Can you say the effective way to teach online? Is it a webinar or a virtual classroom?
Well, if you want to teach or impart a message 0ver a diverse audience, one of the best ways to do that is via the internet. It will help in reaching more learners regardless of their location. But, if you want to meet your e-learning goals, you should distinguish between a webinar and a virtual classroom, in that way you will get to know which method brings out the biggest benefit for online learning. Then, let’s bring down the actual meaning of a webinar and a virtual classroom.
Webinar resembles the word “seminar” because that’s what a webinar is – a web-based seminar. A webinar is a particular event held on the internet where the speaker(s) and the audiences are connected to via computers. It’s like an interactive event, a presentation, lecture, seminar or a workshop that is hosted online using the video conferencing in real time.
Webinar is a basic version of video conference and a marketing tool which requires a hardware and software like: a display unit, an audio capability. One key characteristic of webinar is its interactive elements and the freedom in choosing the topic and discussing it with the participants in real-time. The participants may vary from tens to hundred in sizes, and the content here is predefined and interactions are limited to a chat window, polls with questions, and answers key points at the end.
A virtual classroom is a highly interactive online session used for facilitating peer-peer to meetings and discussions, social learning, and a variety of training and collaborative works on professional and academic projects. It is an online teaching and learning environment which will involve a group of 5-20 people, where the participants are allowed to discuss presentations, using break out rooms and through a number of interactive tools.
The emphasis is given on interaction for personal contextualization, discussion and application. Today organizations are using this technology in order to deliver training so that the business grows and strives to stay competitive. A wide range of virtual classroom platforms are available today in the online world such as e-learning, distance education and mobile learning.
Now let’s discuss the actual difference between a webinar and virtual classroom.
A webinar is an interactive event, lecture or a presentation hosted over the web using video conference, where a speaker or a group 0f speakers and participants receive and discuss information in real-time. A webinar can be considered as a flexible way to engage in interaction with a specific group via a specific platform eliminating the travel costs that come with face-face meetings. On the other hand, a virtual classroom is an online teaching and learning environment which helps tutors and students to communicate, interact, collaborate and share thoughts and ideas.
If we are discussing the purpose of these two learning techniques, we can say that the purpose of webinars is to create traffic, showcase brand, and generate leads. The prime objective of a webinar is to present and discuss a predefined topic that is engaging and informative to the listeners. It can also be used as a promotional strategy to promote a product or service by adding surveys, polls, or Q & A which will provide further collaboration. When it comes to virtual classrooms, the main purpose is to facilitate peer-peer meetings and discussions, social learning and a variety of training programs and collaborative works on professional and academic purpose.
Now let’s point out the merits and demerits of a webinar and virtual classroom.
Webinar
| Merits | Demerits |
| Webinars are online, and is easy and convenient for both presenters and participants, as no one has to travel to get to the meeting | There should be enough internet speed so that participants can attend without any lag. |
| No type of special equipment is needed, the presenter just broadcasts with a webcam to the participants.
Less cost because it is based on the number of people who sign up |
Audio may be limited to the presenter doing a voiceover and participants won’t be able to interact directly.
If audio is allowed, participants or presenters may have to pay for phone charges. No communication is possible through body language if no video feed is available. |
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A webinar may not work with all kinds of Internet browsers. May not work on Mac computers or mobile devices. This is critical these days as mobile devices such as tablets, smart phones, etc. are very popular and used widely. |
| An unlimited amount of audience can be permitted. | Other types of technical problems could also occur with the result being the anger and frustration of paying participants, i.e. business firewalls, slow Internet speeds, system configurations incompatible, etc. |
| It can be recorded so that other people who were not able to attend can view it. | Audience environment may be subject to the interruptions or disruptions such as side conversations, having to do other work at the same time, etc. |
Virtual classroom
| Merits | Demerits |
| Multiple precious hours and a ton of money can be saved through e-learning at the comfort of your living room. | There comes a lot of expenditure to set up online classes. The infrastructure needs an upgrade to support the new tech. And in many cases, a lacking infrastructure forms a hurdle in supporting live virtual classes. |
| Virtual learning is flexible, and there are no restrictions on getting late to the class or missing out on lectures, etc. | When using new tech, it is essential to know about it first. There are very few students and trainers who are well versed with the whole process. There is always a need to have IT support that trains teachers and students time and again. |
| Many people find the sharpening of one’s digital skills quite impressive. It helps develop skills and increase knowledge in the area of study. | Since the classes take place over the Internet there isn’t much interaction or face-to-face communication among the students. Hence one can observe that there is a loss of social and emotional skills in the child. |
| Virtual learning saves money for both the student and the organization. The cost to set up a class with necessary amenities won’t be any concern when teaching goes digital. Similarly, for the students, money is saved when they do not need to go to the institution to study. | We all know how the blue light of these screens is damaging to a large extent. Constantly staring at the screen damages eyes and may lead to many problems in the future. Regular breaks are advised when using laptop/phone screens. |
| Instant feedback is one of the most significant benefits of the virtual classroom. The time that is taken to receive results after the online exams is reduced, and one can get to take a look at their performance results much earlier. | With the teaching going digital, there is no physical approach in having a brainstorming or a Q&A session between teachers and students. The essence of a physical classroom is lost with the advent of technology and digital classes. |
Final patch up
Do we have a winner? No we don’t. Both the webinar and virtual classroom have their own strengths and weaknesses. Both are great e-learning tools to utilize. You just have to know your intended purpose, target audience, and budget. To know which platform to choose, here are some things to consider.
- Your audience, their preferred methods or formats etc.
- The purpose of the event.
- The cost of webinars and lessons.
- The demand and availability.
- The technical equipment.
- The media or other learning devices that you will be sharing.
- The value of the audience.
- The advantages and disadvantages of both webinars and virtual classrooms.
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