Lyn ,
I have also found that not all students want online classes. Many students come to my university just for the personal attention in classes and the traditional classroom interaction. Since I teach both online and onground I find I have to be carefully including too much online content for the traditional classes, as the students still want the classroom experience.
Herbert Brown III
Michael,
Are there any other characteristics that make students effective in online courses? What about instructors, do some work better in online environments than others, what characteristics might make them effective?
Herbert Brown III
Michael,
Football is certainly important to some students. To build on that a little, many students want the social aspect of the traditional college and classroom. We can build social elements effective in to online environments, but for these students it is just not the same. Is it the same to sit in an online chat room or video chat with your fraternity brothers or sorority sisters - of course not. Many college decisions are based on more factors than just the degree or area of study.
Herbert Brown III
Online learning cannot replace the traditional classroom, especially for traditional 18 years old from High School cannot handle online education. Traditional students will still attend traditional campus for college education.
Online learning already is replacing the traditional classroom, In fact many educators believe that if facilitated correctly, the online environment provides a more advantageous opportunity for learning. The online environment draws from a more diverse pool of experience and knowledge than a traditional classroom, thereby bringing a more realistic model of group learning.
Michael Maldonado The
This is a question that’s been around ever since online instruction first began. The fact that the question exists at all is tribute to the effectiveness (and perceived threat) of the online forum.
While it may never replace entirely the traditional classroom, several things bode well for a shift to online courses:
Upcoming generations are not only comfortable with but rely on the virtual world in all its manifestations including the internet, I-Phones, Android, email, instant messaging etc. Face-to-face contact is becoming less of a factor in maintaining relationships with friends.
Many grade and middle schools now incorporate online elements not only in homework but in general communication. (Notes that used to go home with a student now go via email.)
It’s cheaper. Universities can add a CMS much more economically than adding a new brick and mortar container.
It all goes back to your audience. Remember, not all students are on-line learners. Although the stigma of on-line learning for not a credible degree granting system going away, the majority of the student still preferred in person facilitation, brick and Mortar College experience.
I understand what you meant. The on-line campus always offers all the course of the program whereas the ground campus may offer a course that might have the most students. I understand that this is the budgetary strategy. However, I’ve seen blended (hybrid) students who are frustrated because they are scheduled on an on-line class, and it isn’t what they signed up for. In this case, I would give them a little more attention in the class, and I will also direct them to their advisors, who are responsible for their scheduling.
Michael,
These can be strong supporting factors, but do you really beleive online will replace traditional classes. I have seen too many students that are insisting they have the "traditionl" experience to believe online will replace traditional any time in the immediate future.
Herbert Brown III
Charles,
I would argue with your statement that 18 year old high school students can't handle online. In fact there is a nationwide push for online education in K-12. Florida for example requires online options for K-12 students. A whole new generation of students will be coming out of ONLINE public K-12 schools in the near future. Students in traditional K-12 schools are also using online tools such as Edmoto, Ning, Moodle, Skype and others and are certainly use to the tools and resources.
Herbert Brown III
I do not think the online learning model will totally replace onsite learning environments because of several reasons. First, some student and professors need the face-to-face interaction. There is sometimes a void when it does not exist. Second, not everyone has access to the necessary technology for online education. Rural areas and sometimes inner city areas do not have very good (or any) access. Third, there is value to the "hands on" classroom, libraries, etc. Complementing those are the extracurricular activities that make the college experience whole for some people.
YES, but.. Subject dependent and student depend. With more than one learning style and different types of knowledge to be acquired, as well as depth; there is NO one right answer.
Herbert, that is a great news, because I am always predciting that online education popularity will soon decline, that was a good move in Florida.
I do believe that online will replace the traditional classroom. This is a result of two factors:
1. The advances in technology and the new generation that is so used to the technology that it is their preferred method of learning.
2. The economics of the situation. One instructor located in some location can teach classes anywhere in the world. Lower cost of living lower cost for the instructor. No more small classes. Better cost ratio for the schools.
Racquel ,
It certainly depends on the audience and the individual.
Herbert Brown III
Racquel ,
I believe this is becoming a bigger issue in institutions that are looking at the "numbers." If you have an online class with 12 students and an on-campus class with 13 students, you can just combine the two classes and pay one instructor for a single 25 student class. As you mention, if on-campus students are "forced" in to an online course structure or strongly online hybrid format, they are likely to be fairly upset.
Herbert Brown III
Meir,
Both forms of learning are here for the forseeable future.
Herbert Brown III
Charles,
Many other states are moving to provide more online solutions as well. North Carolina does not have a K-12 online mandate, but they have had an online Virtual High School for many years that provides students in smaller schools with the opportunities of the largest schools with courses such as: Latin, Russian, advanced computer courses, etc.
Herbert Brown III
Calvin,
All of these are absolutely factors that adminstrators look at to strengthen their online programs and I believe online programs will continue to grow....but replace traditional universities completely? What about the billions of dollars tied in to college athletic programs? What about the students that don't learn well in an online environment (based on their learning style) will they just not be able to get a college education? What about the students that want the personal, face-to-face interaction with people, not through video, but actually connected in person with real people - will they just be out of luck? I believe the economics will continue to drive both learning environments; however, I believe online will continue to grow.
Herbert Brown III
While there will always be the students who prefer face-2-face classroom against the online class brick-and-mortar schools are discovering an economic fact: the online classroom can be a cash cow while costing the school far less in expenses (no physical buildings, no need for tenured professors, no need for huge salaries, no need to pay gas and electricity, etc.) There are numerous instances where face-2-face schools that have been struggling were saved because they added online components. In all of these cases the online school now supports the face-2-face school. While this will not occur for all schools it ill occur for enough where the online offerings will grow, with some face-2-face offerings being eliminated.
