SHOULD ONLINE CLASSES REPLACE TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM TEACHERS

Should Online Classes Replace Traditional Classroom Teachers?

Andrea Solis

Los Angeles Leadership Academy

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Abstract

In this paper I will discuss the relationship between a student and a teacher within

the classroom environment and how online classes can cause schools to lose those types

of relationships within the school. Online classes alter the type of study habits and social

interactions with other people, especially those with a mentor style type of attitudes. This

article will also discuss the negative effects that online classes have on the students study

habits and test taking skills on school assessments.

Keywords: Students, Learning, Knowledge, Challenge Themselves, Study, Online

Classes

Should Online Classes Replace Traditional Classroom Teachers?

 SHOULD ONLINE CLASSES REPLACE TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM TEACHERS 3

Over the years, technology has been progressing and today in age we have smartphones,

laptops, flat screen television, social media, and etc. Another invention that had been created is

online education. Online education is a type of educational instruction that is delivered via the

internet to students. Online education is a form of being taught lessons through the internet.

Online classes are seen to be the future of education, but is that really an ideal form of education

for everyone? Traditional classroom settings have more beneficial impacts on the student's

individual academic success through: relationships, test scores, and overall productivity.

Relationships

The most important relationships in life are those people have with their teachers.

According to ED Daily News, Teachers make students laugh, encourage academic

mentor[ship], and for some a support system which is completely viable when students do not

have the best home environments(Shulman, 2017). Teachers are often the identifiers of great

potential in many students, an example being in the ED Daily News, where it states Dr. Dieter

immediately noticed my writing styles. She pulled me out of mainstream English and placed me

in her higher writing course(Shulman, 2017). Teachers are what stand between a student doing

something theyre good at and doing something they feel they are made to do. As ED Daily

News states, technology in the classroom should be an addition, not a replacement(Shulman,

2017) for the relationships that individuals build with their academic advisors and leaders. The

technology that is used to replace teachers as a whole is what is needed for those who need extra

help not as an entire new entity.

Moreover, They (teachers) are role models, leading by example and giving direction

when necessary. A computer can give information; however, a teacher can lend a hand, or an ear,

and discern whats necessary for a student to succeed, and to want succeed,(Dunn & Dunn,

2014) truly teachers are the compass that leads success for those who follow. According to
 SHOULD ONLINE CLASSES REPLACE TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM TEACHERS 4

Huffington Post, the role of the teachers in the classroom are huge, and technology will not

replace teachers(Dunn & Dunn, 2014). Teachers are the most undervalued pieces of technology

in a students life, but one of the most vital when it comes to understanding the knowledge that

education provides. In the Huffington posts it states, You can flip a classroom without relying

solely on technology,(Dunn & Dunn, 2014) which shows that technology is not the mandated

idea of what education opportunities have come to be but an option to how students can learn

beyond the teachers help and availability. To continue, the student and teacher can easily

become lost, unmotivated, or ambivalent to the mission at hand(Fox, 56). Students and teachers

need to remain on track as skills learned can be affected in many ways that will expand to other

components of the students lives. Teachers are there not for the main skills of a student, but to

mold how they learn and what they learn. Technology has found a way to creak through the

creavis that society has left open for it. It has dominated classrooms in ways that teachers should

be.

Assessments

Teachers and computers have varied amounts of assessments for the students to master
their skills throughout the year in the classroom. According to SeattlePi, online classes are more
limited in the types of assignments students can complete,(Morgan, 2017) which in time can
really limit the rigor of the course by allowing students to not put as many efforts into their
studying habits. There may be issues with completing all of the assessments on time because of
issues with videos and class lectures that are given online, it may be ineffective and time-
consuming to locate a particular segment or to skip a portion of a three-hour instructional video
delivered via the Internet, making interactive learning difficult(Zhang, 76). This makes it
nearly impossible for the student and the teacher to reach certain deadlines on time, and even
costs the student an accurate grade.
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According to a recent study in Marshall University(Watson & Sottile, 2010), students are prone

to cheating on online tests compared to tests taken in a traditional classroom setting cite. 32.7%

of students admit to have cheated on online assessments compared to those who have cheated in

a traditional classroom.
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Moreover, according to United States News Some experts suggest that its easier to

cheat in online working environments, since students can ask someone to take an exam for them

or complete a test with the internet at their fingertips(Haynie, 2014). With this students claim

that they learn more from a human individual than any piece of technology at their disposal.

