Traditional Education Vs. eLearning: Does The Latter Prevail?

Traditional Education Vs. eLearning: Does The Latter Prevail?
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Summary: Maybe, this will be the undoing of the traditional learning system; or do you think otherwise? You know how everyone is engrossed in the big argument; traditional education vs. eLearning.

Discussing Traditional Education Vs. eLearning: And The Winner Is...

Are you too of the opinion that one day, eLearning will overrun the traditional methods of imbibing education? In the present scenario, the eLearning software development industry has become huge but what seems to be the driving factor behind it?

The primary factor is the key differences between traditional and online learning modules.

When you compare online and traditional classroom teaching methodologies, the first thing that strikes you is the presence of a computer or a smartphone with the students and a lack of a classroom or a teacher. If you are a tech-savvy person, this should not really come as a surprise to you. You might be comfortable using a lot of software and related online collaboration tools to help you imbibe knowledge but what about the students who are new to it? What about those who are set in their ways and don’t understand the modern day approach to education? This difference is what is causing a major shift in our thinking, and how we perceive education. We are willing to learn these new ways of educating ourselves, and we are discovering the several advantages it has for us.

Traditional Classroom Vs. Virtual Classroom

You know how traditional learning works. It focuses primarily on classroom education which is very much restricted to a predetermined time limit and a specific location where the students are needed to be present and attend the lecture. They are required to join in on the group discussions and give their input and also participate in all the group activities. It makes them more social and proactive and also when everything is supervised by a teacher, the whole learning process is in a controlled environment.

With custom eLearning solutions this is not the case. The student will not have to go through any of this. It is much more flexible, and the students get to choose any time of the day for learning according to their convenience. This makes eLearning more user-friendly and with all the latest and most advanced courses, one can ensure that they are up to date with the latest in the respective subjects.

Everyone can benefit from these custom learning solutions and software because they are designed to help aspirants and enable them to use different tools that make learning more effective and less time-consuming. The primary difference is the extensive use of technology and as we are opening our eyes, arms, and homes to it. We are welcoming this change, and that is the driving force behind this trend.

We just spoke of its advantages, didn’t we?

We Can’t Deny That It Brings In More Flexibility

Online learning or distance education via computers and virtual classes is inherently flexible. This is extremely ideal for working professionals, and people who have to take care of their family, and also moms who are trying their hand in the corporate world again and need to brush up their skills and enhance their educational qualification. This is where eLearning offers them a way to study on their own pace of learning. When we compare this with the traditional learning system, on the other hand, we find it quite rigid because eLearning platforms can easily be accessed from absolutely anywhere, and on any device.

And Of Course, eLearning Is All About Your Speed Of Grasping Things

This means that you are learning at your own pace, and there is nobody pushing you to hurry up or just run through the course just so that everyone else in the class doesn’t have to wait for you. The modern eLearning software development techniques have resulted in such platforms that have advanced our learning capacity by leaps and bounds. You can obviously study at your own pace, but you will find that you don’t need to take long hours to absorb course material anymore. The courses and the curriculum have been simplified and streamlined to make learning easier on you.

Learning Management Systems Are Advanced And Are Designed To Save Your Time And Progress

A big advantage of eLearning is that every time you take a break from your course and go back to doing your daily chores or hop at the café down the street where you work part-time, you can easily pick up where you left. You don’t get distracted, and you don’t stay behind. All your progress is automatically saved by the online Learning Management System of the module you are using. When you are in the middle of a traditional classroom, learning can get tricky because you just can’t take a breather from it. There is no way to save the session for later and then return to it once you’ve attended to an emergency or a quick call from your husband. You will miss out on certain important things with the traditional classroom but eLearning allows you to save your session and get back to it whenever it is convenient for you.

Final Thoughts

Can we blend traditional learning with eLearning/custom eLearning solutions?

Yes, this can be done too. We can actually combine eLearning with classroom training. There are several instances when practical lessons taught in a typical classroom environment need to be a part of the student’s training course. A perfect example of such a classroom setup is found in the manufacturing sector. Here, learners are expected to study theoretical subjects and then apply all of that knowledge in a practical scenario; and that requires them to learn how to use machinery too.

This is where we can actually talk about and use and benefit from blended learning. This necessitates the trainers to create learning programs that can easily combine eLearning with traditional learning. So, would this be it? Can this be it? Will our classrooms be more interactive now, allowing both internet-based applications and traditional classroom material to reference from? Will we have both textbooks and laptops in our hands in the coming time? Only time will tell.

Originally published on January 23, 2019