Everyone learns differently, and each person may have a different learning style, or some may have some learning styles in common. Since each individual learns differently, it is important, especially when doing school work, to figure out what works best for you, whether that is virtual or online learning, in-person or hands-on learning, or in another way.
There is a lot of diversity between classrooms because each teacher has their own teaching style. Some teachers use more paper and hands-on experiences like labs, while some teachers assign online work to Canvas. Some teachers may play more games to offer brain breaks, some may provide study guides to help you practice material, or some teachers may offer other options to help you focus and do better work.
Many students and teachers have more options when it comes to planning or doing assignments. This is due to the evolution of technology becoming more advanced and the discovery of new sites. One example is that teachers have multiple sites where they are able to post assignments or the daily agenda. Another example is with classroom games at New Berlin West, where there is a wide variety of games, such as Blooket, Quizlet, Gimkit, Quizizz, and more. These games can be beneficial because they can provide a way to learn or memorize information quickly, but also allow students to have fun while doing so.
Dawn Duellman-Arndt, a science teacher at New Berlin West, uses a combination of online work and hands-on work. She says that in science, it is important to have “a balance of both hands-on and virtual learning. Some concepts in science can only be demonstrated using virtual simulations such as the use of Gizmos or PhET Labs.” Using a combination can also help if a student is missing for a few days, since if it is available, they can do the work online.
Tylen Sawyer, a former student at New Berlin West who now does work virtually, can work on his own time and receives grade updates within hours. He mentioned, “I can see my grades right away. It’s really smooth, and if I click on a class or finish an assignment in class, you can watch the grade go up right away.” His number of assignments varies daily, but it roughly doesn’t take as long as our school day to finish them.
Learning Types
Learning types are different forms of learning styles that are a part of everyone. Each person is unique in how they learn, but some forms of learning fit into categories based on what helps someone learn best.
Each type of learning has different characteristics that make that style specific in classification and determining what style would work best for someone. One model of learning styles is Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. This theory states the eight main intelligences: visual (spatial), linguistic (verbal), logical (mathematical), kinesthetic (body), musical (excel through sound and auditory cues), interpersonal (working with others), intrapersonal (self-aware), and naturalistic (connection with nature).
One learning style that falls under the intrapersonal section of the main eight styles is solitary learners. Solitary learners are the opposite of social learners; a class that is part of the interpersonal section and are people who work best through communication. Solitary learners, however, prefer to be independent and mainly work alone. They might like doing virtual classes online because they wouldn’t have to talk to people much. Linguistic learners can benefit from both because they can re-listen to online lessons and do group activities online or in person. Students can take their missing work into their own hands while they’re gone as soon as it’s posted. Teachers should use a combination of both hands-on and virtual learning, while also doing what makes them most comfortable. Teachers should also post the assignment on Canvas, Google Classroom, or wherever they publish their class work for the people who are gone. If you don’t have a daily agenda, a student who is gone could be either guessing where the class is, or trying to find the assignment, which may not even be there for them to do.
Pros and Cons of Hands-On or In-Person Learning
A few advantages that go with hands-on learning are that you can ask the teacher or others for help right away, and for some people, writing things down may help them remember the information better. Oxford Learning states, “When writing or drawing, there is a direct connection between perceptual understanding and motor execution.” That means that writing by hand will reinforce the memory pathways in your head and improve your comprehension. However, an example of one downside is needing to be at a specific place at a certain time. You can’t be late for class, and if you are homesick, you may not be able to do all of your assignments and may end up falling behind. Another con, something important to keep in mind, is that everyone can get distracted sometimes, especially in longer lectures. It might also be beneficial to provide a stress toy that would not break easily in the classroom, and then take away the privilege in that class if they break or aren’t responsible with it.
The National library of Medicine did a social experiment involving students doing virtual classes versus in-person classes. “Face-to-face interaction makes teamwork more effective than virtual online teams. The students considered that non-face-to-face teaching does not benefit the communication between classmates, with the students in introductory classes being more affected.” In summary, students who took in-person classes had more effective teamwork skills than students who took virtual classes.
Pros and Cons of Virtual or Online Learning
With virtual learning, you have to establish a daily routine. This could be either good or bad, depending on how you look at it. If you aren’t great with making routines, then you may do things out of order or end up scrambling your stuff together.
A few good things about learning virtually are that you can do your work from anywhere as long as you have Internet access, and you don’t need to worry about distracting others.
However, one downside is that there are limited connection opportunities, so you wouldn’t make as many friends or have as many connections. Another downside to virtual learning is that you are constantly looking at screens unless you print off the work. Screens emit blue light, which can cause eye strain and discomfort.
Harvard Medical School states one way discomfort could be caused: “People who stare at a computer screen for long periods tend not to blink as often as usual, which can cause the eyes to feel dry and uncomfortable.” Harvard Medical School also recommends resting your eyes for a short period around every hour, whether you are reading a book or staring at a computer screen.
Another way to avoid eye strain is by using the 20-20-20 rule. The rule states that you should take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away every 20 minutes. Using the 20-20-20 rule will help prevent your eyes from becoming tired faster and can also help you refocus after a break.
Overall, while there are many good and bad things about hands-on or virtual learning, a combination of both is healthy. This is important because, as said above, it is healthy to have communication and in-person connections, as well as the right amount of online work. Teachers should provide a mixture of both, and allow their students to choose certain things if they want to do it virtually, like taking notes on a Google Doc, rather than in their notebooks. It would be beneficial for students to know their own learning style, so that they can better learn and focus.
