This classroom is primarily used by students in the Broadcast Media Studies Program at Mount Royal University. It was one of the classrooms that went unused when learning moved online in 2020. (Clayton Yates, CMRU.ca)
Face-to-face learning is superior to online learning. It is hard to take online schooling seriously. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people got to see a new alternative to the usual ways of being in a classroom. Face-to-face interaction is stripped away when school is done virtually. Learning from home makes it harder to meet new people. The distractions at home are worse than those in a classroom.
It is Hard to Take School Seriously When it is Online
When schools shut down in 2020 and went online, it was hard to understand the material that was being taught. I found it hard to take school seriously when it was online. An example was when I would sleep through online classes that were early in the morning. I would not have done this if classes were in person as the teacher/professor would have been mad and would have found it disrespectful.
Students Need the In-Person Interaction
The interaction that someone gets from being in a classroom is taken away when classes are online. Face-to-face communication between friends in class is taken away. The interaction amongst people in a classroom can be important for someone if they are having a bad day. I felt that when university was done remotely, it was tough for me to take my mind off of something that I was struggling with in school. When we are in person, I can talk to a friend about a problem with some of the material in class and they can possibly help me figure out what the solution is.
It is Tougher to Get to Know Other Students When School is Online
I found that the classroom allowed for us to meet new people. It was tough meeting new people at my first year at university when classes were online. During my second year, I remember walking into a lecture and not knowing who half of the people were, but I recognized their names from the Google Meets.
Distractions are Not Limited by School Being Virtual
A counterpoint that someone might have to my argument is that learning online eliminates distractions in a classroom. Someone might be talking to their friends instead of listening. I found that the distractions at home are worse than those in the classroom and make it harder to learn. I could have turned on my tv if I wanted to. My XBOX was sitting right by my laptop, which made it tough to listen to what the professor was saying. Professors would not know if we were not listening because most of them did not require us to turn on our cameras or microphones.
Final Thoughts on Face-to-face vs. Online Schooling
School in-person is better than taking classes remotely. There is face-to-face interaction with others in a classroom. It helps students meet new people. The distractions when learning from home are worse than in a classroom. Learning online is inferior to face-to-face learning.
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