Instigator / Pro
DeadFire27's avatar
6
DeadFire27
1469
rating
10
debates
40.0%
won
Topic
#3102

Overall, Which is better, Online or Face Learning

Status
Finished

The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.

Winner & statistics
Better arguments
0
6
Better sources
2
4
Better legibility
2
2
Better conduct
2
2

After 2 votes and with 8 points ahead, the winner is...

Bones
Tags
Education
Parameters
Publication date
Last updated date
Type
Standard
Number of rounds
3
Time for argument
One week
Max argument characters
10,000
Voting period
One month
Point system
Multiple criterions
Voting system
Open
Contender / Con
Bones's avatar
14
Bones
1761
rating
31
debates
95.16%
won
Description

E-Learning : learning conducted via electronic media, typically on the internet.
Face-to-face learning: is an instructional method where course content and learning material are taught in person to a group of students

Anyone's free to join, any queries about definitions and specifics are free to ask in the comments.

PRO: Face-To-Face
CON: E-Learning

Round 1
DeadFire27's avatar
DeadFire27
Pro
#1
Thank You Bones, for accepting this debate. Good Luck!

FRAMEWORK:

PRO: Must present a argument which proves that face to face learning is superior to E-Learning. 
CON: Must present a argument which proves that E-Learning is superior to Face to Face Learning. 

Definitions: 

E-Learning : learning conducted via electronic media, typically on the internet. (Credit: Oxford Languages)
Face-to-face learning: is an instructional method where course content and learning material are taught in person to a group of students. (Credit: Oxford Languages)
Superior: of higher standard or quality. (Credit: Oxford Languages)

Now, to the arguments:

ARGUMENT 1: Cheating

With the current situation, E-Learning is a sufficient alternative to regular classes. However, the opportunity to game the system quite often occurs. 
 
Online, cheating isn't prevented, as a teacher 50 kilometers away can't stop a student from googling and copying answers. While the teacher might be able to catch some, ultimately, they can't stop them all. 

I know a few students who barely do any work, and then just copy paste their answers and get good grades. Meanwhile, students who try get chewed out for not finishing on time. 

In Face-to-Face learning, this isn't exactly possible, seeing as students can't search on their devices. Some people might resort to old fashioned techniques, (Calculators, Notes, Whispering Answers) But the probability of a student getting away with cheating in real school compared to online school is really high. 

ARGUMENT 2: Technical Problems and Unfairness

Not everyone can have a good setup. Me? I'm lucky to have a decent laptop, but other people I know have to study on their parents phones. Other people I know can't even join regularly and get scolded for being late. I myself have crashed one or two times. And what about rural areas? They might not be able to get devices at all. Even if they have devices, data plans and WI-FI issues due to being so far away would be common. 

Online School, in my opinion, has turned into "If you don't have a laptop/device, you're getting bad grades." Truly, this is not a good form of learning. 

In Face-To-Face, the only way you don't show up is if you don't get out the door in time. The chances of you having problems with technology drop due to minimal devices used only in necessary situations. 

ARGUMENT 3: Attention

Online, you can get easily distracted, seeing as there's so many things to do, so many videos to watch, so little attention span in the hands of a 9yr old child. Even if you're older, you're going to get tempted with games and fun. Why? This website explains why: Why You Can't Focus on School When It's Online (iconschool.org)

ONLINE DISTRACTIONS
When students must spend a lot of time online to do their schoolwork, they may be easily distracted by other things online. Everyone has fallen into a rabbit hole online, looking at more and more pages to answer questions and learn more about something. This can be one of the biggest distractions. A student may keep several windows open so that he can check email and chat with friends while the class may be in session. It takes work and discipline to focus solely on schoolwork.
No student can truly resist the pull of online distractions. Face-to-Face prevents this extremely as a teacher will be able to tell when a student has fallen into that rabbit hole, and pull them out of it. 

CONCLUSION: 

Due to online distractions, technical problems and cheating. Online school just isn't worth the effort. 

FULL DISCLAIMER: I am not in any way attacking online school platforms or the use of it. I understand, really. I'm simply pointing out that parents should consider sending their kids to Face-To-Face as soon as they seen fit. 

