1 Do Phuong Hien_AEn-T321WSB-7 Compare and Contrast the Advantages of Online and Offline Classes on College Students Do Phuong Hien Western Sydney University Vietnam AEn-T321WSB-7 Gabriel Ryan January 2, 2022 Do Phuong Hien_AEn-T321WSB-7 Introduction In recent decades, along with technology development, several utilities have been created to improve the life quality of humanity Moreover, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, numerous sectors have been affected, especially the education sector Schools, universities, and institutions have to adopt distance learning techniques, which are gradually substituting traditional teaching and learning However, the question of what are the benefits of each instructional method and whether there are any similarities and differences between the two ways of learning have received great public attention Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to illustrate the advantages of online and offline classes for college students only since the disadvantage of one method of study is the advantage of the other, the similarities and the differences between these two study methods Advantages of online class On the one hand, though there are several advantages of participating in an online course, this research paper will only focus on the three most apparent benefits that studying online can bring us The first advantage of taking online courses is that it allows the students to make their schedule and decide to study whenever is appropriate for them In their research paper, Perrin et al (2015) state that online classes can reduce the issue of time for students, in which they can be active in arranging the schedule that is suitable for each individual For example, several university students are already workers and are studying for a higher degree Hence, learners can study when it is best to fit their schedule when studying online The second benefit of online classes is that they allow students to have the easiest and fastest access to education regardless of their place In their article, Bartley and Golek (2004) argue that the potential opportunities offered by online studies are that the students can attend the classes regardless of their geographical location For instance, students who live in mountainous areas of Vietnam would have to Do Phuong Hien_AEn-T321WSB-7 wake up early in the morning and spend a great amount of time each day to go to school on time and occasionally without help from any means of transportation Therefore, studying online has offered them an opportunity to pursue their knowledge without much difficulty The third advantage of online classes is that it helps students develop their technological skills Before the COVID-19 pandemic, most schools did not have to use technology in teaching and learning However, as the appearance of the coronavirus makes countries apply social distancing for a long time, teachers and students are required to use these technological devices to operate an online classroom productively In the research paper by Parkes, Reading, and Stein in 2015, they state that the students who participate in online classes will be more well-prepared to deal with the technology employed in the future Another paper done by Dias and Victor (2017) found that students are highly involved in their class activities and can demonstrate ways to deal with technology uniquely and creatively Thus, participating in online courses will help increase the students' digital literacy Advantages of offline class On the other hand, the first benefit students can obtain while studying offline is the direct interaction with their teachers The students will be able to receive instruction from their teachers, which would dramatically increase the engagement level of the students In the research paper of Shu and Gu (2018), they stated that the interaction between the lecturers and students in the classroom was more in-depth than that in the online learning mode Another study conducted by Rachmah (2020) states that more students prefer offline learning to online learning because the students are more involved in the lesson making them understand the topics better in the classrooms Hence, receiving direct guidance from the teachers in offline classes has increased the engagement of the students in their studies Do Phuong Hien_AEn-T321WSB-7 The second advantage of taking offline classes is increasing the teamwork skills of the students The learners highly prefer the traditional learning method as it allows them to exchange and discuss their ideas together This is mentioned in the research of Dumford and Miller (2018), as students who undertake offline classes are more likely to engage in teamwork activity compared to those who take online courses Students find offline class activities to be more attractive because they not have to experience any internet connection delay and can communicate with their friends face-to-face Therefore, activities in offline classes are more attractive and engaging to students than the online one The third benefit that offline courses can bring the students is to raise their motivation According to the study by Pei and Wu in 2019, they concluded that student motivation is one of the main contributors that make offline courses still the most popular mode of instruction In addition, in his research report in 2017, Wright states that most students felt more motivated when using the offline system than the online system, and a total of 64.3% of the students felt more motivated in offline classes This result can be explained as when participating in offline courses, and the students will be inspired while seeing their friends working and studying and will be less likely to be distracted by their phones and other social media Thus, studying on campus has effectively increased students' learning motivation Similarities between online and offline classes The first common thing between online and offline classes is that the students are still required to work on their teamwork skills Nevertheless, there is still a minor difference in which studying on campus allows the students to hang out with their friends at the coffee shop or they can choose to go to one of the group member's house and study there while studying online offers them to meet their friends via online meeting rooms such as zoom or google meet Hence, regardless of the students' choice, they still have to practice and develop their teamwork skills Do Phuong Hien_AEn-T321WSB-7 The second thing that online and offline courses are alike is