Since time immemorial, the
classroom has been the primary seat of learning, the place where knowledge is imparted, and the most conducive atmosphere where great minds are moulded and great thinkers are born. The classroom has always been and will always be streets ahead of the eLearning system of education/
training. When you think of a classroom, the image that conjures up in your mind is one with a blackboard, chattering
students, a teacher/instructor, notice boards, charts/maps hanging on the wall and other basic furniture found in most classrooms. Nowadays keeping in tune with technology, we also see many other facilities provided in a classroom like computers with Internet access, an overhead projector and other such gadgets, which facilitate training. Compare all this to an eLearning
environment where you have a student or many students sitting in front of their respective computers and trying to absorb knowledge in total solitude.
In classroom training, active participation is encouraged by way of group discussions, seminars and quizzes. This requires a high level of eye-hand-brain coordination and also promotes a healthy interaction among students, and between students and the teacher. This in turn helps to develop a sense of belonging and bonding among the students and inculcates discipline among them. Besides this, the classroom training methods help the students to develop soft skills like effective communication and interpersonal skills, which help to boost their confidence and shape their personalities. With the rising level of competition in academics, a classroom environment helps to keep the students
motivated and produces many high achievers. The teaching tools and methods are important to the students as it helps them to absorb the information in a structured way within a specific time frame. Periodic tests/exams are conducted in the classroom training system, which helps to measure the progress of the students and if any of them are found lacking, remedial measures can be taken to help even the weak students come out as winners. In eLearning, the student has to be highly self -motivated and self disciplined to be able to complete the course within the specified time frames.
It is true that even in classroom training there are chances for students to lose interest in the course, but this is where the teacher steps in and acts as their mentor, guiding them towards attaining their goals. In the eLearning method, the online tests help to measure progress, but due to the absence of a mentor/guide, even the most highly motivated person may lose interest and leave the course midway. A sense of lethargy sets in and the goals are never met.
In classroom training though the Internet may be accessible for academic purposes, the students are encouraged to use the library extensively to promote good reading habits, which is otherwise decreasing rapidly among most students these days. In eLearning, the computer based training and the web based training packages are quite comprehensive and leave little or no room for further learning from books. Extensive sessions in front of the computer, also poses many health hazards.Though classroom training will always be the most preferred way of learning, many people might opt for the eLearning method of training, as they cannot dedicate time for a classroom session. They will miss out on the multiple benefits provided in the classroom environment, which can be appreciated only by those who have experienced it.