“Tomorrow’s illiterate will not be the man who can’t read; he will be the man who has not learned how to learn.” – Herbert Gerjuoy.
Learning is something we do from the very moment we take birth. It can be explained as
an act of trying to grasp a skill or acquire knowledge. There are a variety of ways in which one
can learn, two popular methods being traditional learning and e-learning. Traditional learning is
where there is physical interaction between the teacher and the learner while e-learning is done at
a distance, typically via the internet.
After having understood both techniques, we might wonder which one way is better than
the other. Some may say that, E-Learning is a new approach that is growing in popularity and is
a better way of learning. While a few others may argue that the traditional approach is the best
way to go about it.
Traditional learning plays a vital role in shaping students personality. Learning in a
classroom environment promotes collaborative learning; they tend to adopt different ways of
learning that are practised by their friends. Engaging in classroom discussions provide them with
an opportunity to think critically and develop healthy competitiveness. Traditional learning is
very crucial at a young age. The experiences that children go through and the environment they
are in, have a great influence on how they are shaped as human beings. Being in a classroom
setting with other students will help them develop their social skills and organizational skills.
Even though we can obtain a great deal of knowledge via e-learning, the skills that we need in
our career and a work environment are best learnt through practical experiences. A few abilities
like resolving conflicts, interacting with peers, working collectively and being a good listener
can only be picked up when you are learning in a traditional setting.
Although traditional learning is a good approach, we are seeing an increased number of
people who prefer e-learning due to its convenience and affordability. E-Learning can be
attractive for people who love a large variety of course options that are not accessible otherwise.
It promotes independent learning and gives you the chance to learn and train yourself at your
own convenient timings. The downside of e-learning can be that it doesn’t give you an
opportunity to have a physical one on one with the teacher and more importantly, it is mostly
knowledge based rather than practicality based.
Even though e-learning and online learning are gaining popularity, nothing can replace
the conventional methods of learning, at least not in entirety. Teaching is not a technical job
requiring you to meet set deadlines. Teachers have upon themselves to mould the minds of
young people, which would define their future. On the other hand, learning is not merely gaining
the most amount of knowledge, instead, it is to gain the ability to analyse and apply the said
knowledge in the real world. This is particularly true in today’s age of artificial intelligence. Vast
amount of knowledge is available at our fingertips, so today’s students require more than mere
assimilation of knowledge. In my opinion, such wholesome education is possible better through
the traditional methods of learning.
