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There has been a growing debate over the past decade as to the merits of traditional face-to-face teaching methods compared to the benefits of online learning. Those in favour of the traditional classroom environment with a live teacher presence will usually highlight the importance of real interaction, student collaboration, immediate feedback, and an overall ability to respond directly to student problems or areas of weakness. This is without mentioning of course the welcome absence of technical glitches that are part and parcel of any e-learning experience, no matter how advanced the technology.
On the other side of the coin, those technophiles who laud the far-reaching capabilities of the virtual classroom will champion its cost-effectiveness, its flexibility and convenience and its natural appeal to an increasingly techno-savvy student market.
But in the world of EFL, can language teachers really deliver a high standard of instruction without face-to-face contact? Engaging willing, enthusiastic students in collaborative language tasks doesn’t present a huge challenge, but encouraging weaker students, who naturally play a more passive role in the classroom, to participate in communicative activities is surely much harder without the aid of facial expressions, eye-contact and other forms of body language.
A lot also depends on individual learning styles. While independent learners who respond well to visual stimulus and have good IT skills may well benefit from an online course, someone who needs a more disciplined approach and responds better to kinaesthetic methods is more likely to achieve better results from physically attending a F2F course.
However, with the advanced capabilities of Web 2.0, the online courses available today are much more equipped to encompass a wide range of learning styles. With virtual classrooms now commonly using internet and webcam facilities for live video chats and interactive whiteboards to aid delivery of content, the role of the online tutor is becoming much more far-reaching than the traditional language teacher.
Personally, I believe that it all depends on the nature of the course you are studying and the type of learner that you are as to which method is best. The flexibility and convenience of e-learning is a real advantage to many, but it does require a certain degree of self-discipline and the role of the online tutor cannot be underplayed. In my view, a successful online learning experience should mirror the same motivational factors that would be expected in the actual classroom; encouragement, support, guidance, and above all, enjoyment!
Resource: ipassielts.com
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