Course content for an online course has to be developed differently from face to face because we want to be sure that we are engaging the students throughout the learning process.
In an online course we do not have the ability to see the student and pick up on non-verbal cues as we would in a face to face course.
The course content, therefore has to be provided in such a manner that draws the student in and helps them to learn the information without the instructor actually being there.
I mentioned at the beginning of this course that I teach online, F2F, and hybrid. But let me also state that I don't teach every class in the same way. I may have an extremely introverted F2F class, so I adapt accordingly. The dynamics is different for each class.
The same goes with teaching online. I have adapted. Communication alone is very different with an online course. Teaching a F2F class, one can often determine just by facial expressions if the concept is lost. Teaching online is quite different, and the course content needs to adapt to this lack of communication in one format, and move on to more written communication.
The online course is delivered in a completely different way. There are some similarities between the two, but an online course depends on electronic communication for the most part. I have responded to phone calls from students when they have questions, but most of the time, I respond via email or during the live chat sessions.
The course content for a face to face course needs to be modified for the online environment, according to the needs of the instructor and students. Elizabeth Dunham
The very nature of face-to-face learning is totally different than on-line learning. Trying to duplicate one to the other is extremely difficult, if not impossible. The only way you can close to duplicating the f2f experience is to live stream and have conferencing abilities. I am a math teacher. I recently took a graduate statistics class online from a school in Nebraska. It was the best online experience I ever had. The instructor had 4-5 students on ground, so he recorded his lectures and used the Smart Board to record what he was writing. He then uploaded the lecture and the notes. When I played back the lecture and followed what he had written on the Smart Board, it was just about like being in class. However, it was not "live." I still had to email my questions to the instructor.
The best we can do in an online class is to try to use different technologies to try to duplicate the f2f experience.
Cannot use content for F2F course because it a different type of learning. In a F2F environment students can see our expressions ask questions synchronously, and get answers right away. This is not always an option in the online environment, especially when most students choose to listen to live chats at times other then synchronous time. Students are more disengaged.
Can't is a bit strong, don't you thin. Some items used in a trad f2f course can readily translate to online, say a basic writing assignment/essay. That being said, as many have already noted the very def of online is 'not f2f.' It's true that I can't see the whites of their eyes when presenting material or explaining an assignment in flat text online. However, I can recreate my in -class presentation of these materials via a screen capture fo the assignment and a voice over. As Lesson 4 notes, this is a way for me to bring my personality and years of experience teaching into play. If I've taught a lessor or assignment before, I know exactly the types of questions that come up again and again, and I know to address those proactively through my instructions (both on ground and online). Not having gotten a degree in online course design, my experience comes from 10+ years teaching online and learning what works and doesn't along the way.
The elimination of non-verbal communication techniques in strictly online (no webcam streaming available situation) makes for rethinking F2F delivery vs. online delivery.
In online, one must consider geographical distance and physical isolation/separation of the student from the main virtual learning area. You must "consider" their learning environments, and prepare content delivery that will facilitate their learning environment.
A multi-touch-point approach is always good online. Text based information, mixed with graphical presentations, audio snippets, web-based supplemental content, e-books or hard bound text books, discussions, blogs, even synchronous lectures or meets as necessary. A menu approach to delivery for sight, sound, reading, hearing, etc.
Thanks.
Put simply, lesson plans constructed for face-to-face classrooms cannot be translated to the online classroom any more than a wrench can be used to change a screw. The environment, tools for instruction, and the methods of learning are entirely different. The tool used must fit the task at hand. The nature of online education is so different from that of face-to-face education that face-to-face lesson plans often leave students feeling disconnected and alone in the education process.
E.Barnett
I facilitate both "face to face" as well as online courses on the same subject matter - Accounting. Since we have interaction within the traditional classroom, this helps the students understand the concepts as well as the applications. They have the opportunity to address their real time questions and lack the frustration of "self-teaching" and needing patience to wait for the answer. In the online environment, I have to add several additional reinforcement including webinars, links to website resources, templates in Excel, as well as discussion boards such as these to encourage communication amongst the class to move beyond the concepts into critical thinking and application. The discussions are the most valuable learning tool since we have the opportunity to bring such a diverse group of individuals to share their experiences which is the real depth and insight provided in the learning experience.
