my first day of face to face classes essay

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Home Essay Samples Education Online vs. Traditional Classes

The Value of Face-to-Face Classes: An Argumentative Exploration of In-Person Learning

Table of contents, effective communication and engagement, social interaction and collaboration, personalized learning and motivation, holistic development, 1. real-time interaction, 2. non-verbal communication, 1. peer learning, 2. networking opportunities, 1. tailored instruction, 2. motivation and accountability, 1. soft skills enhancement, 2. emotional connection.

• Bain, K. (2004). What the best college teachers do. Harvard University Press.
• Chickering, A. W., & Gamson, Z. F. (1987). Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. AAHE Bulletin, 3, 7.
• Friedman, T. L. (2013). Revolution hits the universities. The New York Times, A25.
• Hattie, J. A. C., & Donoghue, G. M. (2016). Learning strategies: A synthesis and conceptual model. npj Science of Learning, 1(1), 16013.
• Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (2005). How college affects students: A third decade of research (Vol. 2). Jossey-Bass.

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Face To Face Vs. Online Learning Essay Example

Since the pandemic has started many schools across the country have used online learning to keep students learning but how does it compare to in person learning. Many schools have also provided in persion learning for kids who want to learn at schools. In Person instruction is more effective than digital learning because digital learning causes lack of motivation and students not learning property due to non direct contact with teachers.

Learning at home is every student's dream, but the setting creates an environment which causes lack of motivation and distractions. Schools that offer digital learning usually have the teacher setup a zoom or google meet meeting, this way the teacher can still interact with the students but not directly. Some students need direct contact with the teacher to learn properly, having direct contact with the teacher may give students motivation to learn. Listening at a teacher through a computer screen makes the lesson bland and there isn’t a good way to make a lesson interactive and engaging unless the student is In person. While at home students are exposed to infinite distractions that will cause them to lose focus in class. It is easier to not get distracted when the lessons are engaging, which causes less students to fail classes. For instance in California school districts around the San Francisco Bay Area reported that after the pandemic the percent of students that were failing 1 class or more spiked from 19% to 30% in the 2019-2020 school year second semester wherever student was digital as claimed by an article written by (The Washington Post). In another article written on (Online Learning Statistics on educationdata,org) a survey showed that college level students that were taking online courses, 42% of students reported having a lack of motivation for completion of class work. This may be due to In Person learning offering more motivation than digital learning according to the multiple studies conducted.

Secondly a major part of education is the educators themselves otherwise known as teachers, they are the ones responsible for the future of a whole generation of children. For teachers to be able to execute their Job to the best of their abilities, being able to see a student in person will help the teacher cater individually to each student's different learning needs. This is nearly impossible to do over a computer screen because students in digital learning are not able to have direct contact with their teacher. In another study conducted by (Jesscia Happened and colleagues at the American Institutes for Research and the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research) where they studied 1,224 9th graders in 17 public Chicago high schools that failed Algebra I, they found that the credit recovery rate for in person students were much higher than the credit recovery rates of students who were digital. This further shows that students being in person learning helps the teachers provide for the student better and also helps the student learn better.

Digital Students may argue that digital learning gives the student more flexibility and freedom. If digital learning is as good as people claim it to be, why didn't the education system switch to digital learning when the tech bubble popped in the late 1990s and 2000s? Brains of kids and teens are still developing as teens and still need adults for supervision. The rational part of the human brain doesn't develop fully till around the age of 25 for the majority of People, this means that up until someone's mid 20s they usually pick the choice they are comfortable with instead of the rational choice according to a article written by (University of Rochester Medical Center on Understanding the Teen Brain). This is also why there are age limits on voting, driving, drinking because children don’t make the rational choice. Secondly when teens grow up to be adults and get a real job they will not have the luxury of flexibility. When you are at a job you are expected to perform at your best for a certain amount of hours, in school it is very similar in the way that you have to complete the work with a deadline. In digital learning there is no sense in completing an assignment now when you could complete it later which developed a bad habit. There's too much freedom in digital learning and no restrictions. Freedom and flexibility is good but too much is not healthy.    

Schools should make in person school more common as the pandemic is ending and it is becoming safer everyday. Due to lack of motivation and learning though a computer screen some students can't learn properly digitally. Are you going to attend in person school in the 2021-2022 school year? The longer students stay in digital learning the harder it will be to adjust to in person school when it will be mandatory. Do you prefer digital or in person learning?

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Essays About Online Class: Top 5 Examples and 7 Prompts

Essays about online class tell many stories. If you need to write about e-learning, discover the top examples and prompts for the subject in our guide.

With over 5.8 million American students attending in 2021, online classes are now one of the education sector’s most popular and modern learning methods. Although it became prevalent because of the pandemic, it’s believed that the concept of distance learning began in the late 1800s .

Online classes pose many benefits that many still take advantage of even after the pandemic. However, not everyone adjusts well to this technology-centered learning due to no face-to-face contact and difficulty learning without the back-and-forth of lesson question time. 

1. My Experience as an Online Student by Debra Sicard

2. how to succeed in online classes essay by anonymous on ivypanda.com, 3. essay on advantages and disadvantages of online classes by anonymous on selfstudymantra.com, 4. online school vs. traditional school essay by anonymous on gradesfixer.com, 5. short essay on online classes by anonymous on byjus.com, 7 helpful prompts on essays about online class, 1. online classes: defined, 2. my experience with online classes during lockdown, 3. how does online class work, 4. the best sites for online class, 5. the pros and cons of enrolling in online class, 6. review of a book about online class, 7. should online classes be the norm.

“I am not a traditional student, so I have non-traditional needs… online classes fit my lifestyle.”

Sicard shares her positive experience with online classes, primarily centering her essay on convenience. She says that with online courses, she can fit more lessons into her schedule, save her money on gas, and have more time with her family. In addition, she mentions she can work and do other things besides taking her credits.

To have a proper perspective of the topic, Sicard also includes the disadvantages of virtual learning, such as devices catching viruses and missing in-real-life interactions with her professors and classmates. But, she believes that an online student can learn as much or even more than what students learn in traditional classes.

“In an online class, a student can only achieve success if he is committed to time management, balancing personal obligations, finding an ideal study environment, asking questions, and applying more effort to completing the course requirements.”

This essay contains steps a non-traditional student can take to avoid failing online classes. The author says that students, especially multitaskers, must know how to manage and balance their time to avoid losing focus. In addition, having a dedicated study spot is necessary to avoid distractions.

“Online classes or online method of learning presents an easy and comfortable method to achieve knowledge. Online classes have now become a great alternative to traditional classes.”

The writer delves into the benefits and drawbacks of online versus traditional learning. Virtual classes offer students freedom regarding their schedules and whereabouts. Some schools also allow students to learn for free. E-learning effectively trains individuals to be responsible and disciplined. 

However, individuals who are not computer literate will find online classes frustrating. Plus, electronic devices can be bad for health, and a lack of personal interaction can hinder personality development.

“[Online course] will also help you become more self-motivated, a trait that will make you stand out in the workplace and beyond.”

By listing the similarities and differences between online and traditional schools, the author demonstrates what classes a student should pick. The writer concludes that while traditional schools prepare students for the real world by interacting with diverse people, online schools help students become more self-motivated to stand out.

“The advantages of online classes take over their disadvantages. If students want to learn, then they have immense opportunities to learn from online classes.”

The author defines online classes as a type of education system where students use electronic devices with an internet connection to learn. However, while online learning improves the quality of education, it can also make the student lazy and cultivates a sense of isolation. Ultimately, they believe that to have the best education system, school teachers and officials must learn how to combine the two methods.

If the topic you’re thinking of is still confusing and you don’t know where to start, here are seven easy writing prompts to inspire you:

Explain the topic to your reader and give a brief history of the origins of online classes. Then briefly compare it to the traditional class to make the differences clear. Finally, point out the distinct features of online classes that conventional learning doesn’t offer, such as face-to-face interaction and question-and-answer debates. You can also discuss various online classes schools offer, such as hybrid learning, interactive online courses, etc.

Tell your story if you’re a student with experience with online classes. Narrate how your school switched to virtual classrooms. Relay the challenges you encountered, including how you adapted. Finish your essay by stating your current preference and why. 

For example, you favor e-learning because it cuts your transportation expenses, helps you be more responsible for managing your time, and lets you sleep in the mornings.

Relate your experience when your school moved online. Discuss any equipment or devices you need to buy before enrolling in your online class. Explain how your school handles online courses and what it does when there are technical difficulties. Add how these challenges (such as unstable internet connection and sudden power outage), such as attendance and participation, impact a class.

To make your essay more intriguing, add the average price of your online classes and if you think it’s fair. For instance, you can argue that since schools don’t provide computers and save expenses on cleaning and utilities when physical classrooms are unused, they should cut their laboratory or miscellaneous fees. You may also be interested in these articles about back to school .

Zoom, Google Classroom, and Microsoft Team are just three of the most popular online teaching software for online classes. In this prompt, look for the most useful and efficient software sites teachers or schools should incorporate into e-learning. Find examples or reliable data that show the number of students or schools that use them. Finally, ensure the details you add are accurate to make your essay credible.

