--- title: "Online vs In-Person Coding Classes in Australia Compared" description: "Online or in-person coding classes for Australian kids: travel time, internet data, screen sharing, supervision and focus, compared honestly so you can choose well." canonical: https://learn.modernagecoders.com/online-vs-in-person-coding-classes-australia source: src/pages/online-vs-in-person-coding-classes-australia.html --- > Online or in-person coding classes for Australian kids: travel time, internet data, screen sharing, supervision and focus, compared honestly so you can choose well. In short Online coding classes remove travel and let the teacher see the learner's screen up close; in-person classes offer a shared room and fewer home distractions. Neither format is automatically better for coding. A one-to-one video lesson at Microsoft's recommended 1,500 kilobits per second uses about 675 megabytes each way per hour, while a 20-minute drive each way to a weekly class adds up to about 26.7 hours a year. Courses that work well online ## Three courses families often start online Coding suits online teaching because the work already lives on a screen. These are common first choices. [![Coding for Kids course thumbnail](/images/kids-coding.webp) OVAU / 01 Block coding for younger children Ages 6 to 9. Scratch on a shared screen, with the teacher pointing at blocks. Open the syllabus →](/courses/kids-coding-blocks-masterclass)[![Python and AI for Kids course thumbnail](/images/python-kids.webp) OVAU / 02 Python and AI for children Ages 9 to 12. Typed code reviewed line by line over screen share. Open the syllabus →](/courses/python-ai-kids-masterclass)[![Python for Teens course thumbnail](/images/python-teens.webp) OVAU / 03 Python for teenagers Ages 13 to 18. Projects built and debugged together live. Open the syllabus →](/courses/python-complete-masterclass-teens) Where they differ ## What actually changes between online and in-person classes Most comparisons stop at "convenient" versus "social". For coding in particular, the differences are more specific than that. | Factor | Online, live | In person | | --- | --- | --- | | Seeing the learner's code | Teacher sees the exact screen, line by line, through screen sharing | Teacher walks between desks and sees one screen at a time | | Travel | None | A drive or a trip on public transport, twice for each lesson | | Choice of teacher | Any teacher, anywhere, at a time that suits your state | Whoever teaches at the nearest venue on that afternoon | | Social contact | Classmates on video, talking and sharing screens | Classmates in the same room | | Distractions | Home: siblings, pets, other tabs | Venue: noise, waiting for help, other children's screens | | Equipment | The family's own computer and internet | Often the venue's computers | | Supervision | A parent nearby at home | Staff at the venue | | What happens when sick | Can often still join from home if well enough | Usually a missed session | The single biggest difference for coding is visibility. In a room, a teacher sees a child's program for a few seconds while walking past. Online, with the learner sharing their screen, the teacher reads the whole program and can ask the learner to scroll, run it, or change one line while everyone watches. That is why we teach live online rather than in a hall, and why we think the format suits coding better than, say, robotics with physical kits. ### Where in person wins Hands-on hardware, such as robotics kits, soldering or drones, is easier with a teacher in the room who can hold the part and show where it goes. Some children concentrate better away from home, especially if the family computer sits in a busy living area with a television nearby. ### Where online wins There is no drive across town on a weeknight, which matters a great deal in outer suburbs and regional areas with no local provider at all. The learner works on the same computer they will code on at home, so projects carry straight on between lessons without copying files across. Internet data ## How much internet data does an online lesson use? Families on limited plans, or sharing a connection with a busy household, sometimes ask whether video lessons will eat their allowance. Microsoft publishes the bandwidth its Teams video calls use, and turning that into data per hour is a neat lesson in bits and bytes. | Quality level | Bitrate, kilobit/s up/down | Data per hour, one way | Data per hour, both ways | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Minimum | 150/150 | 67.5 megabytes | 135 megabytes | | Recommended | 1,500/1,500 | 675 megabytes | 1.35 gigabytes | | Highest listed