Good luck Bones. 
Bones's avatar
Bones
Con
#2
thx deadfire. 

PRELUDE: 

As there is no framework provided, I will dedicate this round to purely stating my case, and hold off rebuttals until round 2. With that said, good luck. 

CONTENTION 1: E LEARNING ALLOWS FOR MORE CONTENT ABSORBED


CONTENTION 2: E LEARNING ALLOWS STUDENTS TO WORK AT THEIR OWN PACE

. . .  E-learning allows students to work through the content at their own pace. In an E-learning environment, you can watch video lecturers on-the-go, such as while commuting, especially if they are mobile-friendly. As most online courses are recorded, this allows for students to rewind, pause, take notes and rewind through the lecture. These such luxuries are not afforded for face-to-face learning, where there is no waiting or personalised study. 

CONTENTION 3:E LEARNING ALLOWS STUDENTS TO DEVELOP INDEPENDENCE

Moreover E-learning allows students to improves self-discipline and self-motivation skills. Without a strict timetable, E learning mimics a lifestyle where you are required to manage your time efficiently and be self-motivated. Moreover, E-learning also . . . 

CONTENTION 4: E LEARNING REQUIRES LESS TIME INVESTMENT 


CONTENTION 5: E LEARNING HAS HIGHER RETENTION RATES


It’s also key to note that eLearning options generally allow students to split the time they are investing in the course in whichever way works for them. They don’t need to be able to dedicate large chunks of time to the course: it’ll work just as well if they can set aside half an hour from their lunch break each day.

CONCLUSION: 

Thus it is clear that E-Leaning provides benefits which traditional learning  cannot provide. E-Learning allows students to absorb more information, develop independent life skills, work at their own pace while requiring less time to complete the whole process. Moreover E-Learning is able to create higher retention rates. I have provided a cumbersome amount of evidence that negates the resolution. Hence the resolution is negated.
Round 2
DeadFire27's avatar
DeadFire27
Pro
#3
Thank You Bones for that QUICK response. 

I regret not posting an order of arguments, so here it is.

FRAMEWORK:
ROUND 1:
PRO AND CON FOCUS ON DEVELOPING ARGUMENTS
ROUND 2: 
PRO AND CON REBUTTALS AND (OPTIONAL) ADDITIONAL ARGUMENTS
ROUND 3:
PRO AND CON FINAL REBUTTALS AND CONCLUSION. 

PRO: Must present a argument which proves that face to face learning is superior to E-Learning. 
CON: Must present a argument which proves that E-Learning is superior to Face to Face Learning. 

Definitions: 

E-Learning : learning conducted via electronic media, typically on the internet. (Credit: Oxford Languages)
Face-to-face learning: is an instructional method where course content and learning material are taught in person to a group of students. (Credit: Oxford Languages)
Superior: of higher standard or quality. (Credit: Oxford Languages)

REBUTTALS: 

CONTENTION 1 AND 2:

Although students are able to work at their own pace, I'd like to quote one of my sources: Why You Can't Focus on School When It's Online (iconschool.org)

NO DAILY STRUCTURE
For students used to attending school in person, having a lack of structure for each day can be difficult to get used to. At in-person school, there is a strict structure for every day. The whole day is planned before the students walk in. Students get into routines and get used to the way each day flows. At home, there is rarely that kind of structure for the day. Students may interpret that lack of structure to mean that they don't have to do anything. Some kids excel without this structure, but many need to have an even stricter structure to their day for them to be able to focus.
CONTENTION 3: 

Even if Online Learning allows some students to develop independence, the majority of students are unable to complete and keep track of time while online. Therefore...

CONTENTION 4: 

Your 4th Contention is false. Students are pressured to complete their work faster, making students stressed and wanting to keep up, interfering with their social life. 

CONTENTION 5: 

E-Learning does increase retention rates, but cancels it out with online distractions and problems which interfere with learning. 

CONCLUSION:

Con has dropped these arguments:

  • ATTENTION PROBLEMS
  • TECHNICAL PROBLEMS
  • CHEATING
All of Con's contentions were responded to. 