Do you want to write about technology instead? Check out our  essays about technology .

Discussing online classes’ positive and negative effects is a usual essay topic. To make your essay stand out, pick the most impactful points on everyone involved. Don’t just explore the students’ perspectives. Include how virtual learning influences teachers, parents, and businesses.

To give you an idea, you can look into businesses near the campus that closed down when the school shifted to virtual classrooms.

This prompt requires you to search for publications about online classes and share your opinion on them.

For example, John F. Lyons’s book, How to Succeed in an Online Class , published in 2011, introduced technology students encounter in online classes. Suppose you read this book. First, enumerate Lyons’ advice, tips, and learning techniques to prevent a student from failing their online course. Then, briefly explain them individually and include examples or proof that his advice helped.

Online schooling has been around for a long time but has only become widespread because of the pandemic. Use this prompt to write your opinion on whether schools should make virtual learning a permanent option for students. Whatever your answer is, explain your reason to your readers.If you’re interested in learning more about essays, check out our essay writing tips !

Maria Caballero is a freelance writer who has been writing since high school. She believes that to be a writer doesn't only refer to excellent syntax and semantics but also knowing how to weave words together to communicate to any reader effectively.

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Home Essay Examples Education Online Vs. Traditional Classes

Online Versus Face-to-face Learning

• Category Education
• Subcategory Learning
• Topic Online Vs. Traditional Classes

This topic is one of the most debatable ones amongst many students, whether they select the online or face-to-face learning, these both options stand in rivalry next to one another since a majority of the people choose the latter option as per their comfort of understanding. In a detailed context, numerous people have always been loyal to their old school traditional ways of being taught in a classroom Face-to-face. Online learning is a new facility that has been denied by a plethora of learners. Online Learning in competition with Face-to-face learning, a SIGNIFICANT percentage of people choose online learning due to several reasons which CONSIST of disabled, people suffering from Anthropophobia and extreme anxiety issues. However, Face-to-Face learning is still the trend due to easy and understandable learning. people condemn online learning due to the difficulties faced in perceiving information, hence, creating understanding issues, which is why face-to-face is supported by the Capital.

A student learning from face to face learning can evaluate and apprehend the situation better than the ones studying online. Every peer has his own point of view allowing him to enhance his knowledge and add on to his professional experiences. Being totally unbiased in this situation as many have their own reasons to choose their methods of learning but online or distant education does not allow us to perceive the entire idea of a CONTEXT as studying in a contextual environment would. Although experienced knowledge can VARY from person to person but online information is not always reliable.

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Moreover, exposure to the world is an important element in grooming one’s personality and push them into their professional lives. Face-to-Face learning helps a student enrich his information and make memorable memories. It helps in building his manners, gestures, tone, language, and volume of voice. a classroom helps a student grow his social life out. The most critical thing about online learning is that it tricks the students into thinking they have acquired the knowledge completely, which eventually leads them into misjudging themselves and ending up with a poor result. In Face to Face learning, an individual gets to experience the ideology of the subject and interact with one another, creating a state of more opportunities and more ways to grab the information by learning from one another, letting them think out of the box.

One of the reasons why people support online learning is because they believe it’s more reliable. Personally, I would support face to face learning. I believe that online learning cannot teach a student lessons’ which the traditional classroom can. A student misses out on many fun activities alongside studying which can end in depression. Lacking a social life isn’t something that can yield good results out of a student. Our teacher’s personal experiences and their way of teaching also affect how a student grasps knowledge. Some students also feel content with the fact that their teachers have gotten a study plan along with a schedule they can follow without any problems. The amount of trust they put in that plan, mentally ease them up enough to create a level of satisfaction among them.

In Conclusion, the major advantage of online learning is easy access to education by all kinds of students, people still recommend the traditional Face-to-Face learning due to effective results and traditions. Such commitment of timely classes and structured routines implements discipline. Therefore, E-Learning is a biased practice which might have a negative impact.

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Online Learning vs Face-to-Face Learning Essay Example

Online learning is better than face-to-face learning. Since the COVID-19 breakout, all the schools across the world had to shut down, which caused over 1.2 billion children to be out of the classroom. It is a serious issue to be concerned about because education has changed dramatically with the distinctive rise of e-learning under the teaching that is undertaken remotely and on digital platforms. Is online learning better than face-to-face?  The response  is a point of contention, and we will analyze it with different impacts.

First of all, Through the use of technology, students’ participation and learning motivation can be improved. The interaction of online learning will benefit the learner the most. The World Economic Forum mentioned that online learning can let students retain 25-60% more material when learning online compared to only 8-10% in a classroom. Online learning proved that it is useful for students. In a traditional class, online learning requires less time to learn because students can learn at their own pace, going back and re-reading, skipping, or accelerating through concepts as they choose. Online learning can make it easier for students to gain an in-depth understanding of lesson content. According to BYJU’s Mrinal Mohit, studies have shown that children extensively use their senses to learn, making learning fun and effective through the use of technology is crucial. It has been observed for some time that smart game types show higher participation and higher learning motivation, especially among students. We can see the above point of view from the World Economic Forum consent that online learning is better than face-to-face learning.

Secondly, Through the use of technology can change the traditional learning mode of students. Refer to the World Economic Forum, in scholar Yuval Noah Harari’s book “21 Lessons for the 21st Century”, he outlines how schools continue to focus on traditional academic skills and rote learning, rather than on skills such as critical thinking and adaptability, which will be more important for success in the future. Online learning can also provide several efficient programmes which can learn other extracurricular knowledge.

Furthermore, teachers can provide exhaustive teaching content for students. Students can suit a variety of learning styles. They can be personalized in different ways. It is the best way to create a perfect learning environment suited to the needs of the students. According to Dowson Tong, Senior Executive Vice President of Tencent and President of its Cloud and Smart Industries Group, to get the full benefit of online learning, there needs to be a concerted effort to provide this structure and go beyond replicating a physical lecture through video capabilities, using a range of collaboration tools and engagement methods that can improve the motivation of students. 

In conclusion, the epidemic is gradually in control. Online learning has already been invested in different colleges and societies. People may adapt to online learning. It can provide an efficient way for employment opportunities in the future. (how? for example?) Although online learning has no sense of reality. It may be caused by interpersonal communication. Online learning can prevent the spread of the disease, such as COVID-19. As well, it can lead to society moving towards the use of advanced technology. Therefore, above all of my analyses, online learning is better than face to face learning.

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First day high in the new normal: Student’s ultimate guide to face-to-face classes

• September 13, 2022
• 4 minute read

One of the biggest changes brought by COVID-19 pandemic was the need to shift to remote learning for the safety of students, teachers, and the school community. The good news is, as the number of cases in the country continue to decline, more and more schools, including STI College, are now reopening to conduct face-to-face classes.

For students, such a news can be exciting yet equally unnerving. Just like adjusting to the online learning setup, being back in a physical classroom and learning alongside your friends and classmates after two years of just modules and video calls can require some getting used to.

Despite this, face-to-face classes definitely make learning more fulfilling, engaging, and interactive, so make sure to enjoy the experience by following these useful tips!

Learn and follow protocols to heart

While Metro Manila and several other towns and provinces in the country remain under Alert Level 1, it’s important to remember that the pandemic and its dangers are still very much present. Observing social distancing and masking protocols when you’re going to and from school and on campus not only promote your own safety but your classmates, teachers, and family as well. It is also best to stay updated if there are changes in health mandates in your location.

Double check the essentials

It’s time to whip out your good ‘ol school bag again! Before your first day back, make sure you have all that you need for class to avoid any inconvenience. Two years of learning from home is definitely a long time so there can be things that you might overlook. This also applies to uniforms and dress codes in your school. Of course, don’t forget to have your vaccination card with you at all times as well as extra face masks and sanitizer.

Stay healthy

Now that you have to go out to attend your classes, make sure that your body is ready for the sudden changes in your daily routine. Since we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, it’s important to boost your immune system by staying hydrated, eating healthy, exercising regularly, and getting enough Zs at night.

Prepare your mind

With the implementation of face-to-face classes taking effect in more places in the country, coping with the changes in your surroundings, interactions, and routines can be pretty overwhelming. When you’re feeling anxious about the idea of coming back to campus, take time to recenter yourself and refocus on your goals.  Jotting down your thoughts and talking with your peers can also help. Remember, a healthy and happy mind is a key to effective learning and productivity.

Make the most of it

For most, nothing really beats the experience of face-to-face classes. When the shift to online learning began, students were quick to reminisce about their fun classroom memories on social media platforms like Tiktok and Twitter. Now that it’s back, it’s time to maximize the opportunity to learn alongside your friends and interact with your teachers in person. Be more active and participative in class, join activities in line with your interests, and enjoy the rest of your journey as a student!

STI College ensures a safe return for its students in all of its campuses nationwide by strictly abiding with the mandates of local health authorities, the Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education, and the IATF.

