Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Hobby Classes

Offline classes have been the only knowledge-sharing platform known to men until approximately a decade ago. Even then, it played underdog until the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. The imposed lockdown made online learning the only option. And since then, the tug of war between the offline and online classes has intensified.

While some still believe offline classes to be more effective, online learning opportunities have been a boon for many who could not find a good teacher and learning resources in the offline arrangement. Particularly, when it came to learning hobbies, even the thought of online learning was initially unimaginable.

Hobbies are experiential activities that require active involvement between the teacher and the students. Cheers, as well as healthy competition from peers, are also required to remain motivated. Students never get to experience such things in an online class. Then how can you learn hobbies online? However, surprisingly there has been a surge in hobby classes ever since online learning platforms came into the scenario. So, why is it so? And are they at all good enough? Are the students sincere enough, or just the number of registrations with a propensity of high dropout cases?

The article will evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of online hobby classes.

Advantages of Online Hobby Classes

Access to Learning Resources –

There are two types of online classes – pre-recorded and live online classes. The pre-recorded sessions feature demonstrations by the teacher. Some sessions could be paid for or even absolutely free of cost! These courses opened the gateway of knowledge for the learners. The expanse of the knowledge base it exposed the learners to is simply unfathomable. Some of them even brought workshops conducted by celebrities, and award-winning performers and artists.

Online Live Classes –

Well, this one somewhat bears the essence of an offline class. Being conducted via virtual meetings, live classes facilitate the teacher’s interaction with the students even though it is across the screen. There are two types of live classes – one-to-one and in groups. In the one-to-one classes, the entire session duration is for one student. The teacher can evaluate the learning potentials of the student and customize the curriculum accordingly. The students can clarify their doubts during the class and also after that.

Apart from this, some of the best services offered by live online individual classes with good retention rates include –

  • Rescheduling the class if need be.
  • Flexibility in payment
  • Access to the teacher via WhatsApp and email

Connecting With TheBest Teachers

There are so many good artists in every part of the world who want to impart knowledge to deserving students. And there are good students too. But both need not be in the same place at the same time. Hence, distance and time cause hindrances in the knowledge-sharing process. Online learning comes as a boon for them by helping them to connect and continue with the process of knowledge sharing at a mutually decided time and that too, from the comfort of their own houses.

Innovative Teaching Methodologies

The lack of physical presence in front of each other makes the learning process slow. Hence, the teaching methodology has to be more engaging. For example – in the online Kathak lessons, teachers can’t touch the students and rectify their posture. Hence, they modify their instruction by explaining the steps while demonstrating the same. The teacher records significant steps along with the instructions and shares them with the students for self-practice. In offline classes, the teacher only demonstrates in the class. The students have to memorize it. Recordings from the live online classes, however, remain with the students like a lifelong learning resource they can refer to – both – during the course and even after that.

Encouraging Adults AndSenior Citizens To Start Hobby Classes

Parents and guardians provide for and facilitate the learning process for the kids. But what about them? Don’t they have the right to follow their passion? Don’t they wish to pick up a hobby they used to find joy in as kids? So what stops them? Certainly, the reason has to be time and connectivity with a good teacher. Online hobby learning platforms have eradicated these two bottlenecks. During the pandemic, celebrities’ social media pages featured their photographs while playing piano, cooking, and gardening. That motivates adults and senior citizens to explore options to start a new hobby or pick up an old one.

Disadvantages of Online Hobby Classes

Technical Glitches During the session

Imagine your online Carnatic music class getting interrupted by network issues. Will you be able to grasp the melodic concept your teacher is trying to demonstrate? Of course not! Several technical problems can surface during the session. There is a rising trend of online classes through software applications. The students also have to download additional apps to record their performances. These affect the performance of the device. Hence, the students, as well as the teachers, have to invest more in getting upgraded devices and stronger network connections.

Slow Learning Process

As discussed above – learning hobbies require the steps to be demonstrated. And it is most effective when you can watch it from proximity. Suppose someone wants to learn flute online, the students have to observe how to hold the flute, how much to tilt the head and how to keep the hands steady for a long time. How will you get the right way of doing it without watching it closely? It requires extra effort on the teacher’s end to explain such details.

Distractions And Procrastination

Online learning is equivalent to self-learning, and it requires an immense amount of self-discipline and self-motivation. People tend to fail at this point. Since the pressure of performing physically in front of the teacher or the peer in an offline class is not there, hobbyists tend to take it easy. Procrastinating the self-practice sessions and giving excuses for postponing the class because you have not practiced enough – are common tendencies. It leads to losing interest after a point of time and eventual – discontinuation after a certain point of time.

Conclusion

Like everything has two sides to it, even the online learning process has its share of boons and banes. It is significant to evaluate both merits and shortcomings. As the merits motivate us to join online hobby classes, knowing about the demerits can help us to think of measures to take them in our stride while retrieving the most out of online learning.

We hope you found this article informative. Do let us know in the comments below.

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Christophe Rude
Christophe Rude
Articles: 15883

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