Online courses do not allow the instructor to read body language or read facial expression in reaction to lecture content presented. E-mail,on line chat and telephone conversations are the only available methods for analyzing student reaction, unless the course provides for the student to provide video and sound interaction. Modifications to face-to-face content is necessary to adapt to these restrictions.
Brenda,
Wow, another great answer. I agree that this type of forum does work to develop student engagement.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Course content created for a face-to-face course is not appropriate for an online course because the course is not face-to-face. A constructivist type of forum works better to stimulate the students engagement in an online course. By this, I mean a reflective type of examination of the topic.
Lauren,
How true! It really takes an open minded educator to work through those issues.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I have seen this issue with students that have taken math classes online. Math is such a hands on subject that when professors who normally teach it in the classroom try to use the same techniques online the students do not respond very well. Simply assigning questions and checking answers will not work with a student who has difficulty in the subject. Even students who are good in math may have problems because they cannot figure out how to show work on the computer. Depending on the course content it may be more difficult to teach certain subjects online, because the information does not translate into online learning very easy. So the math professor has to find creative ways to get across the information to the students just as they would on the board in the classroom or with face to face communication.
Lanny,
Great answer and a great guide to building! Our lecture courses are not the perfect example of teaching. We need to expand our thinking, just a thought.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Shannon,
Good luck on your online excursions!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Mary,
Then what will you do? What is your plan to "lecture" in the online environment?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Gary,
So, you are missing those elements, how will you operate in the online environment. Can you bridge those gaps you identified?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
There are some elements of a face-to-face course that can be utilized, however many facets of the online environment make the F2F content difficult or even impossible for the student to comprehend.
The online instructor is not always with the student to explain where information is or what is expected of them to succeed in the class. This information must be presented clearly and consistently throughout the online course if a student is expected to thrive.
An organized, consistent, and clearly defined and communicated course structure must be presented to the student on day one to help them meet the instructors expectations as well as their own expectations in the class.
Linear presentation of lecture materials is not effective.
I actually don't, but I will certainly look into it as an option. Thanks for the suggestion!
On-line teaching loses three important aspects of F2F teaching; non-verbal communication, tonal inflection of verbal communication, and the tactile (hands-on) feedback that is common for demo/lab type instruction.
Non-verbal (body language) is an essential indicator in F2F teaching. From this you can guage the student attention, interest, involvement, and (often) understanding of the concepts being discussed.
Tonal inflection can also be an indicator of these same things. Consider a simple phrase like, "Yeah, right". Depending on tone and emphasis, it can indicate agreement, disagreement, belief, disbelief, etc.
Tactile (kinesthetic) learning is also important, particularly in demo/lab situations. for example, when rollong up a ball of dough, judging the correct "tightness" can only be done by actually touching the dough. Feedback given by any other method would not be as accurate or effective.
Shannon,
Good comments. Do you have lecture capture that will let you record your f2f course and place it in your online? That can add an interesting element to your online course.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Kimberly,
Wow, you are right on target. Good organization can make all of the difference!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Marcia,
You are correct. Face to face courses that are problem based tend to be easier to convert than straight lecture.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Rebecca,
Great answer! FYI, I find when I improve my online teaching, I improve my face to face course when I work on my teaching online.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
The content may have to be adjusted to suit the delivery options available to the instructor. For example, I instruct a Research Methods course both on ground and online. I am able to explain certain terminology via diagrams, examples, etc. for the on ground section that I am not able to explore with the online section because we do not have access to recorded lectures or voice-over technology. I am forced to rely on what they can read and what I can easily explain via text (email, feedback, etc.) This drives what I am able to include in my online course and how it is covered.
Only 7 percent of what people say is the actual words. Communication in a F2F is about the physical environment and physical communication styles.
Because this is absent in an on line class an entirely new structure must be created to substitute for the lack of physical environment and activities.
I think that some course content can be used in classroom as well as online classes. Many online classes that I teach require students to write reports, essays, and use written communication for forums. In most cases, I believe that those hiring college graduates will assume they can write, even it if is not a direct component of a job. I am a proponent of writing across curriculum. This process utilizes a number of skills, including cognitive and analytical processes.
In that students could possibly use handwritten work in a physical class, and the fact that they have to use a keyboard for online classes could present a difference, but in a few cases, I have had students scan handwritten documents when they experienced technical difficulties.
