Barbara,
No doubt you are right. The hands on training (in today's instructional environment) is imperative for fields like yours.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
James,
Yes there are many challenges to teaching classes online. As the technologies change and distance education pedagogies are formulated, we will continue to find more classes being taught online.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I do not think online learning will replace the traditional classroom (at least not during my lifetime) for classes or field that are very applied. I think hands-on experience is still very important for field like nursing, optometry, etc.
While online has increased its presence tremendously over the past 20 or so years the classroom will never be taken out of the equation. Some courses cannot be easily taught online, pure and simple, while otehrs can be.
Wells,
Yes, online phlebotomy has not been completely refined, yet. But the technology is changing. Think of what was impossible 50 years ago!
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Online learning will never quite replace in-residence type learning completely. In some programs it has already started to take over such as business management, accounting, IT related degrees etc.
However, some things cannot be taught through the online platform. They have to be learned through doing them. For example - Would you want your blood drawn by a nurse who never actually did it before? Or be worked on by a Dr. who never operated on someone before? Or fly in a plane piloted by someone who had only conducted training flights in a simulator, never the real thing? I sure wouldn't - LOL!
Hala,
You have identified one of the directions many educators are taking - investigating advantages in both types of instruction. This moving many schools to invest in hybrid models that are becoming very well integrated and scaffold both environments to actually improve outcomes. Thank you for sharing your insights.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Frances,
Very good discussion post. Thank you for your contribution.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I believe that there is an advantage to both types of learning. As technology progresses and people adapt, there may be less of the need for a traditional classroom, especially as almost every aspect of that can be replicated within an online environment.
Stacy,
Do you think this will be true say five years from now when we have really moved into a more mobile society with everything coming through the Smartphone, iPads, etc.?
Eleanor
Gary,
I agree with you that the cost factor may drive more and more colleges/universities to have online classes rather than on site classes. The infrastructure needed is much less so the actual cost per class would be much less I would think. Even for the non-profit schools, I think cost is more and more of a driving factor in what is offered.
Eleanor
Roy,
I totally agree that the convenience of getting degrees online will make that segment of education continue to grow. What worries me is that some students do not do well working in the online environment where there is not that face to face accountability of seeing an instructor each week. But then there are those students who do not seem to take classes seriously in any environment.
Eleanor
This is an interesting question. In some respects I want to say yes as we are moving to a more mobile society where everything is accessible on SmartPhones, iPads, etc. so that there is not really a need to be in one physical location. The comfort level with dealing without being face to face is getting more common, even with those "older" people in the workforce. For example, more and more "conferences" are being held through webinars, etc. Also, online learning is easily accessible by those not living near a college campus or having a job that requires constant travel.
In other respects, I think there will be a need for some students to have the actual face to face learning environment. I have found that some students in my online classes do not work well without some "physical" interaction and direction. They seem lost in the cyberworld. So in this regard, I think that face to face learning environments should not disappear entirely.
But everything is driven by money and the best opportunity to make the most money with the least expenses may actually drive what happens. That may sound cynical, but I do not mean it to be.
Deborah,
Yes, today's online environment is extremely text-dependent. Do you think the Online classroom will ever implement the technologies in such a way that it is mostly audiovisual? (Especially since the audiovisual can all - synchronous and asynchronous - be recorded.) Thank you for sharing your insight.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I don't think online learning will replace the traditional classroom. There are some learners who need the face-to-face interaction with their instructors. There are different ways in which students learn. There are some students who do not possess typing skills, which would make it difficult for them to attend an online classroom. There are others who do not possess excellent written communication skills. They can have assistance in writing their one or two reports in a traditional classroom, but the online environment requires so much more written communication.
Les,
Your points are well stated and very valid. Thank you for your candid and thorough feedback.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
David:
I don't think this will change appreciably over time. Many of my students tell me that they wish they had the time to participate in a traditional classroom but this is simply the most convenient method for them to obtaining an education.
To be perfectly honest, I don't believe that the traditional classroom can or should be replaced. Online instruction is a valuable tool but it certainly does not replace eyeball-to-eyeball communications. Students who start college immediately out of high school should have the opportunity to physically meet their fellow students and professors. This is a critical part of their learning experience. Later in life this may not be a critical need in their personal and processional developments.
Les,
The preponderance of research is definitely indicating your point. Do you think this will change significantly over the next decade?
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
John,
Very true about the advancement of the traditional classroom. Well done.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Ola,
Very good. Your discussion points are well taken. Time is a critical component of this topic.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