According to US News, Despite using proctoring for a majority of final exams, Eric Friedman,

associate director in the office of distance education at Boston University, says students still try

to cheat on the tests(Haynie, 2014). Students can try any method of cheating when it comes to

the unlimited ways of access to the answers on the interweb. When taking tests online, students

develop methods of alternating between tabs and applications on the technology to get away with

getting free answers online and not getting caught by their administering person. Students cannot

get away with cheating as often in a traditional classroom setting than when taking a test online

within a classroom, as updating technology allows students to access computer mainframe

systems with more ease without gaining any unwanted attention from their teacher, decreasing

their ability to study properly, gain new knowledge, and be integrit about it. In U.S News, When

students take exams in their own home, it can be hard for school officials to verify their identity,

which makes it harder for teachers to understand whether the students are taking time out of their

own days to understand and test on the material(Haynie, 2014). If not for systems that are

becoming in place, students and teachers would have a poor relationship when it comes to

understanding who and what is taking to the test that the school administers to their homes. With

this , a scholar's grade may become in jeopardy, which leads to a decrease in grade point average.

With this in mind, another study of students with marginal cumulative GPAs (1.0-2.5 GPA)

found that students increased their GPA in the classes where they had face-to-face contact with

an instructor (Wilson & Allen, 245).

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How The Students Feel

Regarding classroom preference, research shows that a high percentage of students prefer

a traditional classroom over an online class. According to USA Today, 78% of more than 1,000

students surveyed still believe it is easier to learn in a classroom(Karambelas, 2013). In a

traditional classroom students are working on hands-on projects and are able to be more

productive. A traditional classroom motivates students to show up and get things done.

According to the New York Times, Students attend class and stay alert because they worry what

the teachers will think if they dont(Hill, 2012). Being alert in the class helps the students learn

and pushes them to stay focused.

In addition, students, along with teachers, agree that there is no other motivation like the

motivation one receives in a classroom. According to the New York Times, The

multidimensional world of questions, extemporaneous answers, spur-of-the-moment thinking,

blackboard problem-solving and shared excitement in learning about how the world works will

never be replaced by the one-dimensional world of online learning(Privaca, 2012). The

experience inside a classroom like said by Privaca creates excitement and on the spot problem

solving.

Conclusion

In conclusion, research I found that there are many negative effects to online classes

implemented in schools today. There is a strain on the social skills of the student and ways that

they would feel comfortable asking for help on various tasks. The students question the study

habits that online classes have them practice: they cheat, they share answers, and they dont take

time of day to fully understand the material that they are learning in their current classes. They

even have the ability to just have another student do the work for them. An example would be
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for my school, where students are paying other individuals to take their online classes for them,

basically creating a Catch-22, a never-ending cycle, for the student who doesnt learn anything

and remains knowing everything they already knew, thus allowing them not to progress their

knowledge for a better academic standing. Online classes are not good for a traditional classroom

setting because they distract from the real purpose of school. They make the student learn a

number of topics one after another, unlike regular school teachers that teach what the students

understand and what they will need to know. Online classes destroy what the school was meant

for. They make teachers obsolete and can alter the way curriculum was created and even make it

more difficult for schools to see what their students need help on and if they are actually

practicing on improving their skills.

References

Dunn, Jeff. Dunn, Katie. (2014). Technology Will Not Replace Teachers. Huffingtonpost.com.

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Fox, Jeffrey. (2015). The Ultimate Guide to Excellent Teaching and Training: Face to Face and

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Haynie, Devon. (2014). Think Twice Before Cheating in Online Courses. Usnews.com.

Retrieved from

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before-cheating-in-online-courses

Karambelas, Devin. (2013). Study: Students Prefer Real Classrooms Over Virtual.

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Learning in Classrooms Versus Online. Nytimes.com. Retrieved from

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Morgan, Kori. (2017). Compare and Contrast Online Vs. Classroom Instruction. Seattlepi.com.

Retrieved from

http://education.seattlepi.com/compare-contrast-online-vs-classroom-instruction-

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Scheg, Abigail. (2014). Critical Examinations of Distance Education across Disciplines,

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Shulman, Robyn. (2017). Why Computers Cannot Replace Teachers.ednewsdaily.com.

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http://www.ednewsdaily.com/why-computers-cannot-replace-teachers/.

Sotille, Watson R., James, George. (2010). Cheating in the Digital Age: Do Students Cheat

More in Online Classes.marshall.edu. Retrieved from

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