Personally, I found that online classes were generally harder when I went back to college.

I learned easier with face-to-face classes. I had to put in a lot more work in online classes.

I did notice that there were students who never went to online classes. These were mostly younger students. You could always tell who was not there... because their names would not show up in chat sessions.

My learning style test I took while learning teaching methods showed that I was a "combination learner" - I learned best from seeing information and hearing it. Maybe that was why I liked face-to-face classes best.

I also liked the social aspect of in-person classes. Study groups were easier, and I enjoyed getting to know my fellow classmates, which was a lot easier in person.