All STI students and personnel are required to observe mandatory campus health and safety protocols such as body temperature monitoring, facemask wearing policy, and contact tracing. In addition, workspaces and common areas are regularly disinfected and various school laboratories have enhanced ventilation to mitigate the spread of the virus. All school teachers and staff have been completely vaccinated against COVID-19 as well.

“The importance of face-to-face classes when it comes to effective learning and student growth is incomparable, which is why we, at STI, are very happy to welcome our new and ongoing students back to our campuses for the School Year 2022-2023,” said Aisa Q. Hipolito, STI VP for Academics. 

To provide a more holistic learning experience for its students and mold future-ready graduates, STI College continues to utilize the ONE STI Learning Model, an education framework that combines online tools and technology with onsite or on-campus hands-on training to fulfill the various learning needs of students across the country.

“While we are confident in our ability to deliver our courses online, we firmly believe that students will greatly benefit from the implementation of face-to-face classes and an online hybrid learning setup, especially for those in senior high school tracks and college programs that require hands-on training and practice in simulation laboratories. Nevertheless, the health and safety of our students and teachers will always remain our topmost priority as we take one step closer to normalcy,” Hipolito added.

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I'm a freshman at Harvard. From a Chinese lecture to a screening of 'Legally Blonde,' here's what my first day of classes was like.

• My first day of classes at Harvard started at 8:30 in the morning and ended at midnight.
• I had my first Chinese lecture, which was difficult, and then a seminar on socialism. 
• Between classes, I watched "Legally Blonde," ate in the dining hall, and joined a running club.

After months of planning and uncertainty , I finally moved into my freshman-year dorm at Harvard University in August. 

Over the past week, I participated in orientation and got to know others in the class of 2027. But I was most excited to finally start classes .

Here's what my first day of classes was like as a Harvard freshman . 

At 8:30 a.m., I woke up and got ready for my first day of classes.

I live in Lionel Hall, one of the smallest dorms in Harvard Yard. It's centrally located, but it's still out of the way of most tourists and people passing by. 

I live in a small double room inside a suite. There are two other bedrooms inside our suite, and we all share a fairly large common space. 

We also share an en suite bathroom, which is where I washed my face, brushed my teeth, took a shower, and got dressed for the day.

At 9 a.m., I went to Annenberg Hall, the freshman dining hall, for breakfast.

I walked over to the freshmen dining hall with someone else from Lionel Hall. Over breakfast, we learned more about each other's childhoods and found out that we both spent time growing up overseas.

I had an oat-milk chia pudding, which was new to me but good. I ate a heavier breakfast than usual since my class schedule was pretty busy around lunchtime, so I got some fruit and oatmeal as well. 

At 9:45 a.m., I got some work done in the Science Center's Cabot Library.

My goal is to explore all 29 libraries around campus, so I went to the Cabot near Annenberg. I completed some class surveys, worked on projects for the nonprofit I'm a part of, and did some pre-readings for class.

At 10:30 a.m., I went to my first-ever college lecture: Pre-Advanced Modern Chinese.

At Harvard, lecture sizes can range from about 15 students to hundreds, but this one was in a smaller classroom.

While the college language class was much more intense, the format of the class provided me with a sense of familiarity. The professor seemed very friendly, and I'd heard that the Chinese department has some of the most well-taught courses, so I have a good feeling about it.

At 12 p.m., I attended my first-year seminar, where we discussed the economic future of socialism.

For this class, 12 students and a professor meet weekly to discuss socialism. While a lecture is a traditional class, for seminars, professors select a group of first-year students to discuss a topic of their choice. It's considered an intellectual exploration throughout the semester.

I plan to study as a double concentrator — or a double major — in economics and environmental science and engineering. My hope for this seminar is to better understand alternative worldviews in order to develop a more knowledgeable economic perspective.

After the seminar, a few of my classmates and I grabbed lunch. 

At 2:35 p.m., I studied on the 10th floor of the Smith Center with some other students.

I ran into a friend outside of the dining hall, so we met up with my roommate at the Smith Center, a study space on the south side of campus. There was a cool view of Cambridge outside the window, so we sat there and did some work.

At 4 p.m., I biked a few blocks to purchase a textbook for my Chinese class.

Much like at any other school, students at Harvard buy textbooks in various formats. Some people find an online version, some are able to rent an old book, and some buy them new at the bookstore. The books for my classes this semester cost about $120, which seems to be typical for the other Harvard students I talked to — with people paying anywhere from $50 to a few hundred on books for each semester. 

At 4:45 p.m., I met up with the running club for their daily run.

One of my suitemates invited me to attend the first meeting of the Harvard College Running Club. It seemed like a fun group, so I decided to join. We ran along the Charles River, and I met some new people while getting my workout in for the day.

At 5:45 p.m., I went back to my dorm and took a break.

It was the middle of a fairly busy day, so I went back to my dorm to take a much-needed break.

I took the time to scroll through social media. For some reason, everything on my Instagram's "explore" page is airplane-related. There was a video of an airplane landing, and I commented with the butter emoji, hoping people understood that I meant the landing was as smooth as butter. 

At 6:30 p.m., I attended an informational meeting for a preprofessional organization.

That evening, I thought it was a good time to check out one of the preprofessional groups, which are clubs where students can gain exposure to various work industries.

Although I'm still deciding which ones I want to join, I went to the first meeting of an organization in Harvard Square to get a better idea of what this group was about. There was an informational session followed by a meet and greet where I chatted with the members and the board.

At 8:30 p.m., my roommate and I went to the Widener Library steps to watch "Legally Blonde" with other members of the class of 2027.

Every year, Harvard plays "Legally Blonde" for freshmen on the steps of the Widener Library. 

I wasn't sure how long I'd stay, but the vibe was great, so I watched the full movie. All the freshmen cheered and booed at the movie, and we got free ice cream.

By 10:30 p.m., I headed back to the freshman dining hall for Brain Break.

Brain Break is open from 9 to 12 p.m. at the freshman dining hall. This is the time when students can get snacks while working on homework and chatting with friends. 

I realized I actually had a lot of homework for Chinese, so I focused on that for a while. I also spent time responding to emails and researching more clubs.

At 11:45 p.m., I was pretty tired, so I went to bed and closed out my first day of classes at Harvard.

It was the first day of school, so none of my homework was that urgent. I put on my pajamas, did everything I needed to get ready for bed, and had a good night's sleep.

Although it was only my first day of classes, I can already tell no one day will be the same. So far, the people I've met and the experiences I've had have been interesting and dynamic. Here's to a good first year at Harvard.

• Main content

Online vs. Face-to-Face Classes

The rapid development of Internet technologies affects many areas of human life, including education. Online education provides many advantages and opportunities, such as platforms with tasks, the availability of interactive content, and much more. However, disputes continue to this day – in what conditions it is still better to study, online or in person. The experience of the pandemic has forced people to resort to online training. Nevertheless, in this work, each format is considered, in which objective pros and cons are highlighted.

Online classes are capable of delivering the same quality teaching as face-to-face classes. Firstly, the verbal contract between teacher and students is achieved through video communication, but various technologies also compensate for it. The teacher can provide an interactive assignment, use multimedia files and maintain discipline in an online lesson by controlling the sound and image of the conversation (Gloria & Uttal, 2020). Secondly, students need to work harder in parallel, and in the process of this work, they master essential skills in using a computer or tablet. Third, for many students, learning from home means learning in a comfortable environment where the environment is not hostile in any way. Of course, children are deprived of crucial moments of communication, the development of communication skills, but at the same time, the risk of conflict situations that can lead to injuries goes away. Finally, the traditional teaching format lectures, test knowledge, work with a textbook, and discussion (SunyBroome, n.d.). In the online format, we have to completely deviate from the traditional approach, thereby opening up new opportunities for working with students. Modern children gravitate more towards bright interactive instead of boring solutions in a notebook or blackboard (NatCom, 2021). As a result, it is much easier in an online format to compose a quiz instead of a test, quickly show the instructional video, and adapt the lesson materials during the lesson itself if the situation requires it.

However, not everyone can have a good command of computer technology. First of all, it applies to teachers who have already developed many years of experience of full-time education, in which they were successful. If there were a choice, they would never agree to sacrifice live communication. However, situations such as a pandemic leave no choice in education professions. What is more, students can also be negatively affected. In the event of an unsuccessful Internet connection, a malfunctioning computer that is outdated for such video meetings, the student can very quickly lose motivation (Phan & Dang, 2017). While at home, children cannot always tune in to the work process, the feeling of which is much more easily achieved in the classroom. During class discussions, the student can count on the help of fellow students. Once in a stressful situation, every child develops the ability to give quick, clear answers and the ability to solve problems quickly (Gloria & Uttal, 2020). These qualities are blurred or lost in homeschooling, although they are significant for adapting to life in society.

Thus, with the proper work of the teacher, online learning provides much more opportunities for the educational process that are more relevant for modern children. Interactive assignments, multimedia, and the ability to control discipline during the lesson are undoubtedly advantages for the teacher. A comfortable environment, absence of conflicts guarantee peace of mind for parents and children. A lot of critical life skills are related to technology. The ability to control a computer and a smartphone are not even discussed in modern times, and a priori, it is believed that everyone has these abilities. In this regard, the skills of working with Internet technologies – search engines, instant messengers, programs for video meetings, text and image editors – are essential for every child. In this regard, online education significantly outperforms full-time education in the long term.

