Individual essay do phuong hien AEn T321WSB 7 21001444

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Compare and Contrast the Advantages of Online and Offline Classes on College Students

Do Phuong Hien
Western Sydney University Vietnam
AEn-T321WSB-7
Gabriel Ryan
January 2, 2022

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Introduction
In recent decades, along with technology development, several utilities have been created to improve the
life quality of humanity. Moreover, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, numerous sectors have
been affected, especially the education sector. Schools, universities, and institutions have to adopt
distance learning techniques, which are gradually substituting traditional teaching and learning. However,
the question of what are the benefits of each instructional method and whether there are any similarities
and differences between the two ways of learning have received great public attention. Therefore, the
purpose of this paper is to illustrate the advantages of online and offline classes for college students only
since the disadvantage of one method of study is the advantage of the other, the similarities and the
differences between these two study methods.

Advantages of online class
On the one hand, though there are several advantages of participating in an online course, this research
paper will only focus on the three most apparent benefits that studying online can bring us. The first
advantage of taking online courses is that it allows the students to make their schedule and decide to study

whenever is appropriate for them. In their research paper, Perrin et al. (2015) state that online classes can
reduce the issue of time for students, in which they can be active in arranging the schedule that is suitable
for each individual. For example, several university students are already workers and are studying for a
higher degree. Hence, learners can study when it is best to fit their schedule when studying online.
The second benefit of online classes is that they allow students to have the easiest and fastest access to
education regardless of their place. In their article, Bartley and Golek (2004) argue that the potential
opportunities offered by online studies are that the students can attend the classes regardless of their
geographical location. For instance, students who live in mountainous areas of Vietnam would have to
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wake up early in the morning and spend a great amount of time each day to go to school on time and
occasionally without help from any means of transportation. Therefore, studying online has offered them
an opportunity to pursue their knowledge without much difficulty.
The third advantage of online classes is that it helps students develop their technological skills. Before
the COVID-19 pandemic, most schools did not have to use technology in teaching and learning. However,
as the appearance of the coronavirus makes countries apply social distancing for a long time, teachers
and students are required to use these technological devices to operate an online classroom productively.
In the research paper by Parkes, Reading, and Stein in 2015, they state that the students who participate
in online classes will be more well-prepared to deal with the technology employed in the future. Another
paper done by Dias and Victor (2017) found that students are highly involved in their class activities and
can demonstrate ways to deal with technology uniquely and creatively. Thus, participating in online
courses will help increase the students' digital literacy.

Advantages of offline class
On the other hand, the first benefit students can obtain while studying offline is the direct interaction with
their teachers. The students will be able to receive instruction from their teachers, which would
dramatically increase the engagement level of the students. In the research paper of Shu and Gu (2018),
they stated that the interaction between the lecturers and students in the classroom was more in-depth

than that in the online learning mode. Another study conducted by Rachmah (2020) states that more
students prefer offline learning to online learning because the students are more involved in the lesson
making them understand the topics better in the classrooms. Hence, receiving direct guidance from the
teachers in offline classes has increased the engagement of the students in their studies.

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The second advantage of taking offline classes is increasing the teamwork skills of the students. The
learners highly prefer the traditional learning method as it allows them to exchange and discuss their ideas
together. This is mentioned in the research of Dumford and Miller (2018), as students who undertake
offline classes are more likely to engage in teamwork activity compared to those who take online courses.
Students find offline class activities to be more attractive because they do not have to experience any
internet connection delay and can communicate with their friends face-to-face. Therefore, activities in
offline classes are more attractive and engaging to students than the online one.
The third benefit that offline courses can bring the students is to raise their motivation. According to the
study by Pei and Wu in 2019, they concluded that student motivation is one of the main contributors that
make offline courses still the most popular mode of instruction. In addition, in his research report in 2017,
Wright states that most students felt more motivated when using the offline system than the online system,
and a total of 64.3% of the students felt more motivated in offline classes. This result can be explained as
when participating in offline courses, and the students will be inspired while seeing their friends working
and studying and will be less likely to be distracted by their phones and other social media. Thus, studying
on campus has effectively increased students' learning motivation.

Similarities between online and offline classes
The first common thing between online and offline classes is that the students are still required to work
on their teamwork skills. Nevertheless, there is still a minor difference in which studying on campus
allows the students to hang out with their friends at the coffee shop or they can choose to go to one of the
group member's house and study there while studying online offers them to meet their friends via online

meeting rooms such as zoom or google meet. Hence, regardless of the students' choice, they still have to
practice and develop their teamwork skills.

