Billie,
Interesting how you use phones. Interesting, side note. I quit using the phone because of abuse of a nontraditional student!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Ron,
Another good post! I love how your articulated your transformation. I want you to be my "poster child" for online :)
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Alan,
WOW! Love your post. It will be interesting to see how online will continue to evolve. I wish we monitored f2f course like we do online.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I taught 22 years in the f2f environment with a class here and there online before switching to online fulltime. I do not belive the f2f classroom will ever disappear. Because of the different learning styles of students, many students need the f2f environment to reach ultimate success not only for the interaction with the instructor but because they thrive on the interaction with the other students. I continue to expand my methods of reaching my online students, but I have still found that the occasional telephone call with that student in need can make all of the difference for a student's in attitude and success. I often communicated with my f2f students with phone calls after hours to answer questions needing a response, and I do that same thing online. One very quick phone call can save a great deal of frustration on both the student's side and the instructor's side. (Side note: I have never had a student abuse the knowledge of having my phone number available in over 25 years of collegiate instruction.)
June: I've been retired since 2004 and started during that same timeframe with an online university. Many (but not all , of course) of the F2F teaching satisfactions at graduate level were also present in the online environment. For example, that special "moment" when a student grasps a difficult concept, or the awakening of others into deciding to change careers because of a love to a newly discovered discipline, or a student's emerging desire to pursue a terminal degree motivated by something discussed in class. These are still very satisfying moments.
There are also some challenges I've experienced online, like the student that is not ready for learning through technology or the student with insufficent self-motivation. Perhaps these are some of the same reasons F2F will remain?
But being able to travel, publish books and enjoy retirement while still contributing to education makes these inconveniences much lighter. In fact, because of travel and other retirement activities I find myslef with more energy for student follow-ups, emails, more sensitive to their learning styles, and more aware of their learning capabilities.
Just recently we came back from Madrid, and the live chats for a gradutae class were on a Monday. Other than making sure the time conversion was correct, the students were not aware of where on the globe I was located. So at least for me there is a bit of a tradeoff between F2F and online, but more and more I'm enjoying the online side AND retirement.
Hope it works for you.
Twelve years ago the VP of the instituion I was teaching for informed me that we were going to start teaching online. I told her, "that's the stupidest idea I ever heard of!" She responded, "too bad you're on the team." I held departmental meetings quarterly with students (usually about 80 students attended). Asking about online education the room broke out consistently 60-40. 60% loved it and wished that all our courses were taught that way, 40% hated it. As time went on I broke the "I hate it" group into two categories (technology-challenged, and discipline-challenged. Twelve years later, and lots of experience later I still see roughly the same breakout.
Long introduction to say that I think f-2-f instruction is on the decline, but unlike the buggy whip, I think it will still be around long after I'm dead of old age.
Meanwhile, multi-campus enterprises have to be careful. I've seen more than one instance where on-ground campuses struggle because so many of their students taste online and like it, so they have to battle retention, graduation, AND online maurauding :o). Some campus units won't survive.
David,
I agree to a point. I think that we do "cop out" when we don't exam what we could do in an online environment.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I have seen quite a bit of virtual classrooms and online teaching being used for various subjects. Information technology related topics do lend themselves to online facilitation; however, there are those who may wish to have more in-person interaction with an instructor.
There are some things which are easier to teach in-person rather than online.
David
Angela,
I like that you said "different" not "better". I agree that both have their place in education. Good point!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I don't think that face to face learning will ever completely disappear. The experience in a live classroom versus a virtual one is very different. Often in a live classroom setting the discussions are more organic and students learn from this interaction. Online learning presents convenient options for students.
Cynthia,
Great info. I think we don't rely on already developed resources to help us develop a robust learning environment.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Dr. Wilkinson,
Yes, I do agree. I provide tutorials and A+ Tip Sheets for my students, but there is also built-in labs in the virtual classroom to help students with writing and documentation skills, too. Tutoring is available for almost all general education courses, too. It's a student-centered learning environment created with their needs in mind. It works well for them, but also for facilitators.
Thanks for your response!
Cynthia
Dr. Cheryl,
You don't have to "settle" learning in an online environment. I cannot get in that mindset. We can't always look at online courses through the f2f lens. Then we sell both environments short.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Sharon,
There will always be courses that are optimally taught f2f. I will also say that there are some f2f courses that may be better taught online given how they are taught in a f2f environment. Thoughts?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Cynthia,
What great encouragement. Don't you think just as in teaching f2f we collect material that works in an online environment that helps supplement and re mediate our students.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I do not foresee online classes replacing traditional classes; because, some students need human interactions. Some classes are technical or clinical and must be taught in the clinical setting like phlebotomy, injections, electrography, and vital signs. However, online classes are very convenient for students with families or full-time jobs. The student must be disciplined to keep up with the classes.
While I agree the idea of on line teaching is inviting as it would allow me to care for my 1 year old at home, there are some studio based classes that really benefit from the human touch.
Hello June,
I taught F2F classes for years, but I wanted to write and travel but not give up teaching. Thus, I started teaching online eight years ago. I also really enjoy teaching online and have found that if I am effectively using the appropriate VC tools available in and outside of the virtual classroom, I do not sacrifice interaction with students. You do have to become a facilitator rather than a lecturer.
However, even it F2F, lecturing should not be the only mode of delivery of material; I encouraged students in my F2F class to become active learners by providing supplemental remedial materials and practice activities in Blackboard (LMS). I was luck to be teaching writing in a classroom where each student had a computer.
I believe the online education will continue to grow but not replace F2F classes, so yes, by all means, consider teaching online in your retirement and travel!
Good luck to you,
Cynthia
June,
I teach two graduate courses in career and technical ed. Most of my students are nontraditional students (teachers) that have never taken an online course nor used a learning management system. It does get interesting.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
That is good to hear. What did you teach?
