It depends on the course. If the instruction is preset, the initial set up time does not take as long. However, background reading and preparation to adequately prepare for the class is time consuming.
It takes me less time to develop an online course than an on-campus course. I have been teaching inline courses for over 12 years. It was very difficult teaching online courses before the development of web base education platforms like WebCT, Blackboard, and eCollege. I like the concept of using random questions for the exam in an online course. I do not have this feature in an on-campus course.
Thanks
Fred Kellenberger
Andrew
I like the flexibility of changing the online course. I started to place my lecture notes on the server for on-campus students.
Thanks
Fred Kellenberger
I would have to disagree. The time needed for developing an online course would be greater due to its asynchronous nature. Online instructors must anticipate a multitude of outcomes for a particular assignment, quiz, or test, and have a plan in place for "bumps in the road" that may occur. While the same can happen in traditional face to face classes, the instructor here has the advantage of making changes on the spot.
Sean ,
If you teach online and a traditional classroom, you could record yourself in the classroom for you online class!
Shelly Crider
Lisa,
It does depend on the course. Some courses are fairly self-explanatory. All courses need to be reviewed and checked for spelling errors and working links.
Shelly Crider
Fred,
Random questions are indeed a great way to help with exams.
Shelly Crider
I would disagree. I actually think it takes about the same amount of time or maybe more time because you have to make sure the class is ready to go the moment it becomes available online. When I teach on-ground I can find flexiblity and I can change my syllabus as needed (such as if I fall behind in a lecture), whereas online, that flexibility does not exist. This means that you have to have everything ready, ever lesson done, and have the stucture in place to move students along in a timely fashion. This also means that work you might do throughout a semester for an on-ground course, has be completed to develop an online course. You have to make sure you know that links, readings, assignments, discussions will meet the course objectives. You do have to know this on some level with on-ground course, but there is more flexibilty in some regard. I hope this makes sense.
Shelly, the time involved to develop a quality online course is definitely more intense and extensive. There are many features to consider in designing an online course that would not be an issue in the traditional classroom. For example, besides the development of the online course syllabus to assist students in meeting the terminal course outcomes, there has to be precise planning in the navigational aspects of the course. This could involve a considerable amount of time in organizing the modules for access. In addition, resource links, audio, or visual components would need to be successfully tested and this is time consuming. Moreover, there is the aspect of the aesthetic appeal. The look of the course design should be visually appealing but not overwhelming. For example, the course opening page should focus on a logical arrangement of information and links. Planning and developing the various aspects of an online course demands more time for quality delivery and interaction.
Troy,
Oh and we all have bumps in the road!
Shelly Crider
I disagree. Developing an online course requires more time because you have to take into consideration that the student is not in front of you. You have to have very clear and detailed instructions and assignments so the student is able to to the work on his/her own.
From my own experience, I think that time invested in online course is more than the traditional classroom. The main attraction why instructors go for online is the flexibility and convenience. But the task tends to be more. I have colleagues who have experienced both traditional and online setting and they came back complaining that they cannot cope with the online demand. They prefer to go back to their conform level….traditional classroom. In this regards, trying both strategies will be a great practical experience to decide on which fence to hang. For me, I believe that online is more challenging in term of preparation and time invested. For example, trying to build quality into online course requires too many collaborating tools, subject themes to portray the course objectives, different instructional preferences, such as audio, word format, pdf, PPT, video etc. All this is to meet different students’ learning style.
Lyn,
Great point, “A total new course will take tons of timeâ€. That means that there is no baseline, so all ideas are new and fresh. It will really take more than to design to meet the required quality. Couple with adding touch of technology, makes it more demanding to meet higher standards.
John,
I totally agree with you. I have colleagues who quit from online instructor just because they spent too much time meeting all the demand. They prefer to spend few hours on ground than round the clock to meet online expectations.
Dr. Henrietta,
There are times when pushing the comfort zone is just what we need to do as an instructor. The work place will have days that push the comfort zone. We need to make sure our students are ready and willing to be critical thinkers.
Shelly Crider
Hi Shelly
The time invested for an online course is least a two-fold from teaching traditional courses. Why? Online courses are 24/7 and emails and questions come all the time, etc. There are no holidays in teaching online. I had to teach on Thankgiving this week.
Thanks
Alana
Even after having successfully teaching a class on the ground for some time, I wouldn't be able to just plug and play that same course content and expect similar outcome.
It takes a lot of work. Even with a very familiar topic, you still have to rework the delivery to make sure that your students are getting same learning outcome.
Alana,
Holidays allow us "catch up" time as we are relaxing after that turkey dinner!
Shelly Crider
online courses take more time to set up, although both types of courses take a great deal of time to develop the first time. but once you set up the online course, it becomes easier, more effective to administer.
gene parker
John, I would have to agree. I find I spend a lot more time preparing my online courses as compared to my ground or traditional courses.
