Interaction. Intercation is the way humans percieve the world around them. Collaborating among peers, communicating to conquor challenges and building up from past mistakes- that is how we learn.

However, in an increasingly digital society, it is quite easy to forget this fundemental aspect of leaning. Likewise, the rise of online or "distance" learning appeals to many as an option to enjoy the practicalities of learning from the comfort of home. It has been falsely advertised as a seemingly benefitial alternative to tradiitonal learning. However, this is far from the truth. When looking at the roots of distance learning, it is essentially detrimental to a studenrs education as it deprives individuals of a cognitively stimulating environemnt and fails to adequetly provide flexibility for individual needs.

The true fruit of learning is face to face interaction as it facilitates the crutial development of valubale interperosnal skills among students.

However, what sets online learning apart form traditional learning is the aspect of the "comforts of home". In fact, allowing students to work from their homes actually works to inhibit the creative mindset. When in a familiar environment, it makes it difficult to step out of one's comfort zones and further push perosnal boundries. On the other hand, classrooms are meticulously designed to help facilitate just this. Colorful posters are hung up around walls and tangible resources (such as books and utensils) are readily available to ensure an optimal learning environment. Risk and innovation is welcomed. This is a charcteristic online classes can seldom provide. Additionally, studies have shown, time and time again, that individuals who were home-schooled with an online education experince a difficult time adapting to the pressure of the workforce. Morever, they display a lack of communication skills; thus, making it difficult for them to voice their opinions and concerns. Students should not have to rely on an unreliable 3rd party platform (such as email or messaging apps) to contact their teacher or administator. It transforms the process of learning into a tedious chore.

In addition to the ineffiency of distance learning, it is virtually impossible for teachers to cater to personal student needs from the other side of a screen. Kinesthetic learners, for example, use their sense of touch and interaction to make sence of their learning. Words on a screen or monotone lectures from a call will not allow them to connect what they are learning with their own lives. This is beacuse many online based courses follow a syllabus of "common core", which based on the primary principal of forcing students to follow a univeralized cirriculum. This makes it especially difficult for students who are not native to the language provided by the online schooling program as well as those who suffer form learning disabilities. Those who suffer form ADHD, for example, will not be able to focus on the material given to them as education is not a "one size fits all" ordeal. Rather, it is a highly indvidualized path that needs to be flexible in order fro them to succeed.

It has been said that many individuals use online learning as a method to work around the high cost of education and/or older studets who ensure busy scedules due to long working shifts. However, new scholarship programs have now emmerged to assist these students, as well as various support programs in order to obtain the acesss to education they need and deserve. Additionally, their has been a progressive push toward flexibility in class timings to help accomodate these very indivudals. Night time classes offered by universities are just one example. Additonally, there are now childcare-built in classes to help accomodate single parent students who desire to complete their path to a degree. Just beacasue these people are not provided with the luxury of time should not deprive them of the right ot a quality education. They should not have the settle for the minimum. The future workforce deserves better.

Historically reknown philospher Aristotle once proclaimed "The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet". It is time for society to shy away from the ignorance the digital era and reprioritize what we envision from the "roots" of education. Is that vision a monotone learning platform that discourages flexibility and creative thinking? Or is it rather an acedemically rigorous environment which promotes inter and intrapersonal skills in the workforce as well as daily life. The fruit of potential awaits.