To be or NOT to be in an Active Learning Environment
Going from the corporate working world into the online world has been a mind shift -
I find it quite refreshing that the online world allows students unlimited flexible time to learn & share with their fellow students/co-workers.
And I find that 'guiding & providing the unspoken questions' as an instructor quite fulfilling as I see that my students are gaining more critical thinking skills than in a traditional regimented exact-structure environment.
In fact, now that I have worked with individuals from both the online and traditional educational experiences, I find the 'online' students to be much more fluid flexible and 'out-of-the-box' thinkers. Their critical thinking skills are more developed due to the 'free thinking & communication' that was promoted in the online classroom.
Have you found that your employees or students from the online environment to be more creative, have more initiative, and better critical thinking skills?
I actually enjoy the online experience as that is how I completed my master of science in nursing. I think education online creates possibilities for students who may not be able to attend school due to other responsbilities. Online school provides students several learning oppotunities. I love the oppotunity to learn how other hosptials or organizations carry out their duties and how other students provide the similarities and the differences from each facility that they work at. I think students who are involved with the online environment tend to be more creative. have more initiative, have more drive, and somewhat more displicine. Traditional students in the classroom can just wake up and go to class however students online may have to wake up go to work then deal with the stressors all day, take care of family then when everyone else is in bed actually get to start their school day.
I enjoy the online teaching too. I have been teaching for 24 years. This is fun and brings real excitement for learning new ways and applying old methods to teach online.
I believe that the way we communicate in general is perhaps one of the major differences in online courses. In face-to-face courses we can use both verbal and nonverbal forms of communication. As I’ve stated before, nonverbal communication is extremely powerful and can have a lasting impression both negatively and positively. Palloff discussed how students who do not feel part of the “group think” can lead to feelings of not belonging and being an outsider. This can then result in those students becoming quiet or withdrawn. She further went on to remind us why our presence as online instructors is so important; when we can’t “see” people, it may be easier to misconstrue their intentions since we are unable to see their reactions.
