I've often thought that brick and mortar classes often trump online classes in terms of "content delivery." It is difficult to capture the energy and enthusiasm of a face-to-face class in an online setting. However, in a face-to-face class one criticism is that a lecture style (rather than, say, "flipped classroom") is an impediment to student learning. The criticism is that one becomes a "sage on the stage" rather than "guide on the side," and student boredom sets in all too easily. THIS article offers a defense of the in-class lecture.
