Education and lifelong learning is now centre stage in many people’s lives. Whereas once, education was the sole preserve of the classroom and education ended the day young people walked out of the school doors for the last time, modern day education courses are perfect for anybody in any walk of life, and at any age looking for self development.

NCC Home Learning courses, for example, are wide and varied, with vocational courses that can improve the chance of promotion and success. Many people have already opted for home learning course and have never looked back.  But, with many people still believing that the only place to learn is the classroom, how do you know which type of learning is best for you?

Home learning vs classroom learning

Understanding The Concept of Home Learning

You will also hear home learning described as distance learning too. Essentially, it means that anything outside of the more formal and traditional classroom setting can be defined as home learning. For example, online learning or e-learning is a form of home learning or study.

Classroom learning can be defined as the setting in which there is a teacher or tutor who leads the class through a curriculum or course. The teacher will set the pace, as well as other deadlines and so on. There are many courses that still use this method of learning, as well as a mix of self-directed study modules in which the learner completes the modules by working through materials and producing assignments.

Home learning – a modern concept?

It is a common held belief that distance or home learning is a new and modern concept. Traditionalists long held sway that the best – and only place to learn was the classroom. But, records show that the University of London was the first institute to offer distance learning – and this was back in the 1850s.

Gradually, opinions began to change and thus, people began to grasp new concepts, welcoming different ways for people to access learning. However, there is still a debate over which is best, home learning or learning in the classroom?

Home Learning

There are many benefits to home learning, all of which centre upon the idea of flexibility:

  • The pace of learning – everyone learns at a different speed. Whereas some people can grasp a concept quickly and easily, there are others who may need to break down a concept into bite-sized chunks.
  • Study hours – learning does not have to sit within a prescribed timetable. No longer do you have to learn from 9am till 3pm, five days a week. With home learning, a learner can work at a time that they enjoy and a time that fits with their everyday life. Some people rise early to study for an hour before work, whereas other people work late into the night.
  • Time, money and comfort – and still on the subject of time, for many people, not working in order to study is not an option. As a result, many people learn alongside a full-time job as well as family commitments too. It can also make funding studies easier too, as well as having the option of working where you want – whether that is a local coffee shop, your lounge, local library and so on.

Classroom-based learning

For some people, the classroom holds allure – they prefer the idea of having a teacher, as well as peers – but for many people, it can also bring back many unhappy memories of their time in school.

That said, the classroom environment can be conducive to a great learning experience:

  • Tutor – the presence of a teacher or tutor is undeniably a catalyst to learning. Many people find the tutor led sessions of a course a comfort; they feel they need the constant interaction and feedback as a source of confidence and assurance that they are on the right track.
  • Group study – there is also the aspect of learning alongside others that some people feel is not only important, but enhances the learning experience too. Learning within a group can be just as effective as learning by one’s self.
  • Interaction and exposure – there are times when learning takes places through opinion and discussion, as well as fact-finding, research and assignment writing. This is why some people feel that classroom-based learning has merit that outdo other kinds of learning settings.

However, classroom learning can take place at times that are not suitable for everyone and again, the rigidity of having to attend can place people under pressure that they find unacceptable.

For most people, choosing between the two – or even opting for a mixture of both – comes down to personal preference, as well as taking into account personal and financial circumstances. If attending a classroom is not someone’s preference, then this should not exclude them from learning all together.

This is a collaborative guest post

Previous articleA Girls Night In With Tena Oooops Moments
Next articleSeeing Santa At intu Derby #intuChristmas

4 COMMENTS

  1. I personally really prefer the classroom. It’s the feel of being in a set place for learning and being in a set place to relax. When at uni I had to work outside the classroom, but I had to travel to the uni library to do it as I lacked the motivation at home.

  2. I think most children benefit by being taught at school, as it teaches them life skills on how to interacte with others and many more they don’t get being home schooled I realise that for some children home schooling is the only option but given the choice I would definately say send them to school

Comments are closed.