However, it is not advisable to completely deprive students of the opportunity to communicate with the teacher live. Stressful situations arise in the classroom during a vital lesson or conflict with classmates, and the student learns to respond to such situations appropriately. Unfortunately, the world is full of conflict situations outside of school, and practical, polite, and respectful communication skills also need to be developed during childhood. The teacher, as an example, is the educator of this kind of communication skills. In addition, schools often have specific equipment that is necessary for the educational process. For example, reagents for laboratory work in chemistry or installations and measuring devices for working with physical processes. This equipment is often expensive and unsafe for children. Students need this kind of real-world experience; otherwise, living inside digital technologies can have negative mental consequences.

The responsibility of parents is increasing in a consistent online format. In the traditional approach, the school and its staff are responsible for everything, while the student is much more likely to contact the parents at home. If both parents are working, the lack of control in a comfortable environment can lead to distracted attention of the student and an unwillingness to focus on the computer or tablet screen. On the other hand, the constant presence of a parent or parent at home can embarrass the student in class communication. In this situation, it is needed to find the right approach and discuss it with the child himself. There are no unambiguous pros and cons in this aspect.

Online learning at the same time minimizes all bureaucratic school processes. Naturally, students need to continue developing hand motor skills and handwriting to engage in creativity and physical education lessons. However, there is no need to keep a diary, write lectures in a notebook, and, when skipping classes, make up for lost material with the help of classmates who may have incomprehensible handwriting or unwillingness to share answers. At the same time, the ability to create a more flexible schedule is a plus for the teacher. Students and teaching staff save time and travel costs and keep their health by not carrying heavy teaching materials to the school.

To summarize the above, the online format is suitable in almost all but a few aspects. First, the child needs socialization. Parents must teach their children to get acquainted and make friends while playing sports and creativity, to organize joint activities with other families so that children communicate and become closer to their peers. Second, the student needs the opportunity to have authentic experiences. We are talking about laboratory classes, performances in front of the public, sports games in physical education lessons, and much more, which cannot be replaced by online education. Subject to these two conditions, the online format is the ideal choice for almost every student who can tune in to the work process at home.

Gloria, A. M., & Uttal, L. (2020). Conceptual considerations in moving from face-to-face to online teaching. International Journal on E-Learning, 19 (2), 139-159.

NatCom. (2021) Balancing Individualistic and Cooperative Activities May Be a Recipe for Student Success . Web.

Phan, T. T. N., & Dang, L. T. T. (2017). Teacher readiness for online teaching: A critical review. International Journal Open Distance E-Learn. IJODeL, 3 (1), 1-16.

Suny Broome. (n.d.) Face-to-Face vs. Online Instruction . Web.

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Coronavirus Disease 2019

Back to campus and face-to-face, with just a few small adjustments..

Posted September 16, 2021 | Reviewed by Lybi Ma

• Despite mask mandates, many campuses, like my own, are striving for some normality.
• Readjusting to face-to-face classes and their inherent dynamics may take us a while to (re)adjust to how things used to be.
• Three weeks into the term, so far so good; but it's important for faculty to remain flexible with students.

Well, after having vacated my university office in early March 2020, I am back. My space looks vaguely like a small cyclone hit it, but nonetheless, I am slowly finding some things (a “lost” book I need for one of my classes this semester) but not yet others (my access code to voicemails). Still, all in all, it’s good to be back. Also weird.

We are all re-adjusting to face-to-face classes after a year and a half of remote teaching and learning. Here are some things I’ve learned and some of the adjustments I’ve made:

Masks mask sound, too. My K95 mask seems to protect me—when it’s not making me sound like I’m doing a poor imitation of James Earl Jones. But I have to remember to speak a bit louder than usual, just as I need to speak more slowly and make certain to enunciate my words. I’ve had to ask some of my students to also “speak up” because sometimes they sound muffled, like adult voices in a Charlie Brown cartoon. But getting used to wearing masks to class and in all campus buildings is not really a burden—it’s a responsibility (one I’ve occasionally and gently had to remind students of when their mask is not firmly fixed on their faces).

Office spaces are not ideal for meetings. Not at the present, anyway. Mine is too confined. I’ve told my students we can meet on Zoom, communicate through email, meet immediately after class—they stand several feet from me as I pack up my notes, etc., at the front of the class. I also have met students in our spacious lounge area and outside, under some of the tents that have been erected so that classes can be held outdoors. The students are fine with the minor change and I make sure that if we are discussing their academic records that we keep our voices low.

Large gatherings still pose risks. I am fortunate that the university is retaining the Zoom option while holding face-to-face faculty and other meetings. Our full-time faculty meets once a month during the academic year, which means between 140 and 150 people gathered in a large lecture hall that really doesn’t have that many seats. Zoom is a blessing these days and, yes, I never thought I would say, let alone write, such a phase. What a difference a pandemic makes.

Students aren’t fragile but this is still a strange situation for many of them. Like faculty members around the country, I am working to remember that for some sophomore-level and transfer students, face-to-face classes are novel—they didn’t have them last year or not many, anyway. First-year students appear to be making the adjustment to in-person settings fairly well, perhaps because it is a refreshing change from their senior year of high school, which was largely or entirely online. I’ve tried to be flexible these first few weeks where assignments and the arrival of students’ textbooks are concerned—some are still waiting for their books to arrive. By not complaining to them I am hoping that the start of the semester will be smoother.

Life still happens. Unexpected family events still happen—a relative gets sick or dies and a student needs to return home to grieve with and comfort family members. Flexibility and understanding matter here, as always. Students who test positive for Covid-19 must leave campus and quarantine themselves until the virus passes—it is not taking any holiday—and faculty members like me must be helpful, calming, and understanding where student sensibilities are concerned.

Come what may? It will be interesting to see how the rest of the semester goes. I am hoping it remains steady—face-to-face classes meet, masks remain, the Covid-19 incidence remains low and manageable, and we make it to the holidays with reverting to remote learning again. Things feel more optimistic this time around—let’s see if reality meets expectations across time. Perhaps these small adjustments are working and helping.

Dana S. Dunn, Ph.D. , is a professor of Psychology at Moravian University, a liberal arts university in Bethlehem, PA.

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• Published: 18 August 2023

Exploring student perceptions and use of face-to-face classes, technology-enhanced active learning, and online resources

• Joanne M. Lewohl   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7577-0734 1  

International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education volume  20 , Article number:  48 ( 2023 ) Cite this article

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The current cohort of undergraduate students is often said to value technology and is assumed to prefer immersive, interactive, and personalized learning experiences. In contrast, many educators recognise the value of face-to-face classes and believe that attending class positively impacts student performance. A novel teaching strategy, including traditional lectures and interactive workshops using an educational technology platform were implemented in an undergraduate neurobiology course. Attendance in class and use of lecture capture recording were associated with improved student performance. Further, student attitudes toward the teaching strategy were evaluated via a survey. The survey respondents included those that regularly attended class and those that did not. Overall, irrespective of attendance, students thought that face-to-face classes were beneficial to their learning and the use of active learning activities helped them to understand the course content. The most common reasons for non-attendance in class were attributed to factors such as the class schedule, work and family commitments and were not related to the availability of class recordings and other online resources. In contrast, the most common reasons for attendance in class included the perceived benefit, the standard of teaching and the level of interest in the course. The novel teaching strategy had a positive impact on student learning, and can be used for in-person, online and asynchronous learning, providing a mechanism for educators to cater for students who wish to attend in-person classes as well as providing options for flexible delivery.

Graphical Abstract

Introduction

Each new generation of students has characteristics, interests and learning preferences that set them apart from the previous generation, and understanding these differences is necessary for educators to create learning environments that are engaging, inspiring and productive (Poláková & Klímová, 2019 ). The current cohort of undergraduate students are often described as individuals who have grown up with technology as an integral part of their daily lives (Seemiller & Grace, 2016 ). They are thought to be highly adaptable to new technology and expect their learning experiences to be immersive, interactive, and personalized (Reviewed in (Shorey et al., 2021 )). This cohort of students are also considered to be more independent learners, often relying on online resources to support their education, with a preference for and the ability to learn at their own pace (Chicca & Shellenbarger, 2018 ; Seemiller & Grace, 2016 ).

In 2020, the global coronavirus pandemic necessitated a rapid pivot to online and blended learning at universities in Australia and around the world, accelerating the trends that were already in process (Watermeyer et al., 2021 ). As a result, there has been a rapid expansion into the online learning space and an increasing reliance on the use of educational technology and virtual learning environments to deliver content and to facilitate online learning (Reviewed in (Arday, 2022 )). As educators, we are entering an unprecedented era, one in which we are tasked with providing high quality instruction to engage students in their own learning despite the potential for ongoing educational disruption. There are many challenges in this changing landscape including how to cater to students who want the flexibility of studying online or asynchronously with those that want to return to face-to-face delivery.

