Online course vs. Face to Face classrooms
Students who enrolled in online courses tended to have stronger academic preparation and come from higher income brackets, researchers found that students who took online classes early in their college careers were more likely become self-directed learners than those who took only face-to-face courses.
Anita,
I don't know if that holds true now. I know as the career colleges use online learning and many of their students do not own computers; they go to libraries. I think that becomes a barrier.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I am skeptical of that study too. I would like to see the research because it sounds interesting. My experience also has been that many students are actually not prepared to navigate the technology and need extra instruction.
I would be curious to know who they polled in this study. Having been in the for profit arena for a number of years, I find the same challenges as both Dr. Wilkinson and Chad have indicated. I know many of my students use the library computers, while others are not comfortable using technology.
However, with that said, I do realize that online students in the higher levels such as PhD and EdD as well as middle and high school students involved in online education are generally from higher income brackets and have stronger technical prowess.
Can you share where this study was found? I would really like to read it.
THANKS!
Karen "kam" Maiorano
As an educator from a career school we recognized that challenge and offer them to use the campus for that reason. In that arena we can communicate and address any technical isseus that arise at the time they are doing it so we can have a better understanding of their need for training.
I have had some courses adding the technology components into their package deal into their tuition costs and also requiring a computer course prior to taking any courses online.
Chad,
I do think that students have selective technology skills. If you have technology expectation, you need to make sure students have the ability to learn it through tutorials the same as nontraditional students.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Tiffany,
Interesting post. So, you encourage students to come to your campus to take online courses? This is a challenge.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
We have started giving all new incoming students Ipads so they can access all courses on line.
Cindy,
Interesting. . . do they give you an ipad so you can answer their questions?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Online learning requires students to have resources that are not available to all students. I think it is probably true that online students come from a higher socioeconomic background.
Maria, I must agree with you. The students I have encountered in my online classes have different challenges or should I say obligations. Most of them have families and are working full-time. To them, time is a valuable resource and they tend to think that online education will solve all of their problems because when the day has ended, they can focus on their courses at their leisure. What I have noticed is that they tend to fall behind with their assignments.
Maria,
That is true, but I have seen some institutions that do NOT require students to own a computer to take an online course. I think this is a mistake as students have a barrier that they cannot overcome easily.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Jacqueline,
You make a great observation. They also tend to think that they can "squeeze" studying for a class in between life experiences and that becomes a problem.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Anita,
I'm not sure that I agree with this assessment. My online students seem to have many obstacles that hinder them from being primarily focused on academics. The students who do well are self-directed learners. However, I would say that a good portion of the online students have a hard time adjusting to independent learning. Especially in the field of mathematics, students are still looking for that one-on-one instruction.
LaFanya ,
Good observation. Time management is a skill most students don't have and that can be the biggest barrier.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
As one who teaches both online and on ground at a career school, I disagree with your statement. First, there are schools where the online program is the same or less expensive than ground. Therefore, the income does not necessarily direct which platform the student selects.
Second, when it comes to academic preparation, often I and other instructors need to battle with the preconception that online is somehow easier than ground. In my opinion it is the opposite. However, for instructors who are in the first block of the curriculum this is a perception that we must often address. Students often mistake the convenience of online education to mean lighter work load or less challenging assignments.
With respect to the last statement that researchers have found a relationship between self-directed learners and the education platform selected, I may agree. However, that is not because the students were better prepared academically at the start of their program. Rather, that is a result of the education received.
Louise,
You make such great points. I agree with you that sometimes convenience is thought of as ease. I do think we oversell face to face as a better way of delivery and that may or may not be true. Good teaching always wins.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Anita
What you stated is true. But do students learn more in an online class??
I am teaching the same course online and on-campus. The online course is 5 weeks long and consists to 5 discussions and 5 homework assignments. The on-campus class is 16 weeks long and it consist of 14 discussions and 42 homework assignments. The on-campus class is more rigorous than the online class.
Fred,
Why is your on campus more rigorous than your online course? To blame "online" for the lack of rigor is short sighted. If you have a course that is three hours and has content, then all of that content MUST be covered within the time frame and the delivery choice. Course content is course content; lack of rigor due to time frame and/or delivery choice is an instructor issue.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Anita,
In my last few years of teaching online, I have found that some students who are in my classes are not very self-directed when it comes to learning. I think that the online classes are attractive to some students whose work schedule, family obligations, physical location, etc. make it difficult for them to actually come to a classroom for classes. I have some students who are lost and do not take advantage of any of the resources available to them and then wonder why they did not make a good grade on an assignment. Then I have students who are highly driven to use the resources available and to do their best work on assignments.
