In today’s society there has been much debate whether online education can be as effective as a traditional classroom education. Contrary to what people may think, both online and traditional learning require a lot of work. They both demand, for instance, considerable planning from the teachers and studying from the students. Furthermore, the student’s participation is equally necessary and effective. Online education has come so far due to the advancements in technology. Students are able to have video conversations with the instructors and even listen to lectures instead of reading the assigned chapters. The type of learning environment for a student solely depends on that person’s schedule and daily life. Although traditional education offers a quality education for students, online classes offer convenience, an engaging online environment and class time flexibility. Online education and traditional education have many similarities and differences because they are both ways to obtain a degree. The level of difficulty in each learning environment varies depending on the class and the instructor. Certain courses will be difficult whether a student can physically listen to the lecture or simply read the course material. In an online classroom setting there is much more material to learn although it does not affect the level of difficulty of the class. Both learning environments test students on the material that should be read throughout the course. Students can take notes when listening to an instructor speak and when reading information from a textbook. Most online and traditional classes will test halfway through the course, such as a midterm and at the end of the course, as well. Currently, the convenience of an online learning environment is what makes it the number choice for students returning to school after a longer period of time. The online classroom can be accessed from any computer as long as it has internet access. Libraries, book stores, and cafes offer free wireless internet or free use of a computer. Vacations and road trips will no longer be an excuse of why a student has not completed any school work. Students have access to course materials, homework, tests, and scores at all times. Another great benefit is that most online schools have a very minimum requirement for the computers operating system. Which means practically any basic computer can be used to complete the course. It is also convenient to be able to work at a pace that best suits an individual’s needs. Whether a student has children or a career to balance while still being enrolled in school; online education allows the choice to work ahead or to stay on pace with the rest of the class. According to the online education database, “Online classes provide the same instruction without the exhaustion, commute, or unnecessary hassle.” In addition, online education has an engaging environment even though the instructor is not standing in front of the classroom lecturing. Once a student has left school, the teacher is usually not available until class the next day. Online instructors are always available through email and will typically respond with the next day. The instructors are willing to help in any way possible because they want to see students succeed and receive a decent grade for the course. Communication is an important key in the online learning environment. The more an instructor knows about a situation then they better assistance that they can be to students. Most online courses require students to make a certain number of posts throughout the week in order to receive participation points. This helps the student engage in conversation with fellow students and opens up the floor for further discussion. The International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning states, “We knew that the success of our online courses would depend on the students being able to have deep, meaningful discussions.” In a traditional classroom, students can sit in the back of the classroom and choose not to participate without affecting their overall grade. Furthermore, the flexible schedule of online education makes the idea of obtaining a degree seems so much easier. The online classroom can be logged into at anytime whether it is before work or after dinner. Working mothers are able to complete courses that are designed to work around a busy schedule. Students are not usually required to log into class everyday therefore, a simple routine of when to log in and do the course work can be made. Each individual has a different lifestyle and situation because many people choose to go back to school for several different reasons. A traditional classroom has a set time and amount of hours that students are required to be in class. Also, if a student were to go on vacation then the schoolwork will have to wait until they return. Online classes allow the students to see what will be due for the entire course before it even begins. Whether home at a computer or away for vacation, an online learning environment offers a schedule that is flexible enough for any student. In conclusion, the choice of education that can be used to complete college courses and earn a degree is really only decided by the individual’s life situations. For most people an online education will offer much more than a traditional education simply because of the level of difficulty, convenience, environment, and flexible schedule. Online education is just as hard as learning in a traditional classroom. Many people need the human interaction between teacher and student in order to succeed in the course. Both types of environments can be considered engaging, although the online environment requires class discussion and participation. Traditional school does not offer any type of flexibility when it comes to attending class. Online classes allow the students to log on and do any homework when it fits right with their schedule.

References Resource 1 Official name of site: Online Education Database Name of Article: 10 Advantages to Taking Online Courses Exact URL: http://oedb.org/library/distance-vs-local/10-advantages-to-taking-online-classes Summary: Online classes have same information but without other things that come with traditional learning. Resource 2
Official name of site: International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Name of Article: Going Fully Online: Reflections on Creating an Engaging Environment for Online Learning

Exact URL: http://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/ijsotl/v3n1/essays_about_sotl/PDFs/Essay_WegmannMcCauley.pdf Summary: The research that was done showed that students enjoyed the discussion between classmates and lead to the success rate of online education.