The method of delivering education outside the confines of a traditional classroom is known as e-learning or electronic learning. It also falls under the umbrella of distance learning or online learning. In the pandemic and post-pandemic period, the concept of e-learning has picked up momentum and has given birth to a number of elearning content development companies in UAE. During the coronavirus phase when no one was permitted to leave their homes, e-learning was convenient as it was considered risky to leave the comfort of one’s own home. There are a number of companies that provide elearning content development in Dubai for students that are interested.
Traditional learning refers to classroom learning that was a norm pre-pandemic. Students who did not attend school or college lost out on their attendance as online learning was not a prominent option then. All the lectures that were conducted were not uploaded on any online source, thus, making it mandatory for students to attend and collect their notes.
Each form of learning is equally important, however both have certain advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages of Elearning Content Development
- Flexibility
Students can pick up an electronic device such as a phone, tablet or laptop and begin to participate in their e-learning class. Flexibility is a significant advantage of online learning as it gives students the freedom to log in and learn at any time that is suitable to them. They don’t have to sit through for many hours at once, they can choose to break up one session into three parts as per their convenience, as long as they complete it.
- Choice of course
No student is forced to sit and understand a subject or topic that does not interest them. In these courses, students can often choose the subjects of their choice or subjects that interest them. Students aiming to head in a particular direction can receive expert tips from subject experts who deliver their class online. Online courses are beneficial in helping you learn technical skills that will help you advance in your career.
- Safe
Another advantage of e-learning or online learning is that it saves you the effort of travelling to your institution and attending lectures. You can learn from anywhere and at any time as per your convenience. During the pandemic times, this advantage was beneficial to a number of people as it avoided the risk of exposure to and from other people. In cases of natural calamities or other situations, learning from the confines of one’s home feels like a suitable option.
Disadvantages of e-learning
- Time Constraint
In e-learning, due to the time constraint that each lecturer or subject professor has, might not be entirely enough to shed sufficient light upon each topic or subject. As these courses are usually pre-recorded, lecturers are provided a timeframe within which they are supposed to present the respective sections of a subject or topic. Due to this being time-bound, they may not get a chance to discuss the subject or topic at their preferred length. At times, this puts a limitation on the subject matter.
- Limited exposure to topics
Due to time constraint, a lecturer may not be able to share enough knowledge with the rest of the students and the subjects may only be discussed at surface level. As online learning restricts interaction, students that have doubts may or may not get the opportunity to discuss them with their professor.
- Less interactivity
During e-learning, students and professors may not be sitting face-to-face and this leads to the lack of social interaction. In some cases, while accessing an electronic device, students might get tempted to check their social media platforms while a class is on. This lack of interactivity then gives rise to distractions and is easy for students to lose focus on the subject at hand.
Advantages of Traditional Learning
- Personal Interaction
While participating in a learning environment, it is necessary for the dais to remain open for students and teachers alike. This encourages the students to speak up and state their doubts, if there are any. It is only then will the teacher’s know to address these doubts. In some cases, the query raised by one student may be a common query for the others in the class too. It is only when students speak and interact with each other, can they discuss their doubts and concerns.
- Network with other students
In a classroom setting, a teacher or professor convenes the class. He or she moderates the disbursement of knowledge and information. This often leads to group discussions among students whether asked or not. Students tend to form their own groups and sometimes discuss the events of the classroom in their peer groups as well. This is called networking, it builds association between students basis the events in their classroom.
- Participate in activities
Apart from attending lectures, being a part of an institution and physically attending it has certain perks. For instance, a lot of students dabble their academics with some extra-curricular activities such as sports, drama, dance, music and other groups. This builds responsibility in students to carry on the role assigned to them in their respective extra-curricular activity groups.
Disadvantages of Traditional Learning
- No Attendance, no notes!
Teachers are known to give out notes during their lectures and so if certain students miss that class or are unable to attend it, they may lose out on those. Often, the notes borrowed from classmates will have a different translation of what the teacher would have spoken as not everyone thinks alike. Even though you might think that you know most of the syllabus, you still have to follow your teacher’s notes.
- Rigid
Classroom learning or traditional learning has certain rules and norms that need to be followed whether it is high school or any other form of education. Students have to follow punctuality and discipline among many other values that the institution lays down for its students. There is no room for flexibility for each student as an institution caters to so many of them and will not be able to keep track of each one’s convenience.
- Learning is not student-focused
In these environments the syllabus and curriculum is created to ensure that certain subjects are covered and that they appear in these tests. It is true that traditional learning focuses more on standards and passing tests as opposed to whether students understand the concepts. In the process of trying to fill these gaps, students memorize more and retain lesser than is necessary.
Even though both modes of education might seem poles apart, they have one common similarity and that is they are both effective. It won’t be fair to say that online e-learning is more effective than classroom learning because the traditional means has been around for so many years now and online learning has helped through the whole pandemic phase. This iterates the fact that online learning is an ideal alternative for classroom training and that itself is enough to prove that students or participants learn enough from both modes.
Overall, the mode of learning depends upon the following:
- What is the budget?
- Whether the topic is theory-based or practical-based?
- Do you wish to improve your skills with this course?
- How much time do you have on your hands to attend the course?
Choosing e-learning or traditional learning should completely be your choice as it should benefit and facilitate your learning journey. But in the current times, most students prefer e-learning over classroom learning due to its convenience and this is the reason for the rise of elearning content development companies in UAE. For assistance in elearning content development in Dubai, companies such as Stylus Solutions Pvt. Ltd. will be a great asset.