By Kaliyah Green
Online classes have taken over college campuses in recent years, offering convenience at the click of a button.
However, many students — including myself — find that in-person classes provide a stronger learning experience, better structure and more opportunities to stay focused and connected.
Online classes have become an increasingly popular method of education, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic pushed many institutions to prioritize remote learning. While convenient and more flexible, the question remains: are they effective and are they worth paying for?
Online education makes learning more accessible to people who may live far from a campus or face transportation issues. For some people, this flexibility can be life-changing.
Despite the convenience, online courses aren’t always the greatest choice, particularly when it comes to comprehending the subject matter completely. Being in a classroom with other students and an experienced professor somehow makes the experience more memorable.
Students also concentrate better in face-to-face settings. When taking an online class while learning from your bed or kitchen table, it’s much too easy to become distracted and frequently under surveillance.
Another downside is the lack of human interaction. College is not just lectures and exams, it’s also friendships, learning communication skills and networking. These are much harder to find in an online setting. Online forums just don’t have the same value as in class debates or group projects. For most students, face-to-face contact with professors and students plays a major role in their academic and personal development.
According to a 2021 “Inside Higher Ed” and “College Pulse” survey, only 27% of students felt they were learning as much in online classes as in person, with many saying that lack of in-person connection made it harder to stay engaged and absorb information.
Cost-wise, the value of online courses is also questionable. In most cases, students are paying the same amount of money for online courses than they would for classroom learning. But they miss out on the utilization of facilities like labs, libraries and student services.
If a student is paying full tuition, they should receive the full package of education. It makes sense to pay less for an online course, but if the cost is the same, the quality must be the same as the in-person experience and usually it isn’t.
This is infuriating for students who struggle with online classes. Subjects that benefit from hands-on activity, labs or direct supervision, such as science, engineering and even writing, are highly improved by in-person education. Replacing these with online-only classes may be convenient for the school, but it’s not ideal for the students.
In short, while online classes do have their place and benefit certain students, I believe that classroom learning is a richer and more effective educational experience. That one is able to immediately ask questions, engage with other students and remain engaged in a typical classroom setting cannot be beat.
The benefits of classroom learning far outweigh the convenience of online classes for most students, including myself. It’s okay that some classes exist online as a choice, but it’s not fair when they’re the sole choice, particularly not when students are paying this much for education.
Education isn’t just about passing tests; it’s about human connection, growth and the kind of learning that sticks. For most of us, that still happens best face-to-face.
