Description: With every passing day new technology advanvces replace the old, but what about when it comes to education? Is the traditional classroom a thing of the pasted compared to the cyber classroom? This is a basic compare and contrast essay about traditional learning versus cyber learning, which was done as a final exam for English 102.

What makes a traditional classroom so ideal for learning? Learning online can prove to be just as interactive as learning in a classroom. For some people is can actually prove to be a better experience. However, there are people who need to be in a classroom instead of behind a computer. Teaching online and teaching in a classroom can prove to be a challenge for professors. Besides the challenge of getting the information across, the professor has no idea what their students look like

Online teaching may seem to be easier in a lot of people’s eyes but it is actually not. It is not something that can be put together in an blink of an eye. The professor of an online course needs to make the work as clear as possible. As Peggy Minnis noted, “Each lecture required about eight hours of typing and illustrating to make it clear for online students” (Minnis). Basically when dealing with an online course the professor has to think of an “easy” way to get the information across. All the material covered in an online session needs to be thought up off before the lecture. The professor of an online course needs to available for the students at all times. For example online students may ask questions day or night and the professor has to be there to answer them.

In a classroom the professor may dress up, act differently, and do all sorts of physical things to get the information across. Some professors may actually put up a lesson plan five minutes before the class is about to begin. In a traditional classroom setting the professor can sometimes come up with new material “out the blue”. The students can easily go along with the subject change as opposed if it were to happen in an online classroom. When learning in a classroom if the student has a question then it is answered then and there. The professor is only available for the student during the classroom time.

When taking an online course the professor has no idea what the students look like. This can actually be a relatively good thing. The students in an online class can only be judged by their work as it always should be. The professor will have an ideal perspective of the student based on “…their punctuality, their eagerness for the subject, their test scores and their interactions with other students” (Minnis).

From the moment a student walks into the classroom the professor has an opinion about them. It tends to be very difficult to shake the first impression off and it can sometimes affect the entire course. The professor of a classroom usually judges their students on appearances unlike in an online class. A student can feel and work much better if they know their not being judged every second.

Learning in a classroom and learning online can have both advantages and disadvantages. The fact is that “online courses provide too much flexibility for some” (Minnis). Teaching a “faceless” class can be better just for the fact that physical appearances won’t interfere with the work. Traditional classroom learning can be spontaneous and perhaps more exciting. However learning online can mean the availability of the professor at the student’s disposal.

Work Citied

• Minnis, Peggy. “Teacher’s Journal; Teaching in Your Pajamas: Lessons of Online Classes.” (2003). <http://ethemes.pearsoncmg.com>.