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The second thing that online and offline courses are alike is that the students still have to learn how to
effectively use their time and adapt to sudden changes in the school schedule. Even though students
studying online do not have to spend their time traveling like their offline counterparts, they still have
their schedules and make the most use of those free time. Moreover, in both ways of learning, students
must check their emails regularly to be informed timely about any class cancellation and make-up class.
Therefore, students still have to keep updated with the school's announcements and manage their time
productively in online or offline classes.
The third similarity between online and offline classes is the number of assignments and tests. Students
will have to work on the same homework exams for both educational methods. In addition, there is no
difference in the way the teachers give the students guide to do those assignments, and if the students
have any questions regarding the instructions given by their teachers, they will have to contact them via
email for clarification. Thus, the students still have to work on the same amount of homework and go
through the same emailing process for online and offline courses.

Differences between online and offline classes
Although online and offline classes have shared several things in common, certain differences still exist.
The first issue is the difference in the test instruction. On the one hand, if students are taking tests offline,
they are only required to bring their student ID and a pen or pencil, depending on the exam regulation.
However, things are much more complicated than that when taking tests online. Students will be required
to set up their camera angle, tables, and internet connection. They will have to guarantee that the wifi
connection is stable and that the camera can cover up the entire working space. In addition, the students
might be asked several times to move the camera until they find the correct spot. Hence, different
educational methods will require the students with different test-taking instructions.

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The second difference results in the grades and scores of the students. According to the research done by
Dutton et al. (2002), they confirm that online students achieve significantly higher exam grades than
lecture students. One reason to explain this problem is that different students will fit with different
learning methods and take tests. Making a student who prefers to study offline take tests online would
prevent the student from reaching his or her full potential. Therefore, the educational teaching and
learning method considerably affects the final result outcomes of the students.
The last difference is regarding the interaction between the teachers and students. During offline classes,
the students will have a chance to receive direct instructions and guidance from the teachers. This is
extremely helpful for students, especially those in primary schools. Their teachers will guide them to help
them write letters and solve basic math problems. On the contrary, online courses offer students to meet
their teachers through online platforms, which is extremely convenient for students who live far away
from their schools. Thus, changing the learning method will also greatly change how the students interact
with their teachers.

Conclusion
In conclusion, this research has described the advantages the online classes, which are time and workplace
flexibility, and the development in technological skills and the advantages of offline classes are direct
instructions with the teachers, improvement in teamwork skills, and motivation increment. Moreover,
this paper also covered the similarities between online and offline classes, which are the number of
assignments and tests, the students can still develop their teamwork skills and are required to manage
their time effectively and be flexible with the schedule. The differences can be named regarding test
instructions, the scores and grades, and the interaction method between teachers and students.

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References
Bartley, S. J., & Golek, J. H. (2004). Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of online and face-to-face
instruction. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 7(4), 167-175.
Dias, L., & Victor, A. (2017). Teaching and learning with mobile devices in the 21st-century digital world:
Benefits and challenges. European Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 2(5), 339-344.
Dumford, A. D., & Miller, A. L. (2018). Online learning in higher education: exploring advantages and
disadvantages for engagement. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 30(3), 452-465.
Dutton, J., Dutton, M., & Perry, J. (2002). How do online students differ from lecture students. Journal
of asynchronous learning networks, 6(1), 1-20.
Parkes, M., Reading, C., & Stein, S. (2013). The competencies required for effective performance in a
university e-learning environment. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 29(6).
Pei, L., & Wu, H. (2019). Does online learning work better than offline learning in undergraduate medical
education? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medical education online, 24(1), 1666538.
Perrin, D. G., Perrin, E., Muirhead, B., & Betz, M. (2015). Instructional Technology and Distance
Learning. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 12(1), 1-78.
Rachmah, N. (2020). Effectiveness of Online vs Offline classes for EFL Classroom: a study case in a
higher education. Journal of English Teaching, Applied Linguistics, and Literatures (JETALL), 3(1),
19-26.
Shu, H., & Gu, X. (2018). Determining the differences between online and face-to-face student–group
interactions in a blended learning course. The Internet and Higher Education, 39, 13-21.
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Wright, B. M. (2017). Blended learning: Student perception of face-to-face and online EFL lessons.
Indonesian journal of applied linguistics, 7(1), 64-71.

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