that the students still have to learn how to effectively use their time and adapt to sudden changes in the school schedule Even though students studying online not have to spend their time traveling like their offline counterparts, they still have their schedules and make the most use of those free time Moreover, in both ways of learning, students must check their emails regularly to be informed timely about any class cancellation and make-up class Therefore, students still have to keep updated with the school's announcements and manage their time productively in online or offline classes The third similarity between online and offline classes is the number of assignments and tests Students will have to work on the same homework exams for both educational methods In addition, there is no difference in the way the teachers give the students guide to those assignments, and if the students have any questions regarding the instructions given by their teachers, they will have to contact them via email for clarification Thus, the students still have to work on the same amount of homework and go through the same emailing process for online and offline courses Differences between online and offline classes Although online and offline classes have shared several things in common, certain differences still exist The first issue is the difference in the test instruction On the one hand, if students are taking tests offline, they are only required to bring their student ID and a pen or pencil, depending on the exam regulation However, things are much more complicated than that when taking tests online Students will be required to set up their camera angle, tables, and internet connection They will have to guarantee that the wifi connection is stable and that the camera can cover up the entire working space In addition, the students might be asked several times to move the camera until they find the correct spot Hence, different educational methods will require the students with different test-taking instructions Do Phuong Hien_AEn-T321WSB-7 The second difference results in the grades and scores of the students According to the research done by Dutton et al (2002), they confirm that online students achieve significantly higher exam grades than lecture students One reason to explain this problem is that different students will fit with different learning methods and take tests Making a student who prefers to study offline take tests online would prevent the student from reaching his or her full potential Therefore, the educational teaching and learning method considerably affects the final result outcomes of the students The last difference is regarding the interaction between the teachers and students During offline classes, the students will have a chance to receive direct instructions and guidance from the teachers This is extremely helpful for students, especially those in primary schools Their teachers will guide them to help them write letters and solve basic math problems On the contrary, online courses offer students to meet their teachers through online platforms, which is extremely convenient for students who live far away from their schools Thus, changing the learning method will also greatly change how the students interact with their teachers Conclusion In conclusion, this research has described the advantages the online classes, which are time and workplace flexibility, and the development in technological skills and the advantages of offline classes are direct instructions with the teachers, improvement in teamwork skills, and motivation increment Moreover, this paper also covered the similarities between online and offline classes, which are the number of assignments and tests, the students can still develop their teamwork skills and are required to manage their time effectively and be flexible with the schedule The differences can be named regarding test instructions, the scores and grades, and the interaction method between teachers and students Do Phuong Hien_AEn-T321WSB-7 References Bartley, S J., & Golek, J H (2004) Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of online and face-to-face instruction Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 7(4), 167-175 Dias, L., & Victor, A (2017) Teaching and learning with mobile devices in the 21st-century digital world: Benefits and challenges European Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 2(5), 339-344 Dumford, A D., & Miller, A L (2018) Online learning in higher education: exploring advantages and disadvantages for engagement Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 30(3), 452-465 Dutton, J., Dutton, M., & Perry, J (2002) How online students differ from lecture students Journal of asynchronous learning networks, 6(1), 1-20 Parkes, M., Reading, C., & Stein, S (2013) The competencies required for effective performance in a university e-learning environment Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 29(6) Pei, L., & Wu, H (2019) Does online learning work better than offline learning in undergraduate medical education? A systematic review and meta-analysis Medical education online, 24(1), 1666538 Perrin, D G., Perrin, E., Muirhead, B., & Betz, M (2015) Instructional Technology and Distance Learning International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 12(1), 1-78 Rachmah, N (2020) Effectiveness of Online vs Offline classes for EFL Classroom: a study case in a higher education Journal of English Teaching, Applied Linguistics, and Literatures (JETALL), 3(1), 19-26 Shu, H., & Gu, X (2018) Determining the differences between online and face-to-face student–group interactions in a blended learning course The Internet and Higher Education, 39, 13-21 Do Phuong Hien_AEn-T321WSB-7 Wright, B M (2017) Blended learning: Student perception of face-to-face and online EFL lessons Indonesian journal of applied linguistics, 7(1), 64-71 Do Phuong Hien_AEn-T321WSB-7 ... 13-21 Do Phuong Hien_ AEn- T321WSB- 7 Wright, B M (20 17) Blended learning: Student perception of face-to-face and online EFL lessons Indonesian journal of applied linguistics, 7( 1), 64 -71 Do Phuong Hien_ AEn- T321WSB- 7. .. Offline Classes on College Students Do Phuong Hien Western Sydney University Vietnam AEn- T321WSB- 7 Gabriel Ryan January 2, 2022 Do Phuong Hien_ AEn- T321WSB- 7 Introduction In recent decades, along... different test-taking instructions Do Phuong Hien_ AEn- T321WSB- 7 The second difference results in the grades and scores of the students According to the research done by Dutton et al (2002), they