level | 4,000/4,000 | 1,800 megabytes | 3.6 gigabytes | ### The arithmetic, step by step A bitrate is measured in bits per second, but data allowances are counted in bytes, and one byte is eight bits. So 1,500 kilobits per second is 1,500 ÷ 8 = 187.5 kilobytes every second. An hour has 3,600 seconds: 187.5 × 3,600 = 675,000 kilobytes, or 675 megabytes, in each direction. Sending and receiving together, that is 1.35 gigabytes for an hour at the recommended level. ### Over a whole year At two one-hour lessons a week for about 40 school weeks, a learner has roughly 80 lessons a year. At the recommended level, 80 × 1.35 gigabytes comes to 108 gigabytes for the year. Microsoft notes that Teams "can deliver HD video quality in under 1.5 Mbps", and calls adapt downwards when bandwidth is short, so a real lesson usually uses less than the recommended figure. This is a calculation children can do themselves in Python: `kbps * 3600 / 8 / 1000` gives megabytes per hour. The classic mistake, forgetting to divide by eight, makes every answer eight times too large, which is exactly why internet plans advertised in megabits per second seem to download files more slowly than the number suggests. On the speed side, nbn co now advertises "new 2000Mbps wholesale download speed options, available from participating providers", far above what a lesson needs; for a video lesson, a steady upload matters more than a fast download. Sources, read 7 October 2026: [Microsoft Learn, Prepare your network for Teams](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/prepare-network) (bandwidth table, bitrate kilobit/s up/down) and [nbn co, speed](https://www.nbnco.com.au/residential/learn/speed). Data-per-hour and yearly figures are our own arithmetic. We teach on our own video platform; Microsoft's published figures are used here as a well-documented reference point for video calls in general. Travel time ## The hidden cost of in-person classes: time in the car A weekly class twenty minutes away sounds small. Added up over a school year, it is not. | Term | Start | Finish | Mondays inside the term | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Term 1 | Wednesday 27 January | Thursday 25 March | 8 | | Term 2 | Monday 12 April | Friday 25 June | 11 | | Term 3 | Monday 12 July | Friday 17 September | 10 | | Term 4 | Monday 4 October | Friday 17 December | 11 | ### A weekly class, worked through Counting the Mondays between each term's start and finish gives 40 for the 2027 school year (public holidays are not removed, so a few of these will be days off). A class 20 minutes away means 40 minutes of driving per lesson, since you go there and back. Over 40 Mondays that is 1,600 minutes, or about 26.7 hours, before counting the wait while the lesson runs. ### What that time is worth For a parent, 26.7 hours is more than three full working days a year spent driving to one activity. For a second sibling's activity on another night, double it. Online, the same lesson starts when the learner opens the laptop. The time saved is not a reason to choose online on its own, but it belongs in any honest comparison. Other states' terms differ by a few days, and travel times range from a five-minute walk to an hour in regional areas, so plug in your own numbers: lessons per year × minutes each way × 2 ÷ 60 gives hours a year. A family 45 minutes from the nearest provider, which is common outside the capitals, would spend 60 hours a year on the same weekly class. Source: [Victorian Government, school term dates and holidays](https://www.vic.gov.au/school-term-dates-and-holidays-victoria), read 7 October 2026. Monday counts and driving totals are our own arithmetic. Home setup ## Making online lessons work at home Most problems with online classes are not about the teaching. They come from where and how the learner sits. | Item | What works | Why | | --- | --- | --- | | Device | A laptop or desktop with a keyboard | Typing code on a tablet or phone is slow and hides the screen | | Place | A shared family space, not a bedroom | Parents can see and hear the lesson | | Connection | Wired or close to the router if possible | A steady upload keeps screen sharing smooth | | Headset | Wired earphones with a microphone | Clearer audio and no echo for younger children | | Tabs | Only the lesson and the code editor open | Fewer distractions, and easier screen sharing | | Start | Join two minutes early | Sound and screen checks do not eat the lesson | ### Supervision, in a sensible place The Australian Tutoring Association's guidance on in-home tutoring says tutoring "should take place in an open area where the parent/guardian