EFFECTIVENESS OF TRADITIONAL LEARNING

(Position paper on the effectiveness of online learning vs. traditional learning by Seth
Harvey Gamboa of General Santos Doctors’ Medical School Foundation Inc.)

When it comes to education, every student has a choice for how they learn and excel.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many students had to decide whether or not to
continue their education online. While virtual learning has its advantages, face-to-face
learning provides a more favourable setting and is the superior option. In face to face
learning, It is a situation in which the teacher and the student meet in a certain location
at a specific time for one-on-one learning or, more typically, group class sessions similar
to what we found in school.

One of the most fundamental contrasts between face-to-face and online learning is
Face-to-face learning is synchronous, or done at the same time,. In face-to-face
learning, all teachers and students/classmates are present. However, with online
learning, this is no longer essential. Delivering knowledge In face-to-face classes,
teachers normally only provide information and then test students' comprehension at a
later time. In contrast, in online learning, teachers are viewed as facilitators of learning,
assisting students in understanding the content through the use of online tools.
The breakout of COVID-19 has compelled innovation across many industries, including
education. Schools have started live/virtual classrooms to break down classroom
barriers; as in most situations, students and parents have had varied reactions to this.
Many people are debating how teaching techniques will improve and change for the
better in the future. Some people believe that online live teaching is superior to
traditional classroom instruction, while others believe the opposite. With the abrupt shift
from classroom to online learning, some are wondering if the acceptance of online
learning will continue post-pandemic.

What makes traditional learning or offline learning so important and why it

cannot be completely eliminated?

Traditional learning provides qualitative advantages over online learning, and this
advantage is especially important for pre-primary and primary pupils with short attention
spans who will be spending hours in a virtual classroom setting.

Benefits
One-on-one or in-person teaching is effective and demonstrates increased levels of
student engagement with teachers; the traditional classroom teaching environment
increases interaction among students and provides a conducive environment to learn
from fellow students; it also encourages a higher level of competitiveness among
students; the social environment at a traditional school is ideal for developing a child's
character and personality
Why traditional classroom is more important than online learning post-pandemic?
The online environment has placed a strong emphasis on digital content, but it has
neglected to emphasize the value of learning, whereas the conventional environment
has placed a strong emphasis on content and imparting knowledge in real time. For
most students, online learning is tedious because they procrastinate due to a lack of
self-discipline, and teachers face the challenge of engaging students. Students and
teachers have a closer relationship in a traditional classroom. The shared learning
experience among students will be one of the primary factors that will boost
conventional classroom learning. This is an aspect that no online teaching method can
replace; students learn better in an environment where they can socialize and learn
from their peers.

How is the education sector responding to COVID-19?

Many online learning platforms, notably BYJU'S, a Bangalore-based educational
technology and online tutoring corporation started in 2011, are now the world's most
highly valued edtech company, are giving free access to their services in response to
overwhelming demand. According to Mrinal Mohit, the company's Chief Operating
Officer, since introducing free live lessons on its Think and Learn app, BYJU has
witnessed a 200 % increase in the number of new students using the program. Other
companies are expanding their capacities in order to create a one-stop shop for
instructors and students. For example, Lark, a Singapore-based collaboration suite that
began as an internal tool for ByteDance to meet its own exponential growth, began
offering teachers and students unlimited video conferencing time, auto-translation
capabilities, real-time co-editing of project work, and smart calendar scheduling, among
other features. Lark increased its worldwide server infrastructure and technical skills to
assure dependable connection in a hurry and during a catastrophe.

In conclusion, conventional education is more valuable than online education,

particularly when considering the equivalence hypothesis. Its great value is due to the
face-to-face component, which helps learners develop their abilities. The traditional
classroom setting and method of learning is not keeping students motivated to learn.
Districts must think outside the box and incorporate models and curriculums that will
motivate student learning, as well as increase attendance and graduation rates. This is
an aspects that students learn better in a setting where they can mingle and learn from
their peers, which no online education technique can substitute.
 Reference

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education-global-covid19-online-
digital-learning/
https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/featurephilia/story/traditional-learning-will-
always-have-a-place-in-our-classrooms-1675692-2020-05-08
https://headspace.org.au/explore-topics/for-young-people/face-to-face-vs-online-
learning/
https://thesoutheastern.com/9070/opinion/classroom-learning-vs-online-learning/
https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/online-learning-good-as-face-to-face-learning/
#:~:text=Higher%20Retention%20Rates,when%20physical%20limitations%20are
%20removed.