Comparison Between Distance and Presential Education

Talking about presential classes can be easily related to traditional education, and therefore we might think of it as the better option related to education. However, lately the term distance education has cough people’s attention, mainly because of its accessibility. But, are we really aware of what this two terms really are? To understand this, it is important to compare them both. Here, we have that both terms have certain similarities: time and place, strategies and procedures, and learning.  

  First of all, distance and presential education  resemble the similarity of time and place. With both modalities one spends time, the difference is that in the traditional way one gathers in a classroom at the same time and place, while in distance classes one may have the option to work in each and every task they are ask to accomplish in a different time. They also have in common a geographical space, but again, it can be totally different geographical space. While traditional education occurs in a classroom, distance education can be made not only online, but trough the mail, book, audiobooks, etc. No matter where the student is located, as long as they want to study. Here is important to mention the accessibility, while presential education may limit their accessibility to a certain number of students, distance education has the option to provide more accessibility when talking bout space, time and place. 

  Second of all, among other similarities, distance and presential classes have similar strategies and procedures, but they both are very different. Distance classes should be carefully designed and developed before instructions begin, focusing and encouraging the student’s autonomy keeping in mind the students capabilities. Presential classes are meant to have a guide to lead the classroom and help the students to achieve the goal in an effective way. In other words, both modalities require the willingness to get things done; the difference is the procedure in which students get to reach the goal. While in the presential class the teacher might guide their students to the desired goal, in the distance class the student will have to take the lead in whatever he wants to achieve. 

 Finally,  distance and presential education have a related learning process. However, it is achieved differently. While presential education may offer the advantages of having a guide, distance education will offer the chance to share feedback and learn from each other in a healthy way in which students may enrich their knowledge and contribute to each other learning. It is important to mention that even though it sounds easy to take a distance class, not all students are meant to be distance students. Specially if do not have the skills, independency and willingness to built their own knowledge, share and give feedback.

Teaching and Learning  at a distance

Foundations of distance education 

Fourth Edition

Michale Simonson

Sharon Smaldino

Michael Albright

Susan Svacek