can view and hear the process", and that it "should NOT take place in the student's bedroom". That advice was written for a tutor visiting the house, and it makes just as much sense for a video lesson: the kitchen table or the family study is the right spot. ### For younger children Children of six to eight usually need a parent nearby for the first few lessons to help with logging in and the microphone. Once the routine is set, most children join on their own, with an adult within earshot rather than beside them. Source: [Australian Tutoring Association, in-home tutoring](https://ata.edu.au/parent-info/in-home-tutoring/), read 7 October 2026. Deciding ## Which format suits your child? A quick way to decide, based on the questions we ask families in the free first lesson. | If your child | Lean towards | Reason | | --- | --- | --- | | Wants to code games, apps or AI on a computer | Online | The work lives on screen, where the teacher sees it most clearly | | Wants to build with robots or electronics kits | In person, or online with a kit at home | Hardware is easier with hands nearby | | Gets distracted easily at home | In person, or online in a quieter room | A change of place can help focus | | Lives far from any provider | Online | No travel, and a wider choice of teachers | | Is shy in a room of strangers | Online, possibly one to one | Less pressure, and the teacher still sees everything | | Has a parent who works late | Online | No pick-up needed | You do not have to choose forever. Some of our learners take a holiday camp in person and keep their weekly lessons online; others start online, then add a school code club. For the price side of the decision, our [guide to coding class costs in Australia](/coding-classes-cost-australia) works through per-lesson and per-term figures, and [coding classes near me](/coding-classes-near-me-australia-online-or-local) explains how to check a local provider. Online, stage by stage ## How online learners progress What online coding lessons look like as a learner grows. | Stage | What happens on screen | | --- | --- | | 1. Settling in | Logging in, sharing a screen, finding the code editor without help | | 2. Guided building | The teacher watches the learner's screen and prompts each step | | 3. Independent building | The learner builds alone, shares when stuck, and explains their code | | 4. Presenting | The learner runs their project for the group and answers questions | ### For younger children Screen sharing becomes second nature within a few lessons, and children enjoy showing their work to classmates on video. A parent nearby helps with the first logins, then steps back. ### For teens and adults Online lessons fit around school, sport and work, with no travel at the end of a long day. Projects stay on the learner's own computer, ready to continue between lessons. The catalogue ## Nine courses taught live online Every course is taught live over video with screen sharing. I ### Children Ages 6 to 12 OVAU / CHD / 01 #### Scratch online Games and animations on a shared screen. [Open the syllabus](/courses/scratch-programming-complete-course) OVAU / CHD / 02 #### Minecraft coding Code that builds in a world. [Open the syllabus](/courses/minecraft-coding-for-kids-course) OVAU / CHD / 03 #### Roblox game coding Luau scripts for real games. [Open the syllabus](/courses/roblox-game-coding-for-kids-lua-course)II ### Teenagers Ages 13 to 18 OVAU / TEN / 01 #### JavaScript for teens Interactive web pages. [Open the syllabus](/courses/javascript-course-for-teens-beginners-interactive-web) OVAU / TEN / 02 #### Game development Unity and C#. [Open the syllabus](/courses/complete-game-development-masterclass-for-teens) OVAU / TEN / 03 #### AI and machine learning Models trained and tested. [Open the syllabus](/courses/ai-ml-masterclass-teens)III ### Adults 18 and over OVAU / ADL / 01 #### Python from zero For beginners and career changers. [Open the syllabus](/courses/python-programming-masterclass-zero-to-advanced-college) OVAU / ADL / 02 #### Full-stack web Front end to database. [Open the syllabus](/courses/full-stack-web-development-masterclass-college) OVAU / ADL / 03 #### Data analysis Excel, SQL and Python. [Open the syllabus](/courses/data-analysis-mastery-course-college) How lessons run ## Live online, with the screen at the centre Every lesson is taught live, with the learner's code visible to the teacher throughout. After school Weekday afternoons in your state. Evenings For teens and adults. Weekends Saturday and Sunday slots. ### Screen sharing The teacher reads the learner's actual code. ### Same teacher One teacher, week after