Activity 1.1

Comparison between classroom education and virtual education

Classroom education requires the learner to attend a formal class in a learning center where the teacher explains, clarifies and communicates ideas and knowledge. On the other hand, virtual education does not require the student to be at a certain physical place when the class is given, but to visit a virtual site in a periodical way in order to collect what the teacher has upload for them to study; however, the student must have access to some sorts of technology, such as a computer and internet connection.

Virtual education does not need face to face communication or any type of physical interaction with other students or the teacher; meanwhile, in classroom education this interaction will be almost unavoidable. Nonetheless, both classroom and virtual education can use similar techniques to accomplish the learning process, like use of visuals, videos, presentations, etc.

I can say that virtual education is cheaper—in terms of time and money—than classroom education, mainly because the student does not have to go to another place for the class, therefore he can save the time of transportation, and since most of the materials he/she will need are going to be virtual, he/she can save the money of having to buy the physical books or materials he/she would have needed in a classroom.

Finally, I do not find either of them more important or efficient than the other, because at the end the student chooses the one that accommodates better to his/her academic needs, purposes and possibilities and, in addition, the methods or techniques the teacher uses to give the class is going to do a lot more that the medium he/she uses to do so.

Sources:

http://electiva-tic.wikispaces.com/Educaci%C3%B3n+Presencial

http://electiva-tic.wikispaces.com/Educaci%C3%B3n+a+Distancia

http://aprendizajcompartidoydistribudo.blogspot.mx/2011/12/educacion-presencial-vrs-educacion.html