I use the VH Dissector program in my anatomy course. It is very helpful and a step up from the images in the textbook.
The environmental course I teach is much easier to translate to the online format. In addition to theory and case studies that are easily transferrable, I include virtual field trips to the US Census Bureau website so students can create population prymids of various countries. I also guide my students through an online ecological footprint quiz (which is great for generating discussions). The students like to talk about their lives, what they can do to improve their carbon footprint, and some of the challenges in doing so.
Vocational courses come to mind - such as auto repair and those which require hands on training. While they are not traditional degree level courses, any course that requires hands on work, I dont believe can be a good candidate for online training.
I agree with some of my peers who wrote earlier that a hybrid model might be the best solution for such courses.
Chris - I did not think it was possible to teach a vocational course online, but you have validated that is possible in a hybrid format.
Good post.
I think courses in management and health care have to be taught in the classroom setting. Professionals from these lines need more to be well versed in social and human interaction, moreso than professionals in other degrees.
I don't think there are any courses that can't be taught online.
At first I thought it impossible to do a bio or chem class without lab time. Now I have seen some excellent opportunities for 'online' dissection! You cannot believe what they can do.
I looked into some of the Rose-Hulman online courses for high school students. They focus on teaching math and science in an online arena-- some of the techinques they have are amazing. They also have the opportunity to develop your own course using some of their online resources.
Though I teach English, I would have thought it impossible to teach some of the other courses via an online classroom. I am sure now that a way can be developed for almost any online classroom experience. I have seen online music classrooms where you can practice playing the piano online.....it's only a matter of time!
I am not sure I agree that taking a class online means you aren't receiving human interaction. In fact, in today's business world, there is a great deal of interaction that is done over email and I think online learning does a great job of preparing students for that type of interaction.
Or maybe I misunderstood your post? If so, please explain more. Thanks Nitin.
Provided the technology exists, all courses can be taught online. Video conferencing has broken academic barriers bringing laboratory experiments of dissection into the students home. Interaction can simultaneously occur with students questioning the professor live.
Great points Emmanuel, but some of the experiences that the traditional campuses provide are hard to duplicate online and for some students, that is an important part of the college experience. Thanks for your comments!
This is an interesting question requiring a qualified response. It depends. Mostly on the the available technology and the subject matter, but for the most part there is a way to integrate offline practices, etc. Swimming might be a challenge to do even this with, however, as an example of how subject matter might affect the answer/capability.
Douglas,
Touché of the swimming idea. However, other forms of PE seem to be making their way to the computer screen (on the Wii, etc.), but your point is well taken. Excellent post. Thank you for your contribution.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
David,
You and I are onthe same page. Tomorrow morning I will be poolside watching my kids swim in the pool and then will probably come home and watch them on the Wii!
Thanks for the humor along with the support.
Doug
Douglas,
Thank you for expressing the appreciation.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Yes, I beleive any course can be taught online. If the proper Instruction is outlined, the proper resources are given and if the student has the drive to complete the course, the student can learn the material.
Ashley,
Many technologies are coming to the market that are moving us in that direction. "Hands-on" kits are sent to the students' houses, webcams allow instructors to visually monitor performance and discuss the activity in real-time with the stduent, etc. While it is not yet feasible for many classes to be implemented yet, it is apparent the the technology and academic knowhow are moving toward that goal.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
This is a very complicated question primarily because there are some fields that tend to benefit from more hands on experiences. Provided there are opportunities to have true experiential work, online courses are a viable opportunity. Still, there could be some courses, such as those that may be available in medical school, that may present with problems online.
Stacy,
Yes, the technology has not yet created a viable online phlebotomy lab. We will probably be waiting a while on that one. ;-]
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I believe that any course can be taught online. Some are more conducive to online than others but overall any course can be taught online. The key to success is making sure that the delivery of instructional materials is aligned with the course objectives. Also, the type of media (e.g., video, audio, or text) should be appropriate for the subject matter. For example, a graphical presentation may be more appropriate to help a learner understand principles of graphic design whereas video may be better suited for teaching dog grooming techniques.
I think this is a mistake many educators make in that they see a math course, for example, that is taught online and then use the same media and strategies to teach biology. Those are different courses with different learning objectives.
Nicole,
I agree the courses design has to meet the content and learner to be effective. Let me play a devil's advocate position. A topic like brain surgery could be taught with videos, texts, multimedia content, etc. in an online environment. Would you want a surgeon working on you that has only done virtual surgeries? I know my example might be extreme and might be handled with proper internships, but it seems that there are some skills based areas that for now might still be better served in a traditional way. Your thoughts?
Herbert Brown III
My response to your example, which is really not that extreme, would be how do they currently learn? I assume it is taught in a class using videos, text, etc. and then later they practice what they learned during their residencies. So, I wouldn't want a surgeon who has never practiced under the supervision of a trained surgeon but how they learned about the surgery in the first place has little relevance for me.
There are online simulations for pilots and astronauts...why not for surgeons. I think the premise that certain topics are not practical for online delivery limits the affordances that are offered by Internet technologies. I would argue that it is experience doing whatever is learned that would make the difference between who I would want operating on me.
Many courses can be taught online. However, in some areas hands on experience is required for evaluation of the students retention of the information being taught. An example of this is a nursing class. In a nursing class, the technical bookwork learning can be performed online, however the clinical piece that involves for instance taking a patient's blood pressure, drawing blood, etc. needs to be in a hands on environment to validate the student has learned the skill necessary to succeed in their profession.