week. ### Groups Fifteen to twenty learners, or one to one. ### No travel Lessons start at home, on time. ### Family welcome Parents can sit in on any lesson. ### Own computer Projects carry on between lessons. Student work ## Built in online lessons Projects made by learners in live online classes, shared screen and all. More on the [student labs](/student-labs) page. ![NutriLife AI nutrition coach project screenshot](/images/projects/nutrilife.webp) AI and ML #### NutriLife An AI nutrition coach that reads what you eat and works you toward a target. by Bhavya · [Open it](https://nutrilife-bhavya.lovable.app) ![Misti AI chatbot for maths and coding screenshot](/images/projects/misti.webp) AI and ML #### Misti A chatbot that answers mathematics and programming questions, built and deployed by a student. by Harshit · [Open it](https://misti.modernagecoders.com) ![GuardianX AI internet safety assistant screenshot](/images/projects/guardianx.webp) AI and ML #### GuardianX An assistant that helps a young person recognise unsafe situations online. by Vivaan · [Open it](https://guardianx-cybersaver.lovable.app) ![SkyCast weather forecast application screenshot](/images/projects/skycast.webp) Web app #### SkyCast A weather forecasting site with live conditions for any location. by Krish Fees ## Fees Online lessons outside India are charged monthly in US dollars, the same rate in every country. There is no joining fee, no term contract and no travel cost, and you can stop after any month. Free first class USD 0 no card required - A free first lesson online - A check of sound and screen sharing - No card details Book it Group batch USD 100 a month, billed in US dollars - Fifteen to twenty learners - One regular teacher - Screen sharing every lesson - Monthly Start here One to one USD 150 a month, billed in US dollars - A teacher to yourself - Your own pace - Your own projects Enquire What families say ## Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews Google reviews from families, quoted exactly as written. ★★★★★ "The one step solution for my son. Modern Age Coders make learning coding so simple that kids love it. The teachers explain complex concepts clearly with practical exercises and interactive content." Ria Mukherjee Parent ★★★★★ "Modern Age Coders has been a game-changer for me. I struggled to grasp IT concepts and coding before joining, but their classes transformed everything. I can now confidently write complex programs with ease." Samriddha Mondal Student ★★★★★ "One of the most wonderful education centres out there. Education is not limited to school syllabus but focuses on skill development." Vansh Agarwal Student ★★★★★ "My child Dhairya is really enjoying the Modern Age Coders classes. This is his first online class and he eagerly looks forward to it. I can already see his improvement, and the teachers are very cooperative." Sonam Oswal Parent of Dhairya ★★★★★ "Modern Age Coders have wonderful teachers who teach in a clear, easy and practical way. The teacher boosts students' confidence and inspires them to learn without hesitation." Sonu Goyal Parent ★★★★★ "I highly recommend this computer coding class! The teachers are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about coding." Ritu Kedia Parent Questions from families ## Online or in-person coding classes: common questions ### What is the difference between online and in-person coding classes? Online classes are taught live over video, with the teacher seeing the learner's screen through screen sharing; in-person classes happen in a room, with a teacher moving between desks. The teaching can be equally good; travel, visibility of the code and the home setup differ. ### What is the difference between a bit and a byte? A byte is eight bits. Internet speeds are usually given in bits per second, while data allowances and file sizes are counted in bytes, so speeds must be divided by eight to compare them with data. ### How much data does an online coding lesson use? At Microsoft's recommended 1,500 kilobits per second for one-to-one video, about 675 megabytes each way per hour, or 1.35 gigabytes in total. Real lessons often use less, because calls adapt to the connection. ### Are online coding classes as good as in-person ones? For coding on a computer, often better, because the teacher can read the learner's whole program through screen sharing. For robotics and other hardware, in-person teaching has a real advantage. ### What internet speed do we need? A steady connection matters more than a fast one. Microsoft lists 1,500 kilobits per second up and down as recommended for one-to-one video, which most Australian