I have been in the online learning environment for the better part of six years. I can say that, for me anyway, online learning is more work. Not only must I manage the coursework, but I must spend a considerable amount of time navigating each instructor's setup in the LMS to get a sense and feel for the way each course is structured. In face to face courses, again from my experience, this is often done by the end of the first class meeting with syllabus in hand. It just seems to me that working in the online learning environment is more labor intensive; I have to work a little harder to stay on top of assignments and readings. In short, online learning requires a greater degree of discipline in order to be a successful student.
Beyond what was stated above, the obvious differences are also the strengths of online learning. The F2F classroom exists in a definite temporal and spacial environment. Students attend at an appointed time and place each week. In the online environment, there is the option of offering instruction both synchronously (as in the F2F format) or asynchronously. The latter provides students with the ability to manage coursework on their own time; there is not a preappointed time and place to meet; the structure is looser, being determined more by the student than by the instructor or institution.
In the online environment, discussion boards are the hub of the classroom. These take the place of the (hoped-for) lively discussions of the F2F classroom. The latter is often spontaneous, flowing with the immediate energy of debate and discussion. I think this is harder to replicate with online discussion boards. Granted, online students have more time to generate thoughtful responses, but the spontaneity of the F2F classroom is often lost.
Excellent post Rich! You have captured what I believe most students feel about online learning. There is no doubt in my mind that this type of learning environment requires far more time than in a F2F situation. I don't think it's a stretch to say that for each 3 unit online course at least 15 hours/week needs to be devoted toward papers, discussion posts and other related assignments. This includes the time it takes (as you mention in your post) to figure out where all of the information is posted. This is a daunting task given that most of us work 40+ hours/week plus commute time.
ReplyDeleteI agree that conversations on discussion boards don't offer the same sense of immediacy and energy as online discussions. However, for those shy folks (like myself) who went through years of school, college, and graduate school speaking up as little as possible, the online discussions offer a wonderful opportunity to participate more fully, without feeling rushed or put on the spot. Thanks for your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteIn your opinion, how has online learning changed in the past six years? This is only my second year in an online learning environment and I wonder if the options have always been so bountiful or if we're just fortunate in today's time and technology with Skype, Elluminate, and GoogleDocs.
ReplyDeleteI agree that in online learning you definitely get what you put in. So for those who choose not to participate in discussion forums they don't get the opportunity to better understand their classmates and build shared knowledge.
Rebecca, I agree that for us shy people, the online environment in general and the discussion boards in particular are excellent media for being able to express ourselves with more confidence.
ReplyDeleteThom, frankly, I have seen little change in the scope of online instruction. It is still basically a text driven environment, and I don’t expect that to change to a great degree since the text is such a fixture in western learning. What I would expect to see is a greater number of creative attempts at using the available instructional technologies. In many cases 9excluding this class, of course), when the technologies are used, I feel they often add little to the course and are used for the sake of using them. Mostly, the same model seems to prevail: read text, participate in discussion boards, turn in written assignments (this is even the model at the online university where I work). Online instruction is still in its infancy and is still very much a work in progress.