Forum 3 Discussion--Mike Thirtle
The time invested to develop a quality online course is less than the time required to develop the same course for a traditional classroom delivery. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer.
I think it takes about the same amount of time--I taught in both modalities and find that the preparation for either type of activity requires substantive effort.
As someone who teaches in both formats, the online and in-class formats, I think that the time invested is not determined by the platform. I think that there are some characteristics of each that makes the approach different, but the actual time invested is of no significance in my view. For instance, there is a need to consider that many online students may be nontradtional and may have some challenges that they may or may not articulate to the instructor. So, given this dynamic, it is important for the instructor to be cognizant of the difference that may exist in terms of communication. It is a little easier for an instructor to empower the student in a face-to-face environment to communicate challenges. Whereas, in the online environment, students may fail to express concerns when they know that the concerns are generally not addressed in real time. So part of the development process has to include a way to address the difference in platform. Overall, quality is equally important and the time invested is very much aligned between both platforms.
Merle,
Quality must be in each and every platform. If we review the class in student view, we can get a good feeling if "we the student" like the look and content as well. This allows us to double check for errors as well.
Shelly Crider
