Lesson 1.3:
Online vs In-Person Learning

1. Overview

A student who is curious, proactive, and self-disciplined will do well in both face-to-face and online learning. Here are some basic facts of how online learning differs from the real-life classroom experience:

Face-to-face learning

1. The location of your course will be on campus in a traditional classroom. When registering for the course, you’ll often see a campus building and a room number listed.

2. Your first class will occur on a specific day and time on campus. 

3. Peers will be learning alongside you in the class each week. Need a pen? Ask a friend. 

4. Have a question? You can ask a peer before class or your professor at the end of class.

5. How you submit assignments will depend on your professor—they may ask you to print assignments out and submit them in class. About 80% of the time, your professor will have you upload your assignments into your learning management system (LMS).

6. Exams will occur exclusively on your computer. Sometimes, you may have an exam that you will take at the same time as the rest of your classmates, or if you’re learning asynchronously, you may have to complete an exam before a certain deadline. Some courses may require you to go to a testing center in person to take exams, so check course syllabi or ask the instructor, preferably before enrolling.   

Online learning

1. The location of your course can be any quiet space with a reliable and strong internet connection that you choose. When registering for the course, you often see “Online” or “World Wide Web” listed. 

2. Your first class will occur online on a specific day and time, or if you’re taking an asynchronous class, you’ll need to log on to your LMS by a certain time period following the start of the semester.

3. You may see your peers pop up when you’re having your weekly class on Zoom, but if you’re taking an asynchronous class, you’re likely to “meet” them when responding to a post they’ve made on a discussion board. 

4. Have a question? Writing in the chat box during a weekly class would work, or you could drop into the professor’s virtual office hours. You can also always email your professor a brief, clear email outlining your question. 

5. You will submit assignments exclusively through your LMS. 

6. Exams will occur exclusively on your computer. Sometimes, you may have an exam that you will take at the same time as the rest of your classmates, or if you’re learning asynchronously, you may have to complete an exam before a certain deadline. Some courses may require you to go to a testing center in person to take exams, so check course syllabi or ask the instructor, preferably before enrolling.   

2. Online learning environment

Another difference between online and in-person classes is your learning environment. If you’re used to only learning in a classroom with your teacher presenting at the front of the class, the online learning environment can take some getting used to. Look at the pictures below to see an example of a productive online learning environment:

3. Pros and cons of online learning

Whether this is your first time taking a college class after graduating high school, or your first time back in school after a long break, don’t forget that studying at a university or college is first and foremost a process of self-development and self-awareness. Part of this process is discovering how you learn the best, developing your identity as a student and as an emerging professional. With this in mind, you can start to consider the pros and cons of online classes and how they fit your specific style of learning — the ways that are best for YOU to engage, learn, interact with peers, and produce work that shows your mastery of the subject.

Below, you can find some common pros that are associated with different types of online classes. Select the correct type of class for each pro. Then consider — for the way that I learn material the best, what online class would best fit me?