Prior to the pandemic, a common mode of instruction at university was the traditional didactic lecture, although technology-enhanced active learning, problem-based learning and flipped classroom strategies have also become popular (Kirkwood & Price, 2014 ). Educators often placed value on in-class attendance which was viewed as an important indicator of student success (Crede et al., 2010 ; Guleker & Keci, 2014 ). Indeed, a systematic review of the relationship between lecture attendance and academic achievement revealed that 75% of studies showed a significant positive association between class attendance and academic performance for undergraduate students in the biosciences (Doggrell, 2020b ). However, there is an increasing trend at our Institution and others to provide lecture capture recordings and to develop online digital resources to facilitate student learning. The provision of these resources offers increased flexibility for students to engage with the course content, but a common concern is that this may negatively affect attendance and may not improve student outcomes (Gosper et al., 2010 ; Kinash et al., 2015 ; Preston et al., 2010 ). Specifically, the availability of captured lectures has been postulated to reduce student interaction in face-to-face classes (Mark et al., 2010 ). Attendance rates for students vary widely and the reasons for absenteeism often include student perception of the value of traditional lectures as well as the availability of class recordings and other online resources (Reviewed in (James & Seary, 2019 )). There is also the potential for traditional modes of delivery to be at odds with the learning preferences of the current generation of students (Shorey et al., 2021 ).

Technology-enhanced learning is a broad term that can be used to describe any form of e-learning. Accordingly, technology-enhanced learning strategies can refer the use of technology to improve learning in face-to-face classes, the creation and use of digital resources for asynchronous learning or using social media (and other platforms) to encourage collaborative learning (Ansari & Khan, 2020 ; Voorn & Kommers, 2013 ). The impact of these strategies on student learning is reliant on the student’s engagement with and usage of the specific technological platform that is implemented (Dunn & Kennedy, 2019 ). While the impact of in-class attendance on academic achievement has been extensively studied (Crede et al., 2010 ; Guleker & Keci, 2014 ), when technology-enhanced learning strategies are implemented, the relationship between student attendance and academic performance is more difficult to ascertain. Some studies have shown no correlation between class attendance and performance in courses where lectures are recorded and class materials are available online (Doggrell, 2020a ; Kauffman et al., 2018 ). Other studies have shown that students who study independently, using online resources, can have similar academic outcomes and may even outperform those who attend class (Eisen et al., 2015 ; Lukkarinen et al., 2016 ).

Active learning is a key component to undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education (Freeman et al., 2014 ) however, lectures at higher degree institutions are often held in learning spaces that are not conducive to in-class participation (Büchele, 2021 ; Fadelelmoula, 2018 ; O'Keeffe et al., 2017 ). To overcome this challenge, educators often use technology to enhance the learning experiences for students (Wood et al., 2018 ). Echo360 is a platform that is commonly used for the automatic recording of classes. The newest iteration of this product, the Echo360 Active Learning Platform (Echo360ALP), is a technology-enhanced learning platform designed to facilitate active learning, promoting student engagement and participation (Shaw et al., 2015 ). The Echo360ALP has been available at Griffith University from 2018. Its functionality includes the ability for educators to embed polling questions at strategic points in their presentations and students can log in and answer these questions in real time. This active learning platform also includes the ability to directly embed multimedia into in-class presentations which is likely to appeal to learners who prefer to seek information through visual learning (Seemiller & Grace, 2016 ). Using a technology-enhanced active learning platform as a tool, it is possible to create novel and innovative learning experiences which may encourage students to attend class and engage with class material.

The present study

The learning preferences of the current cohort of students for immersive, interactive, and flexible learning experiences are at odds with the traditional didactic delivery of lectures at university. To address this issue, a novel teaching strategy was implemented in a second-year undergraduate neurobiology course incorporating a unique blend of traditional lectures, active and interactive learning strategies, and online learning resources. Specifically, face-to-face classes included traditional didactic lectures which were used to deliver course content, and workshop classes that used an active learning platform to facilitate student interaction and engagement during class (Freeman et al., 2014 ; Shaw et al., 2015 ). In addition, all classes, were recorded and made available to students asynchronously. The teaching strategy was designed to meet the diverse needs of students and was aimed at fostering student engagement and motivation to attend class and engage with the course materials (Dunn & Kennedy, 2019 ). Thus, a key objective of the current study was to investigate student attendance in face-to-face classes, their use of class recordings, and the impact of these on student performance in the course. Students were also surveyed to establish their views on the teaching strategy including the use of an active learning platform in the classroom, their use of the available resources as well as factors that influenced their decision to attend, or not attend classes in person.

Cohort characteristics

The study participants were second-year undergraduate neurobiology students who completed the course as part of their program of study at Griffith University. Ethical Clearance for this project was obtained from the Griffith University Human Ethics Committee (GU Ref No: 2018/651). The course is offered in one 12-week trimester each year with two distinct cohorts analysed in this study (2018 and 2019). The course is a requirement for students in the Bachelor of Biomedical Science program and an elective for students in other health programs. Many of the students in these programs have career trajectories that include medicine, medical research, or allied health professions. In 2018 the cohort consisted of 115 students; 85 (74%) were from the Biomedical Science program, and 21 (18.3%) were from the Health Science program. The remaining nine students were from other health-related programs. In 2019 the cohort consisted of 93 students; 63 (72%) were from the Biomedical Science program, 25 (26.9%) were from the Health Science program, and the remaining student was from another health-related program. In the 2018 cohort there were 67 female students (58.3%) and 48 male students (41.7%). In the 2019 cohort there were 54 female students (58.1%) and 39 male students (41.9%). Data from both cohorts were combined in the analysis.

Educational context and course structure

The course was designed using a constructivist approach (Biggs, 2014 ) and consists of a series of scaffolded weekly topics starting with fundamental topics (e.g. neuroanatomy) and progressing to more complex integrated topics (e.g. dementia). The main objective of the course is to teach students about the function of the brain and specifically how damage to discrete areas of the brain results in the symptoms associated with various neurological and neuropathological conditions.

Each topic was designed and structured using Bloom’s Taxonomy (Krathwohl, 2002 ). The theoretical content was taught in face-to-face lectures which were automatically recorded using the Echo360 lecture capture system and made available within a few hours of the scheduled class. Additional digital resources including detailed learning objectives, presentation slides, and review questions were available for each topic. Students also had access to an online interactive textbook hosted by a third-party vendor that was authored by the course instructor, free to access under specific conditions and directly aligned to the course outcomes. The online textbook included formative assessments in the form of quiz questions as well as embedded multimedia usually in the form of YouTube videos that were vetted for appropriateness and accuracy of content.

To encourage student engagement and facilitate deep learning, each topic also included clinical case studies to provide a real-world context for students (Meil, 2007 ; Mickley & Hoyt, 2010 ). Students were expected to engage with and acquire knowledge about each topic from one of the available resources (in-person lecture, recorded lecture, or interactive textbook), and then apply that knowledge to analyse case studies in the workshop classes. For some topics, the theory and applied components were combined in a single class. The workshops (14 in total) were designed to be interactive and used an active learning platform. Each workshop included at least one case study and included polling questions which the students could answer in real-time as well as multimedia (video) which was used to showcase patient symptoms. The workshop classes were also automatically recorded using the lecture capture system. Students had access to the recording itself as well as the presentation files which included the embedded polling questions.

The timetable, timing and form of assessment, venue and teaching staff were consistent for the course offering in both 2018 and 2019. All lectures and interactive workshop classes were delivered by a single instructor in both 2018 and 2019.

Student attainment measures

The final exam was worth 50% of the overall grade and was held during the exam period at the end of the trimester. This item of assessment was conducted in-person, under exam conditions and included case study questions like those presented in interactive workshop classes. The dependent measures used as measures of student performance were the final exam percentage ( Final Exam ) and final overall percentage ( Overall Percentage ). Student grades for two pre-requisite anatomy and physiology courses were available for most students (83.5% of students in 2018 and 92.5% in 2019). The average pre-requisite grade was determined for each student individually and was used as a variable in the bivariate Pearson’s correlation analysis. Students without grades for the first-year courses were external transfers who received credit for the course.

Class attendance & in-class participation

Attendance was recorded in 14 classes during the trimester. A list of student names was circulated during the class. Students could sign in on entry to the class or mark their name off as the clipboard circulated through the room. The sign-in sheets were also available during the 10-min break in the middle of the two-hour class and at the end of class for any student who had not marked off their name. Attendance, as expressed as a percentage of enrolled students, was determined for each individual class ( Class Attendance ). Student Attendance was calculated as the total number of classes attended by each individual student (0–14). In-class participation was defined as the number of students who logged in to the active learning platform during class expressed as a percentage of the number of students who attended in-person.

Lecture capture analytics

Lecture capture data was downloaded once for each cohort on the day of the final exam and therefore reflects the number of views during the trimester and in the review period on the lead-up to the final exam. For each individual student, the viewing data was extracted for each class recording and included the view duration, capture duration and percentage of video viewed. If a student accessed and watched more than 10% of a recording it was counted as a “ View ”. If a student accessed and watched more than 80% of the recording it was counted as a “ Complete View ”. If a student accessed and watched between 10 and 80% of the recording it was counted as a “ Partial View ”.

