The education system completely switched to the online mode over two years ago when the pandemic situation worsened back in March 2020. At that time, the online system of education was introduced as an alternative to the traditional system of education. It was believed that this system would be in effect for a few weeks or months and would only offer the tools and features that will be a substitute for the various activities of the offline system. Not only did the online system of education prove to be the best alternative to the traditional offline system of education but also offered a very large number of new features and tools to improve the system of education. These tools also opened the doors to many new opportunities for the people who wished to teach and learn. The online system of education made the education system highly flexible and inclusive and bridged the gaps and loopholes of the existing education system. Two of the most common methods of conducting classes in the online mode are live classes and video-based courses. Both these types of online methods are very popularly used by teachers as well as learners. In this article, we will be comparing live classes and pre-recorded video-based online courses. We will share with you all the details related to the same and help you compare both these types of teaching and learning methods introduced by the online system of education.
Online Courses
Based on pre-recorded videos, online courses are used not only by teachers and students but by professionals from almost every background. These courses are accessible using online courses platform where anyone can create and sell an online course for other people to access and learn. These courses are not only created by formal educational institutions but by anyone who is willing to share their knowledge and skills with learners.
Online courses are highly flexible. There is no fixed schedule or timetable that has to be followed. The teacher, as well as the learner, can access the course for their respective tasks whenever it is convenient for them. This is the feature that makes these courses more inclusive. Anyone can try their hand at teaching using online courses. You can easily find guides on creating online courses or how to sell courses online and get started with online teaching. For the learners, these courses offer a wonderful opportunity to learn from industry experts and leaders. This also gives them insights into the industry that they will be a part of or the industry that interests them.
Live Classes
A live class is one of the first methods of conducting a class that was introduced during the initial stages of the online system of education. Live classes were very close to offline traditional classes in how they were conducted and how the teachers and students could interact with each other. Live classes proved to be very beneficial for formal educational institutions. Teachers and students could interact in loge classes just like they could in traditional classrooms. Initially, live classes were conducted using video conferencing apps and platforms. With time, new features and tools were designed and incorporated into these apps to make sure that the virtual space was very similar to the transitional classroom space and that all the activities related to a classroom could easily take place even in the online mode. Live classes made one-to-one interaction possible for the teachers and learners. Live classes platforms offer tools like virtual whiteboards, hand-raising features, tools for recording attendance, screen sharing and many others. These tools and features made it possible for classes to be conducted smoothly in the online mode. Live classes are conducted according to a fixed schedule and timetable and hence it is important for the teacher and the learner to be present in the same virtual space at the same time. Other than video meeting apps, live classes can also be conducted using live video streaming apps. This allows the teachers to stream their classes to a much wider audience.
Both these teaching and learning methods- live or video-based made it possible for classes to continue without any disturbance even during the pandemic and have increased the options for the future.
