Physical vs. Digital School

The Differences Between In-Person and Online Classes and How Both
Are Beneficial

By Nick Blanchette, Staff Writer

College pedagogy is consistently evolving, and with the development of new technologies, remote learning is more accessible than ever. However, the topic of digital classrooms has been a controversial one among students, parents and professors since the arrival of COVID-19.

Dr. Erika Grodzki, a professor in the College of Communication and Design, described her experience of teaching in the modern classroom and what she noticed about how students today learn through digital mediums.

Particularly, Zoom became a widely used platform during the pandemic in 2020, and for many online students, Grodzki found it difficult to maintain the type of connection they could experience in a standard classroom setting.

Students using Zoom to attend class often faced distractions in their environments. As of 2023, Lynn students do not have to work around the challenges of remote Zoom sessions as it is a requirement to attend in-person classes for undergraduate students. However, fully online, asynchronous courses continue to be popular among evening and graduate students alike.

“In my opinion, what benefits a majority of students is interaction,” said Grodzki. “You have to really know the student and something about them, so that the student realizes that you actually care about them. Then, they’re more likely to connect with you. That makes the class much better when everyone’s interacting.”

For in-person classes, Grodzki explained that it is easier to determine if students are properly learning and grasping the material or if they need help with an assignment. However, she also suggested that just because it is recommended for students to learn in-person, it does not mean that it is impossible to teach online. It is, simply put, a different experience.

Fully remote classes that do not rely on technologies like Zoom are often preferable for some students due to personal factors.

“I think there’s some students that actually enjoy online classes better than in-person classes because they’re the type of student that needs to be more independent, they have a very busy schedule or some of them are older students that have a family,” said Grodzki. “It gives them more time to complete the work at their own pace.”

For faculty members, Grodzki described that one upside of online classes is being able to set up the class before it begins, resulting in a well-planned class that does not need improvising throughout the block or semester.

Notably, online tools also allow students to have more access to information, like digital resources.

“Technology has greatly changed the way that students learn. It’s not just by way of Zoom or Canvas,” said Grodzki.

Whether students learn better by connecting with their peers and professors in-person or they prefer taking advantage of online courses, Lynn University provides all students with many opportunities to digitally improve their learning.