do you use a lot of technology in your on ground course? If so....that is awesome!
The time needed to create an on line course is about the same as that to create an on the ground course. This is because nearly all of the items necessary for an on the ground course are required in an online course and vice a versa.
You must take into consideration the technology aspect. Technology is here and will not go away.
Good point! We have lots of types of learners and the class must meet each learner's type.
Indeed you are correct Barbara. The syllabus states how many hours are to be met, whether face to face or online.
The time invested for an online course should be equal to or greater than the time invested for a traditonal course because when you are not in a face-to-face environment with the student you must be diligent in making sure that the syllabus and all instructions are clear and can be easily understood by students.
Also, the instructor will have times that they will send out information and instructions to all students and there must also be individual interactions with students, both online and by phone.
Office hours and times for interactions must be clearly set and must be adherred to by instructors.
Goals, objectives and learning outcomes must be clearly explained for assignments and directions have to be carefully given as to what is expected of students, when it is expected and examples of the required format for submission must be given.
Barbara Bray
Ultimaly it can take less time for an online course. The initial set up may be more time consuming, but as the instructor has done it a few times, it becomes much easier and the content is already there.
I think developing an online course is more difficult to develop. I believe this because you have to anticipate the various types of learners that you may have in class and prepare accordingly because it will take you longer to learn your students and their individual needs. In a classroom setting, it is usually easier to size up the personalities of your students and adapt to their needs. Without the body language and facial expressions it is harder to determine the type of student you have online.
I feel is more work involved in developing in an online course. Designing is very important and take into consideration technology. Since I’ve taken online classes before, some classes contain another program.
I do not agree, they should take the same amount of time.
I disagree. Setting up an online course is not only making sure that students can find and complete the necessary assignments. It is insuring that information is in the correct place, correct format,and can be accessible at the right time. You have to set the students up for the immediate feeling of 'possible' successful completion. I think there is an initial setup for the online course that can be very time consuming. Traditional courses have checks and balances to determine the need for change, and that is more of a challenge in the online environment, which can increase time spent as well.
This is a tricky one! Basically, I feel that the development of an online course should take about the same amount of time as developing a traditional classroom course. Both types of courses will require diligent research and planning in order to ensure that each course has proper reading materials, activities and assignments. The only benefit with a traditional course is that the instructor may be able to adjust the curriculum based on their student's feedback. In the past, students in traditional settings have helped me consider new and creative ways to make the course material relevant and interesting. It is more difficult to make changes based on student interest and learning styles in the online setting because most courses are complete and can not be adjusted.
I feel the initial time needed to prepare an online course is more intense because of the hands on preparation needed. The amount of time in proof reading alone is much higher since everything you are putting in front of the student is on the written page versus the spoken word.
I think it depends on the subject matter. I have heard reviews both ways, some that love them, some that hate them. In the finance class I taught, the ebook was quite cumbersome since you are often flipping back to review formulas, equations, and examples. I have also heard reviews for them in courses where the ebook allowed the student additional intereaction to help solidify concepts they were struggling with.
I disgree with this statement. Since, an online course is often asynchronus, it is important to develop a course that is easy to follow.
There were two big shocks to me when I transitioned from teaching in a live classroom to teaching in an online classroom. One, I think students learn as much, if not more, in an online classroom. Two, teaching online, if you are going to do it thoroughly, is really time consuming. It takes quite a bit of time to facilitate discussion. You really have to encourage students to engage in discussion, not just encourage each other (i.e. I agree... good post). I've found that one or two students modeling a more engaged discussion pattern can really improve the quality of the discussion board.
Sounds like I am in consensus with everyone else on the board, I would disagree. The online course is equally, if not more, time consuming than the traditional format. The grading is the same, the discussion time is the same, the creation of materials and resources is the same and the administrative detail required is the same. And I know with our course, we are constantly looking for ways to improve and be the most effective, so that is a time-consuming process as well. It is time that is well-spent, we get positive feedback from students on our course, but it does require a considerable amount of time.
How big a part of an online classroom do you feel technology is or should be?
I think that it may be a little harder at first to implement an online course because you are translating everything you would do face-to-face to the online format. But, I think that once you've incorporated a multi-level learning approach that encompasses your material, it gets easier. You can also have a lot of fun creating new links and new information.
I disagree. I think it takes longer because it isn't just content, but also technology, multi-sensory presentation which takes place naturally on ground and a variety of strategies to support the decontextualized communication environment.
