The Covid-19 Pandemic has changed our ways of receiving education and teaching it. Most institutions and schools have had to shut down and migrate to online platforms to accommodate for the rules and guidelines such as social distancing. Many parents and students are frustrated with this change for many reasons. The tuition costs remain the same in some institutions for students who are attending class on campus and for students who are at home. It sparked frustration with many parents and students, which led to concerns for other factors like the quality of online education. Communication is also a substantial part of teaching and learning. How dependable can the instructors be for their students? Tiffany Bourelle and Andy Bourelle introduce a bad idea about writing teachers titled, “Face-to-Face Courses are Superior to Online Courses.” They revealed that parents and students do not believe that online classes benefit education, which has become a common misconception (Bourelle and Bourelle, 352). Tiffany Bourelle and Andy Bourelle concluded that online courses could be as successful as face-to-face (f2f) courses and could also have the potential of becoming better. In some aspects, online learning is already better. There are significant elements that online courses must provide for it to be the best quality of education.

The original concept for online classes was to make learning contents convenient and easily accessible for people who are not available to attend the traditional f2f courses (Bourelle and Bourelle, 351). There are conflicts with schedules between work, school, and other commitments that prevent students from acquiring education. Digital platforms have made it easy for students to overcome these obstacles of conflict and move forward with their degree pathways. Anya Kamenetz, the author of “Chasing the Elusive ‘Quality’ of Online Education,” discloses that students perform better with some type of online component. She also discusses how interaction with instructors can enhance the quality of online learning (Kamenetz). When students are taking f2f classes, they’re already using online sites to communicate with their instructors and peers outside of the classroom. Teachers must be responsive to their students when teaching a fully online course. Interactions with classmates are also easier done online.

Students in writing courses write more in online classes than in f2f classes. The Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions (MGHIHP) released an article titled “Benefits and Challenges of Online Instruction.” The authors conveyed that students put in more effort through online classes. Participation levels are higher because online students find more comfort in engaging in discussions than in f2f classes (MGHIHP). Within online writing courses, students don’t only write more but they think more critically too (Bourelle and Bourelle, 354). In any f2f system, students are always quiet throughout the entire class period. You can practically hear the crickets, hence why engagement rates are not high in these traditional style classes.

There are many more reasons why online classes are successful and there are ways to make them better. F2F has defined the quality of education, but we need to “stop comparing online classes with f2f classes,” says the Bourelles. Having a variety of teaching methods helps students identify with their style of learning. Online learning allows students to discover different techniques that work for them. They receive more practice with freewriting, creativity, and processing. Of course, the instructor would need to design the class that could help students perform well academically (Bourelle and Bourelle, 354). The MGHIHP stresses the need for restructuring the online course from the f2f course because of how different the two systems are. The social media platform on the web browser of your laptop looks different in comparison to the app in your mobile phone. They are different types of devices (systems) that require different layouts (course structures) for your enjoyment (education).

Technology is continually changing our daily routines. Online learning platforms are more common now than they have been before. The pandemic has opened eyes to the challenging struggles of online education, but institutions and instructors are working together to change the system regularly to improve their standards. Online education is already better in ways like participation and critical thinking, and it can become elite after upgrading the content delivery and design of the course. This helps students succeed in their writing classes. Digital platforms are booming, and it’s becoming the new way of teaching and grasping knowledge. It’s easy, fast, and efficient. Soon, everyone will have the opportunity to become educated and accomplishing their goals from the comfort of their home.

Citations

Bourelle, Tiffany, and Andy Bourelle. “Face-to-Face Courses Are Superior to Online Courses.” Bad Ideas About Writing, edited by Drew M. Loewe and Cheryl E. Ball, Digital Publishing Institute, 2017, pp. 351–355.

Kamenetz, Anya. NPR, 27 June 2014, www.npr.org/sections/ed/2014/06/27/323329818/chasing-the-elusive-quality-in-online-education. 

“Benefits and Challenges of Online Instruction.” MGH Institute of Health Professions, 28 Feb. 2020, www.mghihp.edu/faculty-staff-faculty-compass-teaching/benefits-and-challenges-online-instruction.