Carl,
Don't you think it is less about the content and more about the course design? It is really about the delivery and how students are going to interact with the content and with you.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Because face-to-face content needs to be tailored to fit the needs of online learners. You need to ensure that you provide students with a venue to attract them to your online course and engage them in the learning process.
William,
I do think we give to much credit to f2f learning (learning can be questionable) in relation to online learning. We have to establish high expectations and hold students to them; that includes being learning mentor.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Mahmoud,
What requirements. Depending on the outcomes; the requirements could be the same. Delivery is the key.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Mahmoud,
What about design? There is more than delivery.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Derek,
There really is an issue of timing. It all becomes founded on good course design. This becomes the conduit to change from f2f to online.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Course content created for a face-to-face course can't be appropriate for an online course because face-to-face interaction is not available in an online course. Content for an F2F course is set up for students sitting in a classroom at the same time. Online courses must be presented differently so the course content has to be modified for the different presentation techniques.
Hello
There are a lot of reasons face-to-face methods and content would not work in an online environment. In an F2F environment the instructor is standing there teaching. Their physical presence can convey a lot just in itself. There is also a feeling amongst most students that their classroom presence is important to their success. Students (or most students) have awareness that they must read the textbook and do required research in order to pass exams. Little things like being able to talk to the instructor after class mean a lot. Students are also aware that at any point the instructor can call on them for an answer to a question posed by he/she in class.
The online environment is a lot different. There is no F2F contact or interaction. Online students are able to pose questions either in chat sessions, email, office hours or on the Discussion Boards. The intimate contact between instructor and student can be lost. In my opinion it is the responsibility of the instructor or facilitator to try to establish a teacher/student relationship as best as possible so the student does not feel lost even though it’s just a virtual one. One way I do it is by trying to be non- formal during my chat sessions. I try very hard to make them feel comfortable with me as best I can.
A lot of online learners feel alone in this new virtual learning environment. They do not have the comfort of other students to lean on. Even though their learning is more on their shoulders, the instructor can make the experience more inviting. I myself have never been an online student but I can imagine how lonely an experience it can be if not handled correctly by the instructor or the people designing the course.
Bill Becker
You have good delineation of the different requirements of the F2F vs. the online course.
Because the online course can be synchronous or asynchronous facilitation. Hence it requires delivery and organization methods.
It could be appropriate, but chances are it will not be. The timing of a face-to-face class versus an online course is different. Students must work on their own and there needs to be a high level of engagement for students to be successful. Typical face-to-face methods may not work in an online environment.
Lyn ,
You make a great point. You don't know how students access material. Many of the LMS's have a way to track students use of the content in the LMS. I think that information may play a large role in determining participation and interaction with the content. It is one way to hold students accountable.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Hi all,
Some F2F content may not be appropriate, but many can be modified for the online environment.
For example, handouts in a F2F could be modified as documents uploaded to the online course resource area.
The biggest difference is the challenge for not having students and instuctors all together in one place at one time.
Another challenge is that instructors do not have as much control over how students access the material. In a F2F lecture, I can say first we are going to cover this, then next this, etc. Students in an online course may jump around or not fully understand some content before moving to the next concept or module.
Course design can help alleviate some of this. For example, the design can lock some content until a previous lesson is finished. And instructors can remind students to catch up if they are falling behind by sending out friendly reminders. Lyn
Dawn,
True, I actually think my changed in teaching online has help me be more student oriented and student responsible in my f2f course. It is about communication and course design. Those tools are so important.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Being someone who has taught both F2F and online, the F2F way does not fit the online environment due to the fact that F2F courses are more instructor driven where online is more student driven. Yes, the instructor needs to facilitate and move the course along, although the instructor is not lecturing in front of the student three to four hours weekly, making how the content is taught different between the two courses. Thoughts?
Have a good day.
Dawn
May-Lin,
True, it is more methodology than content. Although there are differences, there are ways to make an online course engaging and student centered, it is just different.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
The differences between a face-to-face course and online course are numerous and you have to address these differences in developing your online course.
That lack of meeting students face to face in a real time environment could be a critical barrier to establishing a positive rapport.
As the lesson indicated, the instructor/facilitator should send out a welcome message and also post introductions during the first week. I think this is a crucial component to start out the course right.
In addition the lack of traditional methods of teaching like a hard copy book, blackboard, paper handouts, etc. require online courses to provide effective technology tools to meet this requirements. Lectures and textbooks should be provided to students in pdf documents, ebooks, PowerPoints, and recorded videocasts.
These are just a couple of differences between the face to face and online environment.
Nitin,
You are right. You have to develop your own "cues" from different types of feedback. We have to educate students regarding how to "learn" in the online environment by watching for our "cues". Learning by everyone.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
F2F we can see the students expressions and instant feeback from them to us and vice versa.
This allows the facilitator to adjust his/her training and guidance based on how the students respond.
The same is not applicable in the online environment since there is no 'realtime' class. Not all students can make the synchronous chats, and hence the course content has to be modified to allow for this format of learning.
Laurie,
I agree with you. I also think that we need to view our f2f courses more like our online. I have colleagues ( not naming names :)) that haven't changed their f2f courses in years. We need the online mentality in the f2f course sometimes!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
