Online versus classroom teaching

[SFG75]

When I was an undergraduate, the "online" system was just coming up. I remember when "listservs" where all the rage and how exciting it was to debate others and to find people that you would never meet in a lifetime. When I was in grad school, I took one online course and it was pretty cutting edge for the time. Platforms such as moodle have been created to help facilitate discussions. "Drop box" features, forums, and walls where .pdfs can be downloaded provided a lot of neat information. I would be curious to know if anyone has had both kinds of classes and which they preferred. My second master's degree was entirely online with one face to face practicum meeting. I was highly motivated and "got more" out of that program than I did my first master's program which was entirely brick and mortar. The biggest downside however, was the lack of connectedness and sharing of ideas between students. I wish there had been some kind of cohort model, but in my line of profession, grad students are full time working professionals. While I could easily go on and definitely complete a similar program at the post-M.A. level, I would like to find more of a "blended" program that features both. Others would maintain that online programs an online learning is not as rigorous or as in-depth as brick and mortar lecture and cohort models.

So, what do you think?

[Charles Darnay]

I am currently taking an online course and, while it has its advantages, I still prefer the in-person, lecture/seminar style classroom. I find discussions can actually work better in an online class, utilizing a forum. People have more opportunity to formulate, compose, and edit their thoughts than they do in person. In a traditional classroom, the instructor does most of the talking and often has to enforce discussion (even at the post-grad level) but online boards open the floor for equal opportunities.

However, the actual learning is far more static, and there is less of that spark that could occur in a classroom setting. You really have to be self-motivated and stay on top of things.

[synodbio]

With the emergence of internet and the competition of the commercial sector in distance education, universities are often pressuring faculty to teach courses online.

[LiraelG]

I don't think online education is as dynamic... Additionally, it is isolating. Even those who ARE able to self-motivate will find it difficult. There's no point at which you can communicate your ideas and share them with a group. Sharing enables passion to develop, which leads to better learning. I found five hours of contact time a week hard enough at Uni! Doing the rest on my own was, at times, a bit depressing, although I managed well.

In the classroom, students can discuss their ideas. They can learn through a variety of activities, which the teacher should facilitate, and can learn through teaching one another; the best learning takes place when we teach others. There are also more opportunities for high-order thinking skills to be used in the classroom.

In order to prepare for the most rewarding module I took at University, we had to prepare a presentation on Beowulf once every 3-4 weeks. There were only 3 of us in the class, so the role rotated! I really enjoyed hunting for information, synthesising it then coming to my own conclusions, creating an argument. Equally, it was nice to have 2 weeks off and to hear about what the other two uncovered in those weeks. I enjoyed the social element too. Now, if we look at school, this can be a distraction ;) but I think social skills are fundamental. You cannot possibly learn those by staring at a computer.

[cafolini]

I don't think online education is as dynamic... Additionally, it is isolating. Even those who ARE able to self-motivate will find it difficult. There's no point at which you can communicate your ideas and share them with a group. Sharing enables passion to develop, which leads to better learning. I found five hours of contact time a week hard enough at Uni! Doing the rest on my own was, at times, a bit depressing, although I managed well.

In the classroom, students can discuss their ideas. They can learn through a variety of activities, which the teacher should facilitate, and can learn through teaching one another; the best learning takes place when we teach others. There are also more opportunities for high-order thinking skills to be used in the classroom.

In order to prepare for the most rewarding module I took at University, we had to prepare a presentation on Beowulf once every 3-4 weeks. There were only 3 of us in the class, so the role rotated! I really enjoyed hunting for information, synthesising it then coming to my own conclusions, creating an argument. Equally, it was nice to have 2 weeks off and to hear about what the other two uncovered in those weeks. I enjoyed the social element too. Now, if we look at school, this can be a distraction ;) but I think social skills are fundamental. You cannot possibly learn those by staring at a computer.

Nonsense. No setup can compete with the Internet in terms of availability of knowledge, speed of access to it. pictures, movies, etc., etc. and etc. The classroom is a very slow environment unless it is coupled with the ww web. I don't know how much sense you could have lost in comparing the situation with "staring at a computer." A good teacher will teach the proper use of the Internet and then give assignments for all kinds of research. The teacher will then be an experienced facilitator, which is what a good teacher has always been in accordance with the tools available.

