Hot takes: In-person vs. online classes

This article is part of an investigative series by The Northern Light that examines the impact of online classes.

The campus rush slowed after a long day. Dazh Maclean, a junior in the dental hygiene program, sat at the barstools in the fluorescently lit Social Sciences Building when The Northern Light approached her for an opinion.

“I like seeing my professor and being able to bounce my ideas off other people instead of being at home, just me,” said Maclean. “I don't think it's a good way to learn; you need those contrasting ideas.”

Maclean said having other people to talk with on campus makes it easier to decipher concepts.

“If you're learning alone, are you really learning? Because you're not getting perspectives, you're not seeing somebody that might know more than you — advance and help you learn,” she said. “It's a big part of education — period.”

When asked if other students share that opinion, Maclean said, “Some do, some don't. Like most people, some people really enjoy being able to go at their own pace.”

By contrast, Edmond Arroyo, a graduate student studying psychology, criticized aspects of in-person classes.

Arroyo said, “I mean, just with personal life and everything going on, sometimes it’s not easy to be on campus and do classes.”

He said he believes the prevalence of online courses could lead to a surge of students at universities but could diminish the overall quality of courses.

“You’ll probably see more people doing it, but I also think that the quality of courses would be impacted,” he said. “I think that the material people are learning won’t be as digested as if you were in person,” said Arroyo.

The Northern Light approached Hez Dickerson, a freshman at UAA, in a quiet hall on campus for an interview. Dickerson had a divided perspective on the issue.

“So, I would say it definitely has this double-edged sword where online you can take your time more, but in class you can have more of a definite understanding,” said Dickerson.

According to Dickerson, in-person classes can be disorienting if they become overly crowded, but students can communicate more effectively with professors.

Lily Walton, an art major in her junior year, also shared her thoughts  when asked if she prefers in-person or online classes.

“Definitely in person,” said Walton. “You get a lot more information from the teacher. It’s a lot faster to talk to them than just email and wait — but yeah, sometimes online is a little bit more difficult,” she said.

Face-to-face interaction in classes is a preference for some students, yet others point to accessibility and convenience of online courses as benefits. Student opinions at UAA indicate a lack of consensus on the debate.