The Ease of E-Teaching
Today, everything seems to revolve around computers. The idea of gaining an education online seems to fit in with the times. You learn at your pace and gain knowledge you would never have if you worked a full time job and went from work to a school for training.
This is the ideal way to learn.
Thank you for sharing your preference with us Lois. This mode of learning is suitable for the working class, single parents, people with physical limitations etc. From the days of broadcasts to schools through radio to television, to Videocassettes, to interactive videodisc technology, to CD ROMS and DVDs, podcasts, Itunes etc, the Education sector has always immersed itself into adopting technology.
Satrohan
I agree that online education is very beneficial to those who consider doing it because they hold a full-time job or have other obligations. However, I do believe that online education is not for everyone. Some folks do need to be in a more structured environment.
If one is to consider online education, they should realize that an online course will require as much time as a traditional class. Taking an online course is not an easy way out, it is a great resource if you are willing to commit yourself to the education you are receiving in a more convenient manner.
Thanks for your comments, Crystal! Online courses certainly do take as much time and effort as on ground courses, and in many cases, more! Often, the responsibility shifts even further to the student in an online environment. With the number of technological possibilities and venues available for all directions of student/teacher and student/student communication, the levels of research, participation and interaction in an online course are almost endless. Just curious, what types of course activities do you feel are the most beneficial to an online student?
Jay Hollowell
Guest Facilitator
EL102
Jay, I am about to teach my first online course, so I have not had the opportunity to observe which activities work the best. I would think that the best thing that would work is the interaction with your peers. I think we learn a lot from our peers. We have to keep an open mind and be willing to listen to others.
However, I am going to contradict myself in saying that it is very beneficial to research. You need to know what you are talking about before making a fair judgment. I feel you make better decisions if you have researched what you are discussing. Also, life experiences help us in decision making.
After my first 5 weeks of online teaching, I think I will be able to make a more informed decision on what I think works best. My opinion about online classes comes from what I think. I have thought about furthering my education and online has been a thought, but I have not done it because I know that it is more time consuming than being a traditional class setting. I would rather be on the teaching side of it right now.
Hi Crystal thanks for your response! I think you hit the nail on the head with peer interaction and research - two bottom-line components of the online environment. I have used in the past individual and group online presentations, student journals and case studies to foster activity and participation in the online environment.
Best wishes for teaching your first online course! Please feel free to stay in touch as you journey through the online teaching/learning environment.
Jay
EL102
jayh@maxknowledge.com
I think it is quite beneficial to hear from experienced online instructors who can give us advice and guidelines on what works best.
We all learn from our mistakes and accomplishments and I welcome any responses I receive.
Hi Lois! Thanks for your input! Absolutely! All responses and lessons learned are welcome!
I have found that three things are initially crucial to student success in the online environment: 1) they are fully acquainted to the nuances of the overall online environment where they will participate, 2) they are clear as to the structure of their online course and 3) they understand all cousre requirements, timelines, expectations and ground rules for course completion.
Jay Hollowell
Guest Facilitator
EL102
I am new to online instruction, but have been in higher education for several years. In discussions with students, I have learned that while there are many students who thrive in an E-learning environment, there are also many others that flock to the online learning environment as an avoidance mechanism (hoping to avoid the work of the live classroom). These students that are hoping to avoid the gruel are often totally surprised by the depth and breadth of learning that they encounter in the online classroom. I think that there is a strong correlation between a student's expectations of the E-learning environment and his or her success in that environment.
It is important to set the expectations early with students on the amount of work involved in an online course because you are absolutely right--the amount of work can really through students off.
Over the years, I have seen a number of students attempt to bypass "difficult" courses by going online. Often, those students wind up taking the course IN-CLASS.
I find that the time spent interacting with E-teaching is much greater than with an IN-CLASS environment. Of course, this is a necessity as the online environment is not as rich as being in the classroom.
Not all subjects can be efficiently or correctly taught online. take Public Speaking, for instance. I grit my teeth every time a student tells me he or she plan to take it online. There is simply no substitute for the experience of actually speaking publicly.
As a communication teacher, I agree with you completely! Public speaking is a skill that needs to be practiced by speaking in front of groups of people not just by learning the techniques.
Dr. Ernst,
I agree wholeheartedly...some subjects are just not well-suited to an online environment (public speaking being one of these).
My father-in-law is a "dinosaur" English professor at a traditional on-ground university...he and I argue the merits of online instruction all the time! I do think that it's the wave of the future, so to speak, and that the convenience it affords students is paramount. I've also stressed to him that, at least for the school for which I teach, the education that students receive is just as rigorous (if not more so) than they'd receive in a traditional setting. It's been several years that he and I have been continuing this ongoing discussion--meanwhile, more and more students enroll in online universities and forego "brick and mortar" institutions! We must be doing SOMETHING right, don't you agree?
Tammy
It would be fun being a part of that ongoing debate! Good for you for taking him on!
Crystal I think you raise an excellent point. Some students do need to have a more structured environment provided to them however I think distance learners also require a significant amount of structure as well. The only difference is that it takes self discipline to obtain that structure. I have been teaching online for more than 3 years now and have also been a distance learner myself for many more years than that and it truly takes a dedication to time management, attention to detail, and commitment to your studies.
I think you make an excellent second point in that online education is not an easy way out and I believe lots of people are beginning to recognize that.
Michael.
I do agree that it is beneficial to learn from other people, and seasoned instructors can be a valuable asset.
It is a great benefit to be in a class with other people so that you can learn from each other. As a teacher, I have found I learn a great deal from my students as well, which is always an enjoyable experience. Thanks for sharing your ideas with the group Jay.
I have seen students go from scheduled in classroom classes only to taking some classes online. At first students seem very excited however when they find out the class will take just as much time and work, with the addition of them now having to time manage more than possible a in-classroom class, most students say it is very different than what they expected. I also have found the content of the class has a huge impact on how students feel & succeed with the on line classes
Yes, I have had many students tell me their first online class was very time consuming and a great deal harder than they thought it would be. Time management is a very important part of a student's success in an online class--as well as an instructor’s success! Thanks for your post Penny.
I will be teaching a speech class on-line with some classes in the classroom. How do you incorporate practicing and reporting back into the E-learning environment when it is all technology based? It seems as though there are limitations also with E-teaching.
