Difference Between Regular Education and Distance Education

In the world of today, education plays a crucial role in the development of many nations. People from different works of life get their degrees and diplomas in various disciplines. There are actually two ways in which you can earn a degree, either by regular education or distance education. Most people think these two forms of education are the same, however, there exists a difference between regular education and distance education.

Definition of Regular Education

Regular Education is the conventional and traditional way of providing education in all universities and colleges all over the world. In regular education, the student has to be present at the site of learning and under the observation of a teacher. The student has to attend classes, prepare class assignment etc.

In this mode of learning, students have a face to face contact with the teacher, they are required to attend classes regularly, and evaluation of coursework is done through a test conducted at regular intervals.

Definition of Distance Education

Distance Education is a mode of learning where students are not expected to be at the site. It is designed to offer students who cannot commit to on-site study the opportunity to earn a degree in a non-traditional format. In distance learning education, there are various modes to access education like e-learning, video conferencing, e-mail, etc.

In this mode of education, students do not have a face to face contact with the teacher, they are not required to attend classes regularly, and the evaluation of research work is done through a test conducted at regular intervals.

In most instances, classes are conducted on weekends such as either Saturday or Sunday or both as the case may be. The student has to study and learn on a personal basis because there is no available teacher.

Difference Between Regular Education and Distance Education

1. Regular Education is a mode of learning where students have to be present on the site of learning and attend classes regularly. On the other hand, Distance Education is a type of learning program provided by various universities to those students who are not present at the site, and students are not expected to attend classes regularly.

2. In regular education, students have direct contact with their tutor and can seek help at any time if he/she has a problem. Whereas, in distance education, students do not have a direct contact with their tutor, and have to study themselves.

3. Regular education has a wide range of courses to choose from. In distance education, some courses cannot be studied under the scheme.

4. In regular education, there is no flexibility as students will have to attend classes from Monday to Friday or Saturday. Whereas in distance education, there is flexibility, the students study anytime they want.

5. Regular education has a lot of financial commitment as students pay a big amount to get enrollment in their desired course such as tuition fee, hostel fee etc. While distance education does not come with a lot of financial commitment as lectures are provided based on syllabus basis.

Conclusion

Many people think that there is no difference between regular education and distance education, but there are many areas which distinguish them. Although they both serve the same purpose of imparting education to students. There are so many courses that are taught both in regular and distance education. A student can choose any mode of study that best suits him.