Selecting Appropriate Course Content
Why can't course content created for a face-to-face course be appropriate for an online course?
I think that sometimes it can be, but not always. If the F2F content is highly dependent on immediate student feedback, then that will not work in an asynchronous course. However, it may work in a synchronous course. Also, some F2F courses allow for immediate student participation. A computer course for instance. Students in most cases will have a computer at their disposal to immediately attempt a skill that has been covered. The instructor can give feedback and corrections on the spot. This will not be possible in an asynchronous course and depending on the technology tools in use, may or may not be available in a synchronous course.
Gregory,
True, these are more delivery issues rather than content issues.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Course content created for a face-to-face (f2f) course is not appropriate for an online course because online course content needs to sync with the course objectives and must be conducive to the environment and online learning. It is not about taking power point presentations and putting them online and expecting students to be engaged. There are components for online courses that need to be considered such as design, web page resources and accessibility.
Rakisha,
I agree with you. Many times you can't change the objectives but you need to rethink and redesign delivery. Delivery is the key. It is important to know the power of the LMS to help delivery.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson,
The obvious answer is F2F courses are often designed for synchronous communication. In the online environment most of our communication is asynchronous and thus delivery methods have to accommodate those demands.
In F2F lecture or demonstrations I can quickly gauge if the students are grasping the knowledge and adjust my pace of presenting the material accordingly. In the online environment I often get most of my questions in emails and since I teach drawing, animation and design classes, usually the explanations do not always translate well in text, so I often find myself looking for video tutorials and blog post with strong visuals that can clarify things for my students better than a detailed explanation of something like how to draw shadows in perspective. Things that are much easier to understand through visual demonstration than text.
Now if I got that same question in F2f class I could just stop and do a demonstration for them on the fly.
Course content created for a face-to-face courses can't be appropriate for an online courses because they rely on different types of communication, more hands on activities, and students are highly dependent learners compared to online students.
Kelly,
The content for face-to-face (F2F) is for direct, synchronous engagement with the student. In a F2F setting, you can shift and come back to something (allowing a bit more flexibility), whereas online, the information provided is what guides the class and the material can be the same, it is about the tone, voice, body language - verbal and non-verbal cues mostly and not only the instruction or content.
Patricia,
Why do you think that students are more dependent learners than online learners. Is that part of the reason why f2f courses are different than online? For many institutions, if you change the content of the course it changes the course and must go through official process.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Michael,
So, do you think content can be the same delivery is different? Do you think that content should guide learning in a f2f course?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Anthony,
Nice post! You really provide a great example how you react to students' needs within an online course in comparison to f2f course. I also want to point to your use of technology and you can address multiple students' questions, this is good workload management! You build your resources to help more students.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
The delivery method is different between on online course and an physical course. We have to be aware of how the students are receiving information to ensure that the class will be successful.
Face-to-face may just be sketchy because the instructor can explain, demonstrate, gesture, throw it back to the audience first to gauge their prior knowledge hence decide at what level to start. This luxury is not there with online. Therefore the highest degree of clarity is needed in order for them to get it first time and build confidence in the instructor and the course from the beginning. Well rehearsed videos, tested references and easy to read slides become very key to the success of the course.The instructor should imagine and take the position of the audience and ask "what do I need to understand in order to meet the objective?". The content can be great with this in mind
Let me respond to the second question first. In a face to face, the instructor guides the learning and not the content.Michael might have written in hurry and mixed up the issues. It is understood because I do that sometimes.
On first point, content for f2f and for online (whether synchronous or asynchronous)can not be the same.In f2f, even if the content is sketchy, you are there at that point in time as instructor. You can gesture, answer questions and ask for responses. In asynchronous, the student visits the content at his/her own time. No contact with instructor. In synchronous, the students will be with the teacher at the same time (e.g over telephone conferencing) but the teacher is not physically there.So the content must carry all the teacher wants to communicate in its clearest form.
Ty,
You make a great point. We do have to make sure students are viewing the information and the content and they are viewing in the path determined by the instructor and presented the LMS. Course design is so important in the online environment.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Philemon,
Why isn't the instructor able to determine students' prior knowledge. We just have to do it differently in the online environment. There should be give and take between the instructor and the student, it is just in a different modality and time.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Philemon,
Interesting point. So, do you think in a f2f course, instructors don't have to be as precise in course design? Maybe we should look at f2f courses like we do online courses to improve them?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Face to face courses provide content that should be discussed as a group and where the instructor can visualize the ability of the students to grasp the content. It is in real time. Online course content should be such that students can access it at any time and be able to understand the information without having an instructor imeedicately available.
Lisa,
That is true, but you don't want to discard the discussion that takes place in a f2f course because it is online. Discussion, even if done through boards and chats can give you an insight of what students know.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Structure is everything in an online format. This is why consistent tone and message is very important.
- Ty