home connections exceed. ### Where should my child sit for online lessons? In a shared family space rather than a bedroom, so a parent can see and hear the lesson, in line with the Australian Tutoring Association's guidance on home tutoring. ### Can my child use a tablet? A laptop or desktop with a keyboard works much better for coding. Tablets make typing slow and screen sharing awkward. ### How much time does online save? For a weekly class 20 minutes away, about 26.7 hours a year of driving, based on the 40 Mondays inside Victoria's 2027 term dates. ### Do online learners still make friends? Yes. Groups of fifteen to twenty talk, share screens and present projects to each other, and many keep the same classmates for months. ### How much do online lessons cost? The first lesson is free. After that, lessons are paid monthly with no joining fee and no term lock-in, as shown in the fees section. Elsewhere on this site ## Related pages More for families weighing up coding classes in Australia. ### [Coding classes in Australia](/coding-classes-in-australia) Our main page for Australian families. ### [Coding classes near me](/coding-classes-near-me-australia-online-or-local) Checking a local provider. ### [What coding classes cost](/coding-classes-cost-australia) Per lesson and per term. ### [Online classes for kids](/online-coding-classes-for-kids-australia) Year levels and time zones. ### [Online coding tutor](/online-coding-tutor-australia) What a tutor does and what to check. ### [How we teach](/how-we-teach) Our method in detail. Start here ## Try a free online lesson Book a time that suits your state. In the first lesson we check sound and screen sharing, then the learner builds something real with a teacher, so you can judge online teaching for yourself. Still deciding? See [how a lesson runs](/how-we-teach) or browse [every course](/courses). [WhatsApp us](https://wa.me/919123366161?text=Hello%20Modern%20Age%20Coders%2C%20we%20are%20comparing%20online%20and%20in-person%20coding%20classes%20in%20Australia.%20Could%20we%20book%20a%20free%20first%20lesson%20online%3F) · [+91 91233 66161](tel:+919123366161) · [connect@modernagecoders.com](mailto:connect@modernagecoders.com) WhatsApp gets the quickest answer from Australia; our team is based in India and replies from a +91 number, and we have no Australian office. ### Want a class sooner? Book a priority demo A priority demo is a full class of about 45 to 60 minutes. After the class the mentor sends a written skill report and a personal learning roadmap on WhatsApp. If you enrol, the demo fee is adjusted against your first month's fee. Share your demo Order ID with us on WhatsApp and we take it off. [Book a priority demo](/book-demo) ## Keep exploring Modern Age Coders ### More comparisons - [Affordable Coding Classes in India: Plans](/pricing) - [Online vs Face-to-Face Maths Tuition UK: Cost Compared](/online-vs-face-to-face-maths-tuition-uk) - [Private Math Tutor vs Online Tutoring: 2026 Decision Guide](/private-math-tutor-vs-online-tutoring) - [National 5 vs Higher Maths: Pape Topics and the Jump](/national-5-vs-higher-maths) - [Maths Tutor vs Tutoring Centre in Australia: How to Choose](/tutor-vs-tutoring-centre-maths-australia) - [Modern Age Coders vs WhiteHat Jr, Cuemath & Codingal](/modern-age-coders-vs-whitehat-jr-cuemath-codingal) - [WhiteHat Jr Alternative in 2026: Real Mento Not Scripts](/whitehat-jr-alternative) - [Vibe Coding vs Building AI in the Netherlands](/vibe-coding-vs-building-ai-netherlands) - [BYJU'S Coding Alternative 2026: Live, Small-Batch, Honest](/byjus-coding-alternative) ### Free resources - [JavaScript Tutorial: Build Interactive Websites](/resources/javascript) - [Images, Audio, and Video](/resources/html-and-css/images-and-media) - [Introduction to JavaScript](/resources/javascript/introduction-to-javascript) - [Pseudo-classes and Pseudo-elements](/resources/html-and-css/pseudo-classes-and-pseudo-elements) ### From the blog - [CCC Junior or Senior? How to Choose and How to Score](/blog/canadian-computing-competition-junior-or-senior) - [Career Transition Guide: Moving from Non-Tech to Tech Roles](/blog/career-transition-guide-moving-non-tech-to-tech-roles) - [Competitive Coding vs Development Skills: What Should Students Focus On?](/blog/competitive-coding-vs-development-skills-what-students-focus) ### Start here - [How Modern Age Coders teaches, small batches and real projects](/how-we-teach) - [What Modern Age Coders families say](/love) Free class[Priority demo](/book-demo)[Call us](tel:+919123366161) --- *Canonical: https://learn.modernagecoders.com/online-vs-in-person-coding-classes-australia*