‘‘Choosing between online courses and offline mode of education is like picking the best fruit between apple and pomegranate.’’
Ever since formal education has been introduced, there have been several changes in the education system. With each changing pattern, there has been the need of improved mode of education.
With the changing pattern of education, there have been several modifications in the education system. Each of these modifications has made education more difficult with each passing day. Being a student myself, I can understand that students face confusion while deciding about their career options.
Are you a high school student thinking of colleges where you can get into? Well, it’s true that choosing the right college is never an easy task. But before you decide about the right institution, it is important that you decide whether you will be attending a college made of stone and bricks, or an online course with few clicks of your fingertips.
With the technological innovations taking the world by storm, students now have the option of whether they want to attend an educational institution physically or through the online mode. Both the online mode and the traditional mode of education have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Thus, one needs to have a detailed understanding of both these options.
Let’s have the basic concepts of these options cleared at first:
Offline mode of education
Also known as the traditional mode of education, the offline mode of education is one where students need to attend their classes physically. Students, who feel that education can be attained only through the physical interaction of students with teachers, need to join such colleges.
Students who need to have real experience of college days should consider joining such a campus. Other than having the real college experience, the students can avail various other opportunities like joining the college library, gyms, associations, etc. Other than this, the best part about joining a college which offers traditional education is the fact that you can have assistance from your professors in times of doubt. There are students who love interacting with their teachers in person to build a better professional relationship. This relationship proves to be helpful when you go through personal problems like- trouble deciding about the apt career option, confusion regarding sources to refer for additional references, etc.
There are few subjects which require hands-on training which can be successful only through the traditional mode of education. Some of these subjects are-
- Engineering courses like civil, computer science, mechanical, etc.
- Nursing and medicine
- Automobile mechanic and technician
- Heating, Air Conditioning, ventilation technician, etc.
Online mode of education
Online courses are the process where a student acquires a degree through classes via the internet. Such mode of education has been on the rise due to the flexibility and convenience it provides. Students can easily pursue the degree of their choice from the comforts of home. However, the best part of this education is that you are free to submit your work as per your convenience maintaining the deadline!
It is due to online courses that you can pursue a course of a university of United States while residing in the UK. This makes education cost effective. You are free from daily commuting and the cost of living at a place in another city. Thus, you are free from abiding by the geographical location of a country.
However, there are students who consider taking up online courses in addition to the traditional mode of education. This enhances their traditional education. These students even stand better chances of various job placements as they are extra-qualified than others.
Factors determining the differences between online and offline mode of education
- Interaction
There lies a common misconception that only students pursuing courses through traditional mode of education have the opportunity to interact. Well, the reality is that interaction between students and teachers exists both in theonline mode of education as well as traditional education.
Students who have social interaction skills can easily bridge the communication barrier prevalent in online education. For such people, communication is not limited to the four walls of a classroom. You can interact with each other through social networking sites, instant messaging options, email, etc. You can even get study materials from your teachers through email just like in case of traditional education.
However, the difference lies in interaction for assistance. It is true that you can have a better assistance from your professors through traditional education. Your doubts can be cleared through direct face to face communication. In case of online education, you need to make use of sites providing video chats.
- Scheduling
Scheduling an online class is of much convenience in case of online courses. There are students who want to work in addition to their regular education. Online courses become easy for them as they have the convenience of scheduling their classes as per their work schedule.
Attending a campus made of bricks mean that you need to abide by the specified college hours. However, in case of online courses, a person can work virtual classes into their schedule as per their preferred timings.
- Resources
In case of an online mode of education, the availability of resources differs than that of the resources in case of traditional mode. Resource availability is better in traditional mode of education as these are expensive as compared to the online sources. You get to avail resources like library, gyms, practical labs, etc.
However, the same is not in case of all online resources. Students who are pursuing online courses from mortal colleges have the provision of using the resources enjoyed by other regular students.
Both online education as well as offline education offer courses which provide you the education necessary towards leading a successful career ahead. No matter what the differences are between these two modes, it depends on the individual about how he wants to make use of his degree as a student.
Choose the program that suits your lifestyle and need! Schedule and try to make the best out of your education!