[LiraelG]

Nonsense. No setup can compete with the Internet in terms of availability of knowledge, speed of access to it. pictures, movies, etc., etc. and etc. The classroom is a very slow environment unless it is coupled with the ww web. I don't know how much sense you could have lost in comparing the situation with "staring at a computer." A good teacher will teach the proper use of the Internet and then give assignments for all kinds of research. The teacher will then be an experienced facilitator, which is what a good teacher has always been in accordance with the tools available.
Oh, I have little doubt that the internet has revolutionised teaching and the way students learn. The teacher is no longer 'the fountain of all knowledge,' which is a good thing as students are able to learn beyond the classroom. Computers and the internet can be used in a wide variety of ways in the classroom to enhance learning and to make the experience more exciting, varied and effective. Students can bring their knowledge to the classroom, share it and develop it. They can go away and create mini presentations, posters or leaflets. They can create videos, radio shows and montages with music and images which relate to the topic. I was referring to a learning environment in which the student is given tasks via email and does everything on a computer without really having an opportunity to learn with others.

[Scheherazade]

Oh, I have little doubt that the internet has revolutionised teaching and the way students learn. The teacher is no longer 'the fountain of all knowledge,' which is a good thing as students are able to learn beyond the classroom.The step away from the traditional role of the teacher as a "knowledge-transmitter" happened much before the popularisation of online or internet-based learning and education. It is closely linked with the changing attitude towards how knowledge is viewed. Is it a commodity that can exchange hands or is it the meaning we all create through our interactions? The latter concept goes hand in hand with the constructivist and socio-cultural approach to learning. It is possible to find examples of both approaches in actual classroom and internet settings.

[qimissung]

I've taken one class online. I found it incredible boring. And while I'm sure online learning will continue, I do think we should be cautious about throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The longer I'm in education, the more it seems to me that a teacher whose willing to facilitate learning, a student who's willing to do what it takes to learn, a book, a pencil and paper and a board to write on are all that are really needed for learning to take place, learning that can be exciting and full of ideas, which is of course, the best kind.

And then there's this:


http://www.whatispersonalinsurance.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/07/19/san_jose_state_suspends_udacity_online_classes_aft er_students_fail_final.html

[Hal]

i've taken hybrid courses before where everything was online except for tests. It was good for purely convenience. But nothing beats being in a class with a professor who gives a great lecture. These are still pretty rare though. There's not much worse than having to sit through a class with a prof that can't lecture properly.

I've always thought the best way to gain knowledge(for me anyway) was reading on my own. Having a prof that gives a great lecture just fills in the gaps. But, I believe no matter the subject, you have to engage the material on your own.

[Scheherazade]

I've always thought the best way to gain knowledge(for me anyway) was reading on my own. Having a prof that gives a great lecture just fills in the gaps. But, I believe no matter the subject, you have to engage the material on your own.Do you not feel that opportunity to discuss the text with fellow students afterwards (face to face or online) helps further your understanding even more?

[SFG75]

Great comments so far. I have to agree with LiraelG's assertion about the "isolation" of taking an online course. Many programs stress the importance of moving through in a cohort group. That is a reliable network of fellow students who can discuss ideas with you and when you are done, provide even more networking opportunities in the working world. After you complete an online program and you've lost those contacts, you miss that interaction and that networking. At least, that is what I have discovered. I wold also agree with what several folks commented upon about the teacher no longer being the "sage on the stage" and that learning has definitely become more democratized. I've read from many sources that the teacher is now more of a "facilitator." A person to guide discussion and to challenge viewpoints and assertions that the student might gain from the text, but which is limited in light of other information.

Has anyone heard of MOOC online learning? The idea of taking a class for $15.00 and earning your degree that way through a sequence of study with a short internship is fascinating to me. I'm not thrilled with the cost of education and how the pontiffs at the brick and mortar institutions insist that their options are the best educationally for students. I guide my students to community colleges for the first two years of the study. A course where I live is $250.00 a class. For the University, is roughly $800.00 minus textbooks. I don't know if the MOOC system through Udacity and other sites are the wave of the future or if they are a transitory superficial achievement that will go in history's dustbin. I would like to see modern higher education as we know it go through a very hard time and radically change for the benefit of students. I'm not sure that will be achieved in the mean time.

[headers]

Nice discussion. For me both of them have their own impact. Online teaching for me is not a bad thing. I have taken some online lectures but I didn't find them boring at all. I have also taken the formal lectures too. Both were best for me and I must say one thing that if it is not your interest then it is useless to stick with it.