Online Learning
I think we as professors, teachers, facilitators, and coaches should learn more about online teaching and distance learning.
Online education has really taken off over the past 10 years or so. I know that I would probably not have my Masters degree if I would have had to travel to campus since I started school in my mid-30's with 3 kids. I am grateful that I was in one of the first groups of online students. Today I teach exclusively online and because of my experiences as an online student, I have that commonality with my online students today and I can relate to alot of what they go through.
Gary,
Thanks for responding to my posting!
I am grateful my school offers hybrid classes but they are currently in the minority compared to online and traditional residential classes. I am hoping they will continue to expand their hybrid offerings.
I agree with the study results. Human interaction goes a long way towards keeping students/workers engaged and motivated.
Denise
Hi Denise,
Thank you for sharing your experience with hybrid classes. Online courses have be a great way for nontraditional students to be able to access education. But, humans being humans like interaction with other humans. A study in Chicago found that people who worked online from their homes with not reason to ever go to the office created work groups that met once a month at the home office for coffee and brainstorming. The reason was human interaction and reinforcement. They felt isolated if they didn't physically meet once in a while.
Studies looking at online courses are finding the same thing. Students like to have the interaction with their instructor if at all possible. They see a connection between their college and themselves by coming on-site occasionally.
Due to the diversity of the student body online courses will continue to grow and will serve students that would not have access to education if they had to come on campus regularly. The hybrid classes will expand for the reasons that you outlined. Enjoy your students and your courses.
Gary
I agree with you and with others. Online learning is becoming more prevelant. I personally teach residentially, online and hybrid.
Of the three, hybrid is my favorite way to teach. In this form I meet residentially with my students for one class period and the next clas period they work online from home or in our lab without my physical presence.
I use this method to teach Microsoft Office. On the day we meet residentially in the lab, I introduce the projects we will be working on that week, answer questions from the previous week or talk about problem areas or explain difficult concepts. My students then work through the 2 introductory projects during their lab time with me. I am there to provide one on one help as needed. They then finish the rest of that topics projects online form home or at school.
While we do not meet physically as a group again that week, I am available to them during set office hours through IM or email.
I have seen the quality of my students work increase in this class since we went to the hybrid format. I think it is because they are almost forced to work a bit more independently on the rest of the assignments that week.
I also have seen a significant decrease in the number of students who drop during the quarter. I think the flexibility makes it easier for them to remain engaged.
Does anyone else teach a hybrid class and if yes what has been your experience?
Denise
Hi Emily,
Educational institutions and instructors need to use all the resources they have available. Online is one of those. Having taught many online courses I have found them to be very valuable in the educational process.
Gary
I believe online learning has its advantages even with students that are taking classroom courses. This allows information to be available to the student when they are not present in the classroom. The student will be less likely to fall behind or miss important concepts.
E Marshall
Online teaching works well today.
80% of my coursees are hands on or involve visual aids. I dont believe online courses would help much for the classroom setting.
I teach extensively in the online higher education environment and in doing so I have been come into contact with lifelong adult learners, students with careers and students right out of high school. The entire concept is structured to enable people from all walks of life in many different situations to further their education and improve their lives. Every professional teacher should gain the skills needed to teach in the distance, on line class room. I believe this is the wave of the future.