Data analysis

The data was analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics 28 software (SPSS Inc. Chicago, IL, USA). The relationship between Student Attendance (total number of classes attended; 0 – 14), Complete Views (number of class recordings where > 80% of the recording was watched by the student; 0 – 14) and Partial Views (number of class recordings where 10 – 80% of the recording was watched by the student; 0–14) and performance in both the final exam and the course overall was investigated using bivariate Pearson’s correlation analysis. To determine if performance in the pre-requisite courses influenced the relationship between these variables, a partial correlation analysis was performed. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and post hoc testing (Tukey HSD) was used to determine if differences in student performance measures reached statistical significance (using an α of 0.05).

Student attitudinal survey and data analysis

Data was collected by means of an attitudinal survey. The survey was adapted from previous studies assessing student perspectives to lecture attendance in undergraduate engineering (Fitzpatrick et al., 2011 ) and neuroscience courses (O'Keeffe et al., 2017 ). In 2018, the survey was administered in person in the final class of the year. In 2019, the survey was administered online. The survey included questions regarding demographic information, questions about their attendance in each type of class, their opinions about face-to-face classes and lecture capture as well as questions about the resources provided in the learning environment (Table 1 ). Students were also asked to indicate their reasons for attendance or non-attendance in face-to-face classes by completing a matrix of possible predetermined options. Students who identified as “ non-attenders ” were given a choice of 17 options and asked to indicate whether it was “never a reason”, “sometimes a reason” or “definitely a reason” for their non-attendance (Table 2 ). Students who identified as “ attenders ” were asked to respond to 14 options with the same three possible responses (Table 3 ). The survey also included three open questions designed to solicit opinions about attending class and active learning strategies.

The data from each survey was exported to Excel and responses to each question were counted to determine the percentage of students with each response. For questions regarding student opinion of lectures and workshops, data was collected using a 5-point Likert scale. The 5-point Likert scale consisted of the following options: “strongly disagree”, “disagree”, “undecided”, “agree” and “strongly agree”. The responses were converted to ordinal data ranging from 1 to 5 with 1 = “strongly disagree” to 5 = “strongly agree”. A positive response was indicated by selection of either the “strongly agree” or “agree” option, a negative response was indicated by selection of either the “strongly disagree” or disagree” option. The final option was “undecided” indicating no clear agreement or disagreement with the statement.

The data was analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics 25 software (SPSS Inc. Chicago, IL, USA). For each statement, descriptive statistics including the mean score were calculated. Further, Pearson’s Chi-squared tests were performed to determine whether the student’s choice significantly deviated from chance where the expected outcome was defined as equal numbers of students selecting each option. Students were also asked to indicate their reasons for attendance or non-attendance in face-to-face classes by completing a matrix of possible (predetermined) options. However, students were able to contribute additional responses and reasons via open ended questions.

What resources did the students use?

Attendance in lectures and workshops was not mandatory and students were able to choose whether to attend class in person, use the class recordings as a substitute or a combination of both according to their own preferences. The class materials, including the class recordings and online interactive textbook, were available to all students enrolled in the course and the variety and comprehensiveness of the resources allowed students the flexibility to study independently if they chose.

Workshop attendance varied from 25.8 to 73.1% throughout the trimester for an average of 46%. Individual student attendance ranged from 0 to 100%. While students were encouraged to bring a laptop or other mobile device for in-class polling activities using the active learning platform it was not mandatory. In both cohorts there was a mixture of students who logged in and those who did not. The average percentage of students who logged in to the active learning platform during class was 59.6% (range: 17.8–86.1%).

Lecture capture usage varied across classes, with the average number of views per recording ranging from 99 to 263 (average: 152 views/class). The percentage of students viewing the recorded lectures ranged from 38 to 74% (average: 53.5%). Further, the percentage of students watching more than 80% of the recording ranged from 22 to 60% (average: 56%). Of the 205 analyzed students, 14 attended class in-person but did not watch the recordings (“ Attenders ”), 26 watched more than 80% of each class recording but did not attend in-person (“ Viewers ”), 29 attended class and watched more than 80% of each recording (“ High Engagers ”) and 15 neither attended class in person nor watched the recordings (“ Low Engagers ”).

The online textbook, hosted by a third-party vendor, was accessible at no cost to students under specific circumstances. Approximately 45% of students in the cohort signed up to access the online textbook but since it was hosted externally, precise tracking data was not available.

How did the students perform in the course?

In terms of in-person attendance, a weak but significant positive relationship was found between Student Attendance and performance on the final exam (R 205  = 0.284, P < 0.001) and in the overall course percentage (R 205  = 0.268, P < 0.001). These relationships remained significant even after controlling for average pre-requisite grade (Final Exam Percentage: R 185  = 0.258, P < 0.001; Final Overall Percentage: R 205  = 0.235, P = 0.001).

Regarding the impact of watching class recordings, a weak but significant positive relationship was found between watching more than 80% of each recording ( Complete Views ) and performance on both the final exam ( R 203  = 0.29, P  < 0.001) and in the overall course percentage ( R 203  = 0.307, P  < 0.001). These relationships remained significant even when controlling for average pre-requisite grade (Final Exam: R 182  = 0.279, P  < 0.001; Final Overall Percentage: R 183  = 0.316, P  = 0.001). However, no significant relationship was found between partial lecture capture views ( Partial Views ) and performance on the final exam ( R 203  = 0.02, P  = 0.774) or in the overall course percentage ( R 205  = 0.004, P  = 0.955).

To determine if watching more than 80% of each class recordings is equivalent to attending class in person, the performance of “ Attenders ” was compared with that of “ Viewers ”. These two groups of students performed similarly in both the final exam (Tukey HSD; P  = 0.965) and overall course percentage ( P  = 0.975) suggesting that watching the class recordings can serve as an adequate substitute for attending in person. Further, both “ Attenders ” and “ Viewers ” outperformed “ Low Engagers ” on the final exam (“ Attenders ” vs “ Low Engagers ”, P  = 0.004; “ Viewers ” vs “ Low Engagers ”, P  = 0.032) and in the course overall (“ Attenders ” vs “ Low Engagers ”, P  = 0.001; “ Viewers ” vs “ Low Engagers ”, P  = 0.009). “ High Engagers ” performed at a similar level to “ Attenders ” (Final Exam, P  = 0.899; Overall Percentage, P  = 0.975) and “ Viewers ” (Final Exam, P  = 1.00; Overall Percentage, P  = 1.00) on both the final exam and in the course overall.

Student perspectives on the relevance of face-to-face classes

In total, 105 students completed surveys: 68 students in 2018 (59.1%) and 37 students in 2019 (40.2%). Overall, 78.1% of the students were 15–20 years of age and a further 20% of students were 21–30 years of age. There was one student who as 31–40 years of age and one who was in the 41–50-year age bracket. There were more females (66.67%) than males (33.33%). The majority (86.67%) of students used English as their first language and 93.33% of the cohort were domestic students. Most of the respondents were students in the Bachelor of Biomedical Science program (76.2%) and a further 17.14% were in the Bachelor of Health Science program. The remaining students were enrolled in a variety of other programs in the Faculty of Health. Of the students who completed the survey, 62.9% attended more than 50% of lectures, 17.1% attended less than 50% of lectures and 20% did not attend any lectures. Of the students who completed the survey, 72.4% attended more than 50% of workshops, 19% attended less than 50% of workshops and 8.6% did not attend any workshops.

Students were asked to indicate their level of agreement with five statements related to their experience of the course (see Table 1 for details). Out of 105 surveyed students, the majority found lectures (82%) and workshops (93%) beneficial to their learning (mean Likert score, 4.18 and 4.64 respectively). Chi-squared analysis showed a significant deviation in student preference from chance for both statements (Lectures: χ 2  = 81.73, df = 4, P  < 0.001; Workshops: χ 2  = 134.01, df = 4, P  < 0.001). The majority of students (76.7%; mean Likert score, 4.15) agreed that “ Attending lectures and workshop classes helped me to understand the course material much better than just reading through or watching the supplied resources ”. Chi-squared analysis showed a significant deviation in student preference from chance for this statement ( χ 2  = 75.30, df = 4, P  < 0.001). The majority of students (85%; mean Likert score, 4.15) agreed that “ The use of in-class interactive tools helped me to understand key course concepts ”. Chi-squared analysis showed a significant deviation in student preference from chance for this statement ( χ 2  = 89.37, df = 4, P  < 0.001). Most students (62%; mean Likert score 2.59) responded negatively to the statement “ Since the lecture and workshop classes were recorded there was no real reason to attend class ”. Chi-squared analysis showed a significant deviation in student preference from chance for this statement ( χ 2  = 48.31, df = 4, P  < 0.001).