While I admit that E-Learning can have it's positives, that wasn't the argument. The argument was which one was better. And I believe that the CONS of E-Learning cancel out the PROS. 

Great argument Bones!


Bones's avatar
Bones
Con
#4
Thx for your speedy response. 

==

CONTENTION 1:  E LEARNING ALLOWS FOR MORE CONTENT ABSORBED


CONTENTION 2: E LEARNING ALLOWS STUDENTS TO WORK AT THEIR OWN PACE

For students used to attending school in person, having a lack of structure for each day can be difficult to get used to. At in-person school, there is a strict structure for every day.
KEY TERM: DIFFICULT TO GET USED TO. 

Just because something is difficult to get used to, this does not mean that we should ignore the multitude of benefits which it provides. Inherently, there is nothing exclusively wrong with E-learning. With my opponents logic, anything that is difficult to get used to should be avoided, which means that finding employment, a foreign task for students, should be avoided. Of course, just because finding a job is hard, this does not mean that people should not do it. One of my opponents critiques, being that "at in-person school, there is a strict structure for every day. The whole day is planned before the students walk in" is actually a negative, as having such a strict timetable does not prepare students for independent study, or equip them with life skills. 

CONTENTION 3: E LEARNING ALLOWS STUDENTS TO DEVELOP INDEPENDENCE

Even if Online Learning allows some students to develop independence, the majority of students are unable to complete and keep track of time while online.
Which is why they should learn how to do so within a school environment, instead of getting  told this one your first day at work. When compared with employment, schooling allows for much more trial and error, as the consequences of "messing up" at school are far less impactful than messing up at work. Though there is no doubt that students may find it difficult to cope, after they overcome this, it becomes a life skill they have acquired. Moreover, This critique hardly makes sense, as the International Business Machines Corporation have found that participants were able to learn 5 times more in an online environment, rather than a traditional, face to face course. This obviously means that students are not having trouble coping or keeping in time. If they were struggling, then how do you explain the outstanding results? 


CONTENTION 4: E LEARNING REQUIRES LESS TIME INVESTMENT 

Your 4th Contention is false. Students are pressured to complete their work faster, making students stressed and wanting to keep up, interfering with their social life. 
My opponent ignores the Brandon Hall report on eLearning which shows that students spend 40-60% less time to learn the same content. The statement that "students are pressured to complete their work faster" is only applicable to face-to-face school where you are forced to learn the content on the spot, and where there is no "rewinding" so to speak. 


CONTENTION 5: E LEARNING HAS HIGHER RETENTION RATES

E-Learning does increase retention rates, but cancels it out with online distractions and problems which interfere with learning. 
I have shown that there are no "online distractions" which exclusively effect online learning. In fact, students are clearly more concentrated, if they are able to learn information 40-60 times quicker than when in the classroom.

REBUTTALS: 

CHEATING: 

Online, cheating isn't prevented, as a teacher 50 kilometers away can't stop a student from googling and copying answers. While the teacher might be able to catch some, ultimately, they can't stop them all. 
Studies show that while 32.1% of respondents admitted to cheating in a face-to-face class, 32.7% admitted to cheating in an online course. This <1 percent difference clearly negates cheating as a serious issue. Though cheating is an issue that online learning faces, it is a mutual issue which also effects IRL school. 

==

TECHNICAL PROBLEMS: 

"If you don't have a laptop/device, you're getting bad grades." 
First off, a laptop is an essential (in almost all schools) item, regardless of whether you attend online school or IRL school. I (or perhaps I am naïve) do not know any school which is does not require their students to purchase some sort of technology, whether it be notebooks or ipads. So EVEN if this was a serious objection to online learning, it is also an issue faced with physical school faces. 

