The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated an unprecedented paradigm shift in higher education, compelling swift adaptation to online teaching methods. Consequently, the merits of remote education, including increased flexibility and geographic independence, were emphasized. At the same time, however, the problems associated with distance education became apparent, such as the lack of networking, collaborative learning, and social interactions. This situation led to detrimental effects on student motivation and learning outcomes in team-oriented software engineering courses. To address the dichotomy of learning preferences, one potential solution proposed is the simultaneous offering of online and onsite instruction. However, such a proposition presents substantial logistical challenges, necessitating additional resources, labor, and organizational overhead. This research paper presents a case study conducted during an introductory programming course, which serves as a precursor to a comprehensive, practical software engineering course. Upon easing of COVID-19 related restrictions, the instructors offered both online and onsite versions of this course and obtained student feedback through interviews to draw a comparative analysis. The study outcomes provide crucial insights into students’ preferences with respect to learning modalities in higher education, particularly within the software engineering discipline. The results indicate a predominant preference for the onsite version of the introductory course. Reasons attributed to this preference include enhanced social interactions, greater enjoyment, and increased motivation, thus highlighting the irreplaceable value of face-to-face education.