I am still learning how to add some online components, but even just using online forum/discussion areas, I would say the time to work online is at least equal to that of the face to face class room. I know that as I add new tools that time will increase.
More difficult in my mind than the time to set up the course, is tracking the class in an efficient and effective way that simultaneously reflects your care and concern to students. Currently, we have students create an initial posting to our forum for the week. We take attendance using this posting. Following that they are to respond to 2-3 students and/or myself by the next due date. We are also to respond in between these dates. I have started putting reminders on my calendars to make sure I don't leave them in the lurch and provide the best help I can for them.
What happens when you just finish an online class and then you get news the book is going to a new edition?
I disagree. You may need more time to set up and proof read your work before submitting it online for errors. this is clear when your setting up a class for the first time as a new instructor.
It takes just as long for an online course to plan.
Then you can add visuals for your students who need screen shots to know exactly what to do!
So, mapping to the objectives of a course is something that needs to take time and patience.
TEAM!!!
I believe the time to develop an online course is much more than time to develop on-ground courses.
Factors in this is evidenced by: (Please note: I teach Application Courses)...
1. Time to type exact Step by step actions to take to achieve a specific objective, versus being able to show on-ground on a Projector.
2. The ability to assess the learning of the student online to a written, posted lecture, versus instantaneous feedback in a classroom.
3. The aility to answer questions by typing steps to a question, versus walking over to a students computer and walking through the way to achieve the desired result.
I am new to online teaching and have not had to develop a course yet. Based on what I have observed so far, I think the time to develop a quality online course would take more time than
developing a traditional course. I have spent many,many hours developing quality Power Point presentations for business meetings, so I know how important it is to have your content outlined, detailed, illustrated, etc. If this is not done properly individuals and/or students will not be able to understand the content being addressed.
Time invested in online delivery is greater because all of the components of a course have to be clearly designed and stipulated from the get go. Also, multiple content delivery methods have to be provided to accommodate the various learning styles. Time invested in development of an online courser is great but well worth it to create and effective learning vehicle.
Definitely disagree. As many have stated just proofreading alone can take a lot of time. It is also critical to check and recheck the links from page to page to ensure there are no bugs. It is one thing to develop a lesson plan for a standard classroom environment, and another to learn how to map that plan online. The development of an instruction sheet designed to help students successfully navigate the course is yet another product that takes time to develop.
What about textbooks? Are you for or against a traditional book? Do you think ebooks are the future?
It can be very dangerous to have a spelling error in the medical field with so many words being spelled nearly the same!
The time invested to develop a quality online course is greater than that for a traditional classroom delivery. One must be more creative in dispersing information to the learning preferences and multiple intelligences of diverse students.
Obviously in the classroom one can read the effectiveness of the lesson’s structure through body language and can adjust. The lack of visual cues is daunting.
The organization required is a challenge. Every bit of information must be thoroughly proofed and varied to reach the student diversity.
For this instructor, not being able to share the stories of the industry is a concern. How does one place the topic or subject into a “this is what you may encounter†scenario when one would normally tell a story based upon experience? The spoken word makes it come alive. Seeing the story in print as we are doing in this forum format leaves much to be desired.
So, yes, the effort and time is far greater for online courses.
I believe that in order to provide a quality online course, sufficient time is needed. There are varied technical difficulties that need to be addressed as well as course content. It takes a lot of hardwork, brainstorming and creativity to be able to come up with a quality and innovative course online.
Jenny,
Great point - thank you for sharing!
Jon
Jae,
Good points, I agree. Developing a "modern" or "bullet-proof" online course is now much harder than a traditional ground course.
Jon
Charles,
Good arguments. If a course needs to be bullet-proof, then the time involved is really significant.
Thanks,
Jon
Online courses may take more time to adequately prepare than a comparable course in the classroom. Lectures have to be outlined, rehearsed, and recorded in an online format. Adaptive release functions have to be checked and double checked. Teachers may have to prepare to teach learners how to use the online course room. In a traditional class the teacher needs to show up ahead of time and make sure the classroom technology works but students intuitively understand their role in conventional class.
Online teachers who have to incorporate group projects have to consider a number of factors or variables. Online learners often come from different time zones and it is essential to the functioning of the group to attempt to pair group members together by their respective time zones. These are not things that a traditional instructor has to monitor or worry about. I think it is safe to say that both traditional and online instruction have their unique challenges but online courses are far from “easier†to facilitate than their traditional counterparts.
I disagree. Because of the lack of face-to-face instruction and interaction with students, additional scaffolding is necessary to shepherd students from one goal to the next. In traditional classrooms one needs not worry whether a student will be able to find his/her way into the classroom. The design and construction of online environments requires that scaffolding and pathway construction to be created and monitored by the instructor. Too, content that may be easily lecturable may need to be converted to some other asynchronous or synchronous texual format to be effective in the online classroom. Online classes typically take longer to create and design than do brick and mortar classrooms.
I disagree. I am still new to teaching (both in face-to-face environments and online), but as I am developing both types of courses right now, I can see that online courses take just as much, if not more, preparation time. I will be curious to see whether the time investment is dispersed differently, however. It seems that an online course takes more time up front, before the course actually begins and perhaps less compared to a face-to-face course once the session begins. We shall see...
