I heard this report on NPR this morning and even though it's unlikely that any of you will be teaching online classes in elementary of even high school, (but who knows, as you've all learnt, technology often moves and develops much faster than we expect), I thought seeing as you are all participants of an online class you would at least find it interesting. Part of my job as Instructional Designer here at St.Francis is to assist Faculty thinking about teaching their class online, typically through Blackboard, with translating their traditional classroom content into online material. What's interesting to me is that most people think online classes, whether teaching or being taught virtually, is an easy option. As an instructor of an online class I readily disagree with this! I'm interested to know what you guys think as students of an online class. Hmn, maybe that will be our last Discussion Board forum (yes, there's still one left I'm afraid!) but feel free to post your comments here!
Here's part 1 of 2 of the report from NPR on Online Courses in Higher Education:
Online Courses Catch On in U.S. Colleges
Audio link
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I would say that it would depend on the class and the set up of the class as to if the online class was easier or not. I can say that I really enjoy not having to drive to campus because this class is my only class on Thursday. It saves a lot in gas money because every trip adds up. (I have to drive about 35 minutes each way everyday I have class.) I only have to be to campus two days this semester, which is nice, but next semester, I have to be at campus four days a week, so I will have to pay twice as much in gas. Such is life though and that is just how things go. At least it is not five days a week!! I would say that I do just as much work if not more than an average class. All education classes have a lot of work though. In an elementary setting, i do not see an online class as possible, but looking back, I would encourage a student in high school to take advantage of the online classes and get a head start on the program by taking one or more college classes in high school. I took one college class in high school (it wasn't online) and now that I look back, I wish that I would have taken another. Every class helps and it puts you further ahead. I feel that it makes life less stressful to spread out the classes and take fewer credits in the actual school year and tack on one or two in the summer or before college. I have to say I am looking forward to the day I can only take 12 credits and still graduate in 4 years. Anyways, online courses are great for me so far and I am planning on taking another in the summer. The only bad part is trying to stay on top of everything. I am usually pretty good and staying on top of things and having things done when they are due. Melaine’s reminders do help a lot. If a teacher would not remind the students or not have a syllabus or course outline posted, it would be very difficult to stay on top of things. I can see where a teacher would have to spend more time preparing for an online class, but the teacher could record a lecture and use it for multiple classes or multiple semesters and it would have him/her having to repeat the lectures so many times. I believe that before we know it students will be able to get degrees from states away without having to leave their hometown-like mentioned in the audio-but at a much larger scale. Okay, I am done.
I agree with Cassie that it depends on what class it is. For example, I had an online Algebra and Trig class that was more instructive than my professor in many ways because of its examples. However, the grading process is different online and it throws off the techniques of doing the problems. It wouldn't surprise me that high school classes started going online. There's so many new things in education.
Post a Comment