Online Learning and Distance Learning, What’s the Difference?

The internet has brought us many things which we find great, to say the least. From entertainment to business, the internet allows us to explore our lives and do things that we were previously unable to do.

A good example is online gambling. Online casinos exist and with there being so many, users need to be informed on time, which they can be by reading reviews such as this CasinoLuck bonus review.

The internet also gave us a new way to learn. There are many ways to learn online, but there are also confusing terms about the topic. Online learning and distance learning come to mind. What is the difference?

Online Learning

Online learning is a blended way of mixing the digital world with teaching methodologies that are already in practice. Online learning is a way of supplementing traditional learning. There are many ways it can be implemented. Teachers using online resources to help students is one of the ways or having tasks that need to be done online.

Online learning means that the student will be using resources from the internet to further their knowledge about a topic. They will still have regular interactions with the teacher in person, but the internet will play a helpful role, though not the primary one.

Distance Learning

Distance learning is probably what people mean when they say that they have online classes. Distance learning was not that popular nor applied until we were hit with a global pandemic in 2020. At the time, most schools and universities realized how terribly they were prepared for anything that had to do with distance learning.

The teachers didn’t know how to use the tools and the students would not want to interact. Why, when you can browse the internet in another tab while pretending to pay attention. Distance learning had to be implemented, but there are so many ways to make it better.

Which One is Better?

It really depends on the student and teacher. Distance learning allows us to safely learn from experts, at a distance. It also allows us to learn at a distance, which is already an advantage. Learning from an expert which is two continents away is probably one of the best things that came with the internet. 

Online learning is also great, in its own way, because it supplements already effective, tried, and tested ways of learning. When talking to someone in person, we get that instant feedback of communication, for better or worse. Having access to online resources to further supplement our learning is even better.

Neither is better in a vacuum, but given a certain context, either of the two can be more optimal.

Learning online and distance learning are not the same things. Distance learning is learning by using the internet, made necessary and popular by a global pandemic. Online learning is a way of using the internet to make regular studies better. Either of the two can be good, given the right circumstances.