for face-to-face tuition. This went on well with most of the tertiary students, and interestingly, most students preferred to roll with the online learning.
So, why do students prefer online education to face-to-face learning?
First and foremost, online learning is fast becoming the number one choice for students worldwide. Research has proven that three primary factors are making online learning more popular than its traditional counterpart – time, technology, and curriculum.
Time is one of the resources in all fields of life, and it is no exception when it comes to education. Taking the tertiary schools into consideration, about three sets of classes are held for the online classes and they are recorded. Therefore, any student who is unable to join any of the classes can still access the recorded lessons. This can be done at his or her own convenience, unlike the face-to-face tuition where any student who misses a class session misses it for life.
Students prefer to join online courses because it allows them to learn at their own convenience. To be clearer, there is no compulsion for students to learn at a specific time, just like they do in case of face-to-face (classroom-based) learning.
Also, online learning enables students to use various audio and video elements to view, capture, store, and retrieve any important data or information later. Different multimedia facilities are available to instantly start two-way interaction and collaboration between teachers and students. For example, students sitting in a different location can use zoom, and google classroom among other media, to engage students and continue with the topics for the semester.
One primary reason why most students prefer the online as against traditional classes is that data bundle is allotted to all students. This is a plus since students do not spend money on data for studies. The cost of data is catered for. So all you need is a smartphone, a serene environment, and of course, good internet connectivity — you are good to go.
Online learning makes students focus more on the topics to be taught compared to face-to-face learning. In the case of traditional methods of education, students often lose interest because of chaotic classroom situations and inability of teachers to pay attention to each student. Internet-based learning can help educators overcome such situations by allowing them to acquire and use manifold learning styles and media such as chats, video conferencing, emails, and so on. Students can mute their audio to avoid noise and unnecessary comments. There is time allotted for students to ask questions, unlike the face-to-face learning where students can raise their hands while the tutor is saying something very vital.
In conclusion, online classes and traditional learning both have their pros and cons. That said, most students prefer the former to the latter.