Unless a lecture is video-taped, or an instructor creates a Jing (for example), body language and tone of voice are totally non-existent. As with email, things can be taken the wrong way depending on the mood of the recipient at the time of reading.
An example: I am a black-and-white, yes/no, on/off person. There are no shades of grey (I was a computer programmer in my other life!) This has led to problems when dealing with on-line learners. A few have felt I was cold, mean, and uncaring. A phone conversation changes the feeling; the student is able to use the sense of hearing to mentally evaluate the situation.
The reason why course content created for a face-to-face course is generally not appropriate for an online course is because you have to transform the course content when teaching online to meet the needs of an online learning environment.
This means that the course has to be organized in such a way that will enable the student to navigate freely through and understand all components of the course.
This means that there should be some aesthetic design that helps present the course information clearly.
This means that students should have immediate access to online resources that are built into the course.
This means that instructors need to transfer the content in such a way that will assist students in achieving the outcomes/objectives.
This also means that communication becomes even more critical since there is only one opportunity to get your point across in order to avoid any likelihood of misinterpretations or ambiguity.
Often, content for F2F is not appropriate for online classrooms. F2F classrooms can be on a different timeline or schedule. This can mean condensing or changing the course outline for an online class. F2F classrooms usually have class discussion and group work. When converting these to online, the asynchronous nature has to be taken into consideration. Not all discussions will play out on the discussion board as they would in a F2F classroom. the same is true for group work.
Perhaps the most important reason that F2F content is not always appropriate for online classrooms is because in online environments, we are expecting students to self pace and in some cases be self sufficient with the material. We have to be aware of how and what we are adding to the class because that material has to foster the student in the asynchronous environment.
Erica
I don't agree that course content in a face-to-face environment is not appropriate for an online course. I would rather suggest that the presentation and delivery of the content cannot be the same as in a face-to-face course. Some subjects lend themselves more readily to online than others. For instance in the case of a math class, more synchronous time or accessibility of the instructor would likely be required. Since the student would be working with more complex material more on their own, other tools may be required. Here is where the online technology options can play a pivotal role - games, whiteboards, uploaded assignments that are graded, etc. The face-to-face environment may offer sufficient personal interaction to make the material easier to understand and rely less on peripheral options.
The content created for a F2F course may not be appropriate because you simply just can’t post the material used and have those materials be as impactful. Instead sometimes it’s better to modify the content to fit the technology. For example, if you post lecture notes they will not have the same impact as a face to face lecture. Therefore you can break out the material into smaller units and incorporate various technologies (i.e. pictures, video etc.) which can more impactful for the online learning environment.
The content created for a F2F course may not be appropriate because you simply just can’t post the material used and have those materials be as impactful. Instead sometimes it’s better to modify the content to fit the technology. For example, if you post lecture notes they will not have the same impact as face to face lecture. Therefore you can break out the material into smaller units and incorporate various technologies (i.e. pictures, video etc.) which can more impactful for the online learning environment.
There are key differences between f2f and online instruction that must be kept in mind when developing online courses:
1. f2f is mainly synchronous whereas online is mainly asynchronous.
2. In f2f students feel a part of the class because they are there together in the class. In online courses, opportunities must be provided to make students feel a part of the class, the group of peers, and the university.
3. Feedback in f2f comes regularly in the class and through assignments. Regular and formative feedback must be built into the online course.
Thomas,
Thank you for making that great point! You can use the advantages of the tools to make an online course great ( and even better than f2f).
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Heather,
You are right. It is a great opportunity to have your students to use great vocabulary also! They are not always held accountable regarding that in f2f courses.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Timothy,
You make a great point but I think you are talking about delivery and instructional design rather than content.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Gretchen,
Great points! I do think you can have some interaction in real time in an online environment using technology.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