I invite voters to examine the double standard that is being employed here. My opponent asserts that because there is a difficulty in accessing online learning, it is bad. However, consider all the requirements that you need to fulfil in order to get to a physical campus. You'll need 

  1. A mode of transport 
  2. Fuel for the mode of transport x 360 (approximate days one attend physical school [180] times 2 [because you make two trips a day])
  3. Miscellaneous items (stationary, uniform, bag)
  4. Time
Now compare this to a notebook (you can get one here for under a hundred dollars). Clearly, it would be much more probable for a student to say "I can't all the running costs of physical school", then for them to say "I can't afford a notebook". Moreover, consider the most of the costs involved in actually going to school are running costs, in that they need paying everyday. Compare this to a laptop, where a good one can be used for years. 

==

ATTENTION: 

First, it must be noted that if all my arguments are sound, then attention is self evidently not an issue. Clearly, if statistics show that students are studying more efficiently without sacrificing quality , then attention is not an issue. If attention was an issue, then students wouldn't out achieving their day-school counter parts.  Again I must reiterate, 



==

CONCLUSION: 

I have rebutted all my opponents points and reaffirmed my case, hence resolution negated. 
Round 3
DeadFire27's avatar
DeadFire27
Pro
#5
Thank You Bones.

I will be dropping Contention 1 due to no good comeback. 

Contention 2: 
Just because something is difficult to get used to, this does not mean that we should ignore the multitude of benefits which it provides
I admit my argument was flawed here. 

Contention 3:
Which is why they should learn how to do so within a school environment, instead of getting  told this one your first day at work. 
Independence is earned either way. Face-to-Face helps you keep track of assignments, while Online Learning just keeps them on record for you to come back to when you want. Speaking of which....

Contention 4: 
My opponent ignores the Brandon Hall report on eLearning which shows that students spend 40-60% less time to learn the same content. The statement that "students are pressured to complete their work faster" is only applicable to face-to-face school where you are forced to learn the content on the spot, and where there is no "rewinding" so to speak. 
The "rewinding" you speak of can be easily abused, allowing students to ignore lessons and just complete it. Face-to-Face implores you to pay attention, in a sort of "pay attention or you fail" regime. 

Contention 5:
I have shown that there are no "online distractions" which exclusively effect online learning. In fact, students are clearly more concentrated, if they are able to learn information 40-60 times quicker than when in the classroom.
Again, personal experience, I know students who watch anime in class, read comics, and watch videos. A study does not uncover the whole picture, and other countries could be drastically different. All I know is this. The UAE does not guarantee 60x learning speed online. 

REBUTTALS: 

Cheating: 

Again, a study doesn't uncover everything. You can't provide a decent basis off a singular study. 

Technical Problems:

Laptops, before Covid were definitely NOT part of a school curriculum, so many people are going to be unprepared for the sudden demand for devices. Call ME naïve, but my school (British Curriculum) did not ask for use of devices for school. Seeing as many schools also follow the same curriculum, International Schools: What is a British-based curriculum? - Study International, this leads me to believe that other countries experienced this problem too. 

About everything else, that was well established well before Covid. Everyone could easily manage this, but not everyone can manage new things such as laptops or devices. 

Attention:

Not all countries are the same. A similarity in your studies is that they are based in a developed country. What about undeveloped countries? If you took a study into one of those, I'm willing to bet there's a big difference. 

Conclusion:

Voters, find me naive, but I believe that I've countered the majority of CON's arguments. So, I'd like to say that the argument has been negated. 

Still learning, still improving. Great Debate Bones!!!!!!

Deadfire27
Bones's avatar
Bones
Con
#6
thx deadfire 

==

Observation: 

  • My opponent concedes my first contention 
  • My opponent concedes my second contention
Thus they agree that E LEARNING ALLOWS FOR MORE CONTENT ABSORBED and that E LEARNING ALLOWS STUDENTS TO WORK AT THEIR OWN PACE. 

==

Contention 3:  E LEARNING ALLOWS STUDENTS TO DEVELOP INDEPENDENCE

Which is why they should learn how to do so within a school environment, instead of getting  told this one your first day at work. 
Independence is earned either way.
However, my opponent ignores the fact that E-leaning allows students to better develop independence. 

Face-to-Face helps you keep track of assignments
When learning to ride a bike, you start with the trainer wheels. Sure, they help you, but at some point, you will need to take them off. Like the training wheels, physical schools help you, however, they do not help you in "real life" situations. In real life, there is no one to help you "keep track" of your work, you are responsible for your own work. 