To understand how the students felt about the online resources that were provided by the instructor, students were asked to respond to two statements. The majority of students (92.4%; mean Likert score, 4.5), agreed that “ The Instructor provided lecture notes, ebooks, YouTube videos and other resources which helped me to understand key concepts in neurobiology ”. Further, 47.5% of students responded positively to the statement “ I accessed and used the online interactive textbook (Neurobiology: A Case Study Approach) which helped me to understand key concepts in neurobiology ” (mean Likert score, 3.27). Chi-squared analysis showed a significant deviation in student preference from chance for both statements (Resources: χ 2  = 140.86, df = 4, P  < 0.001; Online textbook: χ 2  = 10.14, df = 4, P  < 0.038).

The final statement was designed to assess the student’s overall opinion about face-to-face classes. The majority of students (76%) responded negatively to the statement “ I think face-to-face lectures and workshop classes are an out-dated mode of education in the modern world of information technology, distance learning and self-directed learning” (mean Likert score 1.96). Chi-squared analysis showed a significant deviation in student preference from chance for this statement ( χ 2  = 60.52, df = 4, P  < 0.001).

Factors affecting attendance in lectures and workshops

To determine which factors affected the decision not to attend lectures, students were given a choice of 17 possible options and asked to indicate whether it was “never a reason”, “sometimes a reason” or “definitely a reason” (Table 2 ). In a similar fashion, students were asked about the factors which affected their decision to attend lectures and workshops. For this question they were asked to respond to 14 options with the same three possible responses (Table 3 ).

Various factors influenced student attendance in class. The lecture schedule and the availability of class recordings were reported as the primary reasons for non-attendance. Interestingly, the schedule of the workshop classes was of less concern to students. Of note, work and family commitments were also given as reasons for non-attendance with some students choosing to use the scheduled time for self-directed study instead. Also, of note is that students’ reasons for non-attendance were not related to the standard of teaching in the course, the perceived benefit of attending class, the student’s interest in the content covered in the course, or the availability of online resources. The complete list of options and the distribution of responses can be found in Table 2 .

The perceived benefit gained by attending class, the quality of teaching and the level of interest in the course content played significant roles in determining student attendance. Of note, students who attended class responded positively to the three options related to the active learning activities and participation in class. The complete list of options and the distribution of responses can be found in Table 3 .

Most undergraduate students currently studying at university use technology as an integral part of their daily lives (Seemiller & Grace, 2016 ). These students have a preference for and the ability to use online resources to learn independently and at their own pace (Chicca & Shellenbarger, 2018 ; Seemiller & Grace, 2016 ), are predominantly visual and kinaesthetic learners and tend to embrace gamified, active and interactive learning experiences (Roberts, 2015 ) (Shorey et al., 2021 ). Creating engaging learning experiences is dependent on understanding the needs, interests, and learning preferences of the students we teach.

The global coronavirus pandemic necessitated a rapid pivot to online and blended learning strategies to minimize disruption to student education (Arday, 2022 ). The experience of students during that time is likely to be highly variable and dependent on the individual skill and experience of the instructors in their courses as well as availability of educational technology and virtual learning environments (Koh & Daniel, 2022 ; Sum & Oancea, 2022 ). For some courses and institutions lectures may have been delivered live but online, for others the classes may have been delivered asynchronously with pre-recorded lectures available for students to view in their own time. Thus, student attitudes toward and preferences for online versus face-to-face classes will likely be influenced by this recent experience. However, reflecting on and critically evaluating the factors that motivated students to attend classes before the pandemic can provide valuable insight to inform our decisions as educators whether to continue teaching in the online space or return to the classroom.

Are face-to-face classes an outdated mode of education?

Even before the pandemic, the decline in attendance in face-to-face lectures was well documented with many educators questioning the value of this mode of teaching (Golding, 2011 ; O'Keeffe et al., 2017 ). Many studies attributed the decline in lecture attendance to the increasing availability of digital recordings and other online resources (Edwards & Clinton, 2019 ; Johnston et al., 2013 ). While the provision of these resources offers increased flexibility for students, a common concern has been the potential negative impact this may have on attendance and ultimately student performance (Gosper et al., 2010 ; Kinash et al., 2015 ; Preston et al., 2010 ). A similar trend was observed in the undergraduate neurobiology course analyzed in this study following the university mandated digital recording of lecture and workshop classes from 2013 onwards. However, despite reduced attendance, one of the recurring themes in student feedback was a desire for more discussion and interactivity during class.

With a view to improving the student experience and to encourage students to attend class, an active learning platform was used to augment neurobiology workshop classes to include videos and in-class polling. Overall, student attendance fluctuated during the trimester for an average of 46% which is similar to or greater than other courses in the biosciences (Doggrell, 2019 , 2020a ). While it is not possible to correlate in-class attendance to the use of the active learning platform directly, the survey responses indicated that this mode of teaching was popular among the students. Similar to other studies, attending class was weakly associated with better performance (Doggrell, 2019 ). More importantly, students who chose to attend class did so because of the high standard of teaching, their interest in the course material and thought the classes were beneficial to their learning. There is also a perception among the surveyed students that they will miss important information if they miss class, despite the availability of other resources including class recordings. In contrast, reasons for non-attendance were not related to the quality of teaching, interest in the course content or the perceived benefit of attending class. The main reason for non-attendance were factors outside of the control of the course instructor and included the time of the scheduled lectures (5 – 7 pm on a Monday evening), as well as part-time work and family commitments. An important finding of this study is that the availability of digital recordings and other online resources allowed students with external commitments and time constraints to continue their studies and perform as well as their peers.

Students who did not regularly attend class stated that the availability of digital recordings influenced their decision not to attend. However, a high proportion of students who attended class accessed and used the class recordings, with most indicating that the availability of these resources was not a factor in their decision to attend class. Interestingly, watching the digital recordings was associated with better performance in the course but only if more than 80% of the recording was viewed. Further, students who exclusively used the digital recordings to access the course content had similar academic outcomes to those who came to class. Studies investigating the correlation between lecture attendance and academic performance when lecture capture was available have reported mixed results. A systematic review published in 2020 showed that in the biosciences, 69% of studies show a weak but positive association between lecture attendance and academic performance when lecture capture was available (Doggrell, 2020b ). However, whether students had access to digital recordings was only indicated in 11 of the 29 studies analysed, and no data on how the students used the recordings was presented.

It should be noted that the students in the course take three other courses, some of which have mandatory laboratory classes as well as assessments at varying times during the trimester. However, unlike previous studies, only 9% of students indicated that assessments and demands for other courses was a reason for their non-attendance. In prior studies using a similar survey, 47% of neuroscience students (O'Keeffe et al., 2017 ) and 38% of engineering students (Fitzpatrick et al., 2011 ) indicated that this was a reason for their non-attendance. Further, approximately 30% of students expressed that their decision to attend class was sometimes influenced by assessments in other courses. Throughout the trimester, class attendance fluctuated, and the classes with the lowest student turnout coincided with mid-trimester assessments in other courses.

Since attendance in class was not mandatory and students had access to a variety of digital resources in addition to the class recordings, they had the flexibility to study independently if they chose. However, very few students (~ 11%) stated that the availability of the digital resources was a reason for their non-attendance and only 16% of students stated that they used the time for self-directed study. A notable distinction between students who did not attend class and those that did was their perception of the sufficiency of the digital resources. Only a small percentage of Non-attenders stated that they accessed the YouTube videos (less than 3%) or the interactive textbook (less than 7%) and therefore did not need to attend class. In contrast, approximately 45% of Attenders accessed the YouTube video links, and around 32% of Attenders used the interactive textbook. Interestingly, Attenders viewed these resources as valuable supplements to their learning but still attended class to enhance their overall understanding of the course material.

Do active learning strategies improve the face-to-face learning experience?

One of the strategies that appealed to students the most was the use of an active learning platform during class. The platform was used to facilitate active learning, and to promote student engagement and participation (Shaw et al., 2015 ). Presentation files for each interactive class were uploaded to the platform directly, and multimedia and polling questions were embedded. At appropriate times during the class, the students were polled and given a few minutes to contribute their answers. All answers were anonymous, and students could change their answer if they chose. Multiple choice, short answer and click-on-target style questions were deliberately chosen to clarify key points and to prompt discussion. After a few minutes, the instructor switched to the “live” view of the responses and discussed the correct answers and reasoning with the class. Students could ask questions or seek further clarification and the polling questions commonly prompted detailed discussion of key concepts. While all students were encouraged to log in to the active learning platform during class, it was not compulsory to do so. The classes were automatically recorded and these recording captured the class in its entirety including the in-class polling, answers and resulting discussion. Overall, the interactive workshop classes were very popular with students as the system allowed them to actively participate in class, even though the classes were held in a lecture theatre that was not conducive to active learning (Büchele, 2021 ; Fadelelmoula, 2018 ). Students who attended class indicated that the active learning activities complemented the course resources, helped them to gauge their understanding of key course concepts and factored into their decision to attend class in person. Despite the availability of class recordings, students found greater benefit in attending class than working through the class materials by themselves. Students who did not attend class did not directly experience the benefits of the active learning strategy. Moreover, since their non-attendance was primarily due to external commitments, it is unlikely that the utilization of the platform, or any other teaching strategy, would encourage in-class attendance.

