The debate between online education and face-to-face education is like a never-ending battle. It is no secret that online education is becoming more and more popular. With the ease of access to information and courses and the flexibility of learning from home, it is no wonder why people are turning to online education in droves. In fact, many people also debate which is the best online course platform: udemy vs coursera. However, face-to-face learning has many benefits that cannot be found online. This blog post will outline the non-negotiable pros of face-to-face learning.

Better Critical Thinking Skills

In a face-to-face learning environment, you constantly interact with your peers and instructors. This allows for better critical thinking skills as you can have discussions and bounce ideas off each other. In an online learning environment, you may not get this same interaction, leading to poorer critical thinking skills. In fact, a study by the Community College Research Center found that students in online courses were more likely to fail or withdraw than in face-to-face classes. One of the reasons for this is that online learning can be quite isolating.

Stronger Social Skills and Emotion Development

Aside from that, a study from the University of Arizona found that face-to-face learning also helps with the development of social skills and emotional intelligence. This is because when you are in a face-to-face setting, you can read people’s body language and cues which helps you understand them better. You are also able to build relationships more quickly as compared to online learning. It is easy to feel isolated and lonely in an online setting as you are not physically around people. This can lead to poorer social skills and emotional intelligence.

Superior Collaborative Learning

As students will have to work together in a face-to-face learning environment, how they interact to solve problems results in better collaborative learning. In an online setting, it is easy to feel like you are working alone, leading to poorer collaborative skills. However, in a face-to-face environment, you can build relationships and trust with your peers, making it easier to work together. This is because you can communicate more efficiently and get immediate feedback. A study by the University of Pennsylvania found that students in face-to-face courses had better collaborative skills than students in online courses.

Well-Developed Accountability and Responsibility

Lastly, face-to-face learning also helps to develop a sense of accountability and responsibility. When you are in an online setting, it is easy to feel like you can get away with not doing the work or not participating. However, in a face-to-face environment, your instructors and peers are right there with you, and they will be able to see if you are not participating. This will help develop a sense of responsibility and accountability as you will know that you have to do the work if you want to succeed.

All in all, there are many benefits to face-to-face learning that cannot be found in an online setting. If you have the opportunity to take a face-to-face course, we would highly recommend it. Not only will you develop better critical thinking skills, but you will also have stronger social skills and emotional intelligence. You will also be a better collaborator and have a stronger sense of accountability and responsibility.