Logically, it is impossible to argue against this contention. Obviously online school has less formatting than physical schools. Obviously, you are not constantly watched when at home and studying from your laptop. And it is therefore also conclusive that if you can overcome these real like difficulties, they become more independent people. 

Contention 4:  E LEARNING REQUIRES LESS TIME INVESTMENT 

My opponent ignores the Brandon Hall report on eLearning which shows that students spend 40-60% less time to learn the same content. The statement that "students are pressured to complete their work faster" is only applicable to face-to-face school where you are forced to learn the content on the spot, and where there is no "rewinding" so to speak. 
The "rewinding" you speak of can be easily abused, allowing students to ignore lessons and just complete it. Face-to-Face implores you to pay attention, in a sort of "pay attention or you fail" regime. 
It is naïve to suggest that eager students who want to rewatch their professors lectures are in some way "abusing" the education system. My opponents states that because online lessons allow for students to ignore the class, it is bad. However, this is not an issue which is mutually exclusive to online learning. The kind of student who does not pay attention in class, doesn't pay attention regardless of where they are. My opponent perfectly epitomises physical learning with the statement "pay attention or you fail". 

Contention 5: E LEARNING HAS HIGHER RETENTION RATES

I have shown that there are no "online distractions" which exclusively effect online learning. In fact, students are clearly more concentrated, if they are able to learn information 40-60 times quicker than when in the classroom.
Again, personal experience, I know students who watch anime in class, read comics, and watch videos.

==

Rebuttals: 

Cheating: 
Again, a study doesn't uncover everything. You can't provide a decent basis off a singular study. 
You can't just brush a study off by saying that a study doesn't prove anything. I have shown that there is a study which contradicts your stance, I have shown why it is relevant and have integrated it into this debate. 

==

Technical Problems:
Laptops, before Covid were definitely NOT part of a school curriculum, so many people are going to be unprepared for the sudden demand for devices. Call ME naïve, but my school (British Curriculum) did not ask for use of devices for school. Seeing as many schools also follow the same curriculum, International Schools: What is a British-based curriculum? - Study International, this leads me to believe that other countries experienced this problem too. 
This is interesting. From where I'm from, I've used technology since 6th grade. Nevertheless, you still ignore the bulk of my argument, particularly the fact that a laptop is much less of a commitment than attending physical school. 

To recall, I stated that 

I invite voters to examine the double standard that is being employed here. My opponent asserts that because there is a difficulty in accessing online learning, it is bad. However, consider all the requirements that you need to fulfil in order to get to a physical campus. You'll need 

  1. A mode of transport 
  2. Fuel for the mode of transport x 360 (approximate days one attend physical school [180] times 2 [because you make two trips a day])
  3. Miscellaneous items (stationary, uniform, bag)
  4. Time
Now compare this to a notebook (you can get one here for under a hundred dollars). Clearly, it would be much more probable for a student to say "I can't all the running costs of physical school", then for them to say "I can't afford a notebook". Moreover, consider the most of the costs involved in actually going to school are running costs, in that they need paying everyday. Compare this to a laptop, where a good one can be used for years. 
Attention:

Not all countries are the same. A similarity in your studies is that they are based in a developed country. What about undeveloped countries? If you took a study into one of those, I'm willing to bet there's a big difference. 
But then this becomes an issue of whether you live in a third world country or a first world country, it is no longer about measuring a difference between online learning and physical learning. Sure I admit that people learning online from third world countries will be handicapped, but when compared with physical learning in third world countries, which in most cases does not exist, the difference is negligible. Thus, your comparison between physical learning in 1st world countries with online learning in 3rd world countries is not valid.

==

Conclusion:

For someone who is 12 years old, you are certainly gifted with linguistic skills. Just some advice if you want to get better at debating. Watch philosophical/political debates so that you can a) learn content and b) pick up on the language that they use, and also just use this cite more. 

Thanks for a good debate, and to any potential voters.

VOTE CON