By: Kevin Zhou

Is online learning better than in-person learning?

One team of researchers compared online lessons and face-to-face lessons. The team recruited some medical students, some of them went to class in person, and others went to class online. Both listened to lectures and examined slides under a microscope, the online class using a virtual microscope app. While their results were very similar, their stress levels were very different.

The in-person group experienced more stress than the online group. Because of this, you might think that online learning is better, but in reality, it may actually be the opposite. When you think of stress, you may think about being worried, or in a difficult situation. Although high stress levels may not be the best, a bit of stress can indicate being more engaged, which indicates that in-person classes can be better than online lessons.