It is interesting to note that the impact of the active learning strategy was not limited to those students who logged in to the platform during class. Students who attended class but did not log in as well as those students who used the class recordings as a substitute for in-person attendance, performed well in the course. One explanation is that the students are learning vicariously by observing their peers’ responses to questions and were thus able to gauge their understanding of key concepts without contributing answers themselves (Mayes, 2015 ; Roberts, 2015 ).

One of the potential limitations of using an active learning platform during class is that encouraging the use of laptops and other devices may be distracting to not just the students using the device but also their peers (Aagaard, 2015 ; Dontre, 2021 ; Fried, 2008 ; Sana et al., 2013 ; Wood et al., 2018 ). A proportion of students (~ 14%) attended class in person and watched more than 80% of each recording. The academic achievement of these students was comparable to those students who either attended class or watched the complete recording. One possible explanation is that despite coming to class in-person, these students were either distracted during class or otherwise disengaged and felt the need to make up the class by watching the recording. However, informal feedback from students suggested that students who came to class used the recordings for review purposes.

In this paper we have examined the impact of a novel teaching strategy designed to improve student engagement in a second-year neurobiology course. This strategy was developed with the preferences of students in mind and included a combination of lectures, technology-enhanced interactive workshops, and online learning resources. Historically, educators have placed emphasis on the value of in-class attendance viewing it as an important indicator for student success (Crede et al., 2010 ; Guleker & Keci, 2014 ). In this study, in line with this belief, students who attended class found the experience to be beneficial to their learning. These students performed well overall, and better than those who did not attend class. However, one of the key outcomes is that students who had to depend on class recordings due to scheduling conflicts or other issues, achieved comparable results to their peers who attended class in person. Consequently, the availability of class recordings and other digital resources enhances flexibility without detrimentally affecting student performance. Students could choose how to access the course content based on their own personal preferences and circumstances and this likely lead to increased engagement and satisfaction with the learning experience. Although the study was limited to a single course, the outcome may be broadly applicable across other disciplines.

Lectures at tertiary institutions are often held in learning spaces that are not conducive to in-class participation (Büchele, 2021 ; Fadelelmoula, 2018 ; O'Keeffe et al., 2017 ). However, leveraging technology to enhance the in-class experience of students has been shown to improve student learning (Wood et al., 2018 ) but the impact is dependent on the students’ engagement with and usage of the specific platform that is implemented (Dunn & Kennedy, 2019 ). In this study, an active learning platform was used to embed in-class polling questions and multimedia at strategic points during workshop classes. The questions and videos were chosen to showcase specific learning outcomes and provide opportunities for students to gauge their understanding of key concepts. Overall, student perception of the interactive workshops was positive, with most students stating that the classes were beneficial to their learning experience. Further, students felt that the in-class experience was enhanced by using the active learning platform and that this mode of teaching helped them to understand and apply the course concepts. The benefits of using this teaching approach is that it can be adapted for use in any discipline that involves both the acquisition and application of knowledge, it is readily scalable to accommodate large classes and can be used for both online and hybrid learning environments. This strategy can also be implemented using various platforms since there are several different in-class polling tools available.

The current generation of students, known for their adaptability to technology and inclination toward independent learning, highly value and often use digital resources (Chicca & Shellenbarger, 2018 ; Seemiller & Grace, 2016 ). Nevertheless, this study reveals that attending face-to-face classes still holds significant value, as students reported greater benefits from in-person interactions compared to relying on independent study. In summary, this research underscores the efficacy of a student-centred teaching approach, leveraging technology and providing flexible access to course materials. By recognizing the evolving preferences and learning styles of students, educators can optimize engagement and learning outcomes in a variety of educational settings.

Availability of data and materials

Ethical clearance for the project was granted by the Griffith University Human Ethics committee and as per human-subject research approval, the student attainment and usage data as well as the raw data from the attitudinal survey is only available upon revision of the protocol.

Abbreviations

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics

Echo360 Active Learning Platform

Griffith University

IBM SPSS Statistics 28 software Incorporated

Analysis of Variance

Tukey Highest Significant Difference

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Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Mrs S. Poulsen, Project Leader, Echo360ALP Project, Griffith University Learning Futures for technical assistance, execution, and feedback on the integration of the active learning platform in the classroom as well as the students in 2020MSC Neurobiology for their participation, patience, and feedback.

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Lewohl, J.M. Exploring student perceptions and use of face-to-face classes, technology-enhanced active learning, and online resources. Int J Educ Technol High Educ 20 , 48 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00416-3

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• Asynchronous learning
• Synchronous learning
• Attitudinal survey
• Lecture capture

What we miss about face-to-face classes this semester

    COVID-19 may have brought an unexpected conclusion to the academic year as Iowa State University — and much of the rest of the country — transitioned to virtual instruction in mid-March.

As we’ve all adapted to the new normal to successfully complete this year, we remain grateful for the time spent with students — both face to face and virtually — and have fond memories from classes this year.

Distinguished Professor Michael Bugeja listed what he misses about face-to-face interaction with his ethics class students, mostly seniors, in his April 21, 2020, article in Inside Higher Ed , and he challenged faculty and his students to do the same. Below are a few submissions.

On the bright side … many of these are the things we’ll look forward to when we return to campus!

Annie Wells senior in journalism and mass communication, outgoing editor in chief of the Iowa State Daily

• Late nights/early mornings in the newsroom when everyone has lost their minds.
• Driving younger staffers home late at night and talking about their futures.
• Crying in Spoon’s office when it’s been a really rough day.
• My roommate’s cat meowing at my door when he’s lonely, then when I let him in he immediately runs underneath my bed.
• Watching SNL every Sunday night with my roommates to catch up on the week and prepare for the upcoming week’s homework.
• Being able to get my unassigned but assigned parking spot at my apartment complex.
• Running between Carver and Pearson with my professor who also has to make that same track, also trying to figure out which way is the fastest to do that in ten minutes.
• Giving tours to prospective students, and getting the too-cool-for-this high school kids to ask me real questions when their parents aren’t around.
• IOWA SUNSETS! I swear the sky is bigger there.
• Daily CVS runs with my staff, I miss them more than my heart can take.

Isabelle Fiester senior in advertising

• Making the mad dash to the bus stop outside of my apartment because I decided I needed ten more minutes in bed.
• The MU Panda Express, where I had my “Monday Panda,” also known as my excuse to pig out on orange chicken and cream cheese wontons once a week.
• Going to my job at the printing services where most days I did small tasks like spiraling notebooks or scanning binder after binder full of charts and data I didn’t understand for 4 hours, usually while listening to a murder podcast.
• Sitting in the student lounge in Hamilton before ethics where I’d watch the TVs playing CNN and Fox News, comparing and contrasting the two.
• Being able to avoid responsibilities and spend money I shouldn’t at the Ames Goodwill and Salvation Army. Probably 75% of my possessions are from these two stores.
• Walking to my car after a class, praying not to see that little yellow piece of paper on my windshield.
• Being able to go to the grocery store and take my time while shopping, not stressing over how close I am to fellow shoppers.
• Having the choice to dress up for a class or show up in my pajamas.
• Calling the walk from the bus stop outside of student services to Hamilton every day my source of exercise.
• Being able to sit next to my friends in class and trying to whisper to each other or exchange glances during lecture.

Sherry Berghefer Greenlee associate teaching professor

• My students! I miss seeing their faces in class and chatting before class starts.
• Being able to walk around in lab to help those who need it.
• Being able to pop in and say hi to my fellow Hamiltonians.
• The camaraderie everywhere!
• Having students, current and former, just stop by to say “hi” or to share good news with me.
• Having my graduating seniors stop in for the last time to say their goodbyes and for congratulatory (and sometimes teary) hugs.

Tracy Lucht Greenlee associate professor

Know what I miss the most about face-to-face classes? Spontaneous in-class discussions. I had two of the best-vibing classes this semester in #jlmc201 and #jlmc349 . I miss the rapport we developed. @ISU_GSJC #whygreenlee #greenleegoesthedistance — Tracy Lucht (@tracylucht) April 27, 2020

Gary Sawyer Greenlee assistant teaching professor

What I miss about face-to-face classes? The weekly story meetings in JLMC 302. Lots of sharing ideas, making stories better and laughs. A noisy class is a good class. @ISU_GSJC #WhyGreenlee #GreenleeGoesTheDistance — Gary Sawyer (@GWSawyerISU) April 28, 2020

Erin Wilgenbusch Greenlee associate teaching professor

See Erin’s message to seniors in this video on LinkedIn.

Published: May 6, 2020

Home / Essay Samples / Education / Learning Styles / Implementing Face to Face Classes: A Case for Modular Learning

Implementing Face to Face Classes: A Case for Modular Learning

• Category: Education
• Topic: E-Learning , Learning Styles , Online Vs. Traditional Classes

Pages: 2 (765 words)

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Face-to-face vs Modular learning (essay)

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