The ups and down of In Person vs. Distance Learning

Ellis Schmitz, Staff Writer
October 13, 2020

During this crisis of COVID-19, the virus that has affected society for better or worse, our school has been divided into two groups: full time distance learners and in person/hybrid learners. Distance learners stay at home the entire day and learn from there, mostly from Google Meets and Google Classroom. The hybrid learners go to school every other day and on the days that they aren’t at school, they learn exactly the same as distance learners. There have been many varying opinions on which is better suited for students. 

In-Person or Distance?

Freshman Colin Dolan is doing distance learning. “I like distance learning because it is way more easy going,” Dolan said. “I don’t have many distractions at home, so it is pretty easy to stay focused.”

Freshman Cole Anderson isn’t really sure which he likes better. “Distance learning is okay, but in person learning is more helpful,” he said. “In distance learning it would most likely be difficult to stay on track and pass classes but during in person learning it is easier to stay focused and learn.”

In person learning definitely has its ups and downs. For example, the school is really large, so it can be easy to get lost. However, the school is also a very big square, so if you get lost, you can keep walking and you can go back to where you started.

During in person learning, there are fewer distractions. At home, people can have lots of distractions. These can be small things like opening other tabs and watching YouTube, or larger things like watching television. While in person, you can be free to learn without distractions. Also, it is much more like normal school and you learn how the school works and the layout, so you will be ready for when this all blows over.

However, there is also distance learning, which also has pros and cons. For instance, you can sit in whatever chair you want. This may sound ridiculous, but I can assure you that computer chairs are much more comfortable than school chairs. Also, you are by yourself. Some people like it better when they participate with a group of people. However, lots of people prefer independent work at their own pace — I can tell you I do.

While you are learning from home, it can be hard to get people to work in groups, so teachers avoid it. This is an advantage and disadvantage. As I said earlier, some people prefer working in groups and some people prefer individual work. Also, some assignments may require group work but you cannot do it easily online so that can put a burden on your work.

Tests are hard while distance learning, because you can’t do them on paper. Teachers have to either use Google Forms or a test- taking website. The teacher usually has to go out of their way to create a test for distance learners which can be hard. However, in person, they can just use paper and pass it out to everyone. They then can collect it, grade it, and return it quite easily.

Most people seem to think that this virus has made society take a turn for the worse. However, some good things have happened, such as the split between distance and in person learning. Depending on your opinion, you can learn however you would like and can do it at your own pace. This virus has caused lots of stress and problems, but we may have gotten some good things out of it. Check out the NK COVID-19 Information and Resources Page here.