The Responsibilities of Teaching Online
Teaching a course online does not equate to the same responsibilities when teaching the same course in a traditional classroom setting. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer.
I believe the responsibilities are just different, but the effort and time is/should be the same. In a traditional classroom setting, an instructor had better be an engaging and motivating presenter, because those hours in the classroom are critical to the learning. Whereas, those skills aren't necessarily AS important in an online class...but other skills are more important, such as timely responses to email, conflict resolution through an online environment vs a traditional classroom, helping students who you have never met, etc...
The responsibilities are absolutely different, but what shouldn't be different is the effort and time put into creating a great learning environment.
Teaching an online course has the same responsibilities than that of the classroom setting especially when it comes to student engagement and learning. The only difference that I see is the change due to its delivery. One still has to be able to encourage learning, promote learner to learner interaction through dialogue. This dialogue consists of exchanging ideas that consider diverse experiences, alternative explanations and multiple perspectives. Exploring this, I would say that the same responsibilities are there when it comes to student's learning, but the delivery and the way we reach our learners is a big difference.
Cheers
Emry
I agree with this statement. After teaching blended, online and traditional classes I feel the instructor needs to be a better judge of character right from the beginning. This way we can determine the at risk population as soon as possible. The at risk population if not worked with properly can tank a class or even a program from retention and attrition. In the traditional and blended settings it is easier to work with this population as the instructor has more support at their hands.
Teaching a course online does not equate to the same responsibilities when teaching the same course in a traditional classroom setting. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer.
I believe the responsibility is the same online as it is in person. I think it is a little more difficult to deliver the content because you’re not able to engage with the student. This most important thing is to find strategies that reach the student and enhance their learning. A lot of this material is available online which is wonderful.
Teaching a course online and/or in a traditional setting is the same to me. It is based on how your present the material in the online format to understand if the learners will grasp it. When they ask many questions and/or reach out to you more about topics discussed then you know they are not following the instructor. The traditional classroom you are able to see the student; but yet; still need to make sure the delivery is right.
I disagree. Depending on the course, it could require more time of the faculty member. I believe this is definitely the case for quantitative courses compared to qualitative courses. Office hours exist and assignments still have to be graded.
Whether teaching a course online or in a traditional setting, I believe the responsibilities are the same. In any of the teaching settings, the instructors are responsible to influence, persuade, inspire, and energize the students. They are to make sure that each student, whether online or traditional settings, are given the the opportunity to be educated.
No, the online class required more time by the instructor than in a traditional class. In a traditional 4 hr class I would do three 50 min lectures per week. In a 4 hr Online class I spend at least 20 hrs per week including only one 60 min lecture. The other time I spend on DB, answering emails, posting Announcements, and grading.
The only thing that is similar is office hours, but they are equal as in traditional it is F2F or on phone, and Online is Instant Messaging.
In the F2F classroom it is lectures are live and set at particular times each week(syncononous. In the online class I set my times that suit me,and they are asynchonous so a student can watch at their own convenience in mutiple time zones. thus I can reach students in multiple states and countries.
Bill Falls
I disagree. The responsibilities are just as equal, if not more. Communication has to be the key with the ability to operate and know the CMS environment. Encouraging students, providing feedback, making your presence known in the e-learning environment to engage students is paramount. If students feel that there is no support in the classroom, they will drop out.
Jeannine Wieland
I believe that the goal is the same....the manner in which we achieve that goal may differ based on whether the course is taught on ground or online. Several factors contribute to that difference in terms of techniques used. For instance, in an on-ground classroom, you are in the same physical space...which means that body language and tone are easier to decipher. However, my responsibility as an instructor does not change due to these factors. What changes is my approach. I am still responsible for transforming the classroom into a place where learning is shared and creativity is encouraged, regardless of whether I am in the same space as the student. I am also required to bring to life course discussions, as well as offer the student a rewarding learning experience....irrespective of whether I am in the same physical space as the student. Perhaps there are some aspects of my responsibilities that are more challenging in the online platform, but...the responsibilities as a whole remain the same.
Daniel,
I personally think the general aspects of what we are trying to do as instructors does not change, just the way we do it. I would also agree that online is usually more challenging than on-ground in terms of running the classroom experience and facilitating learning. It seems to take a lot more effort to do simple things online that I do in the classroom.
Herbert Brown III
I teach both mediums...on ground is way more easy than online. Online requires retention without human contact...no body language, immediate interaction, simple Q & A, facial expressions, tone, etc.
Online instructors must be able to retain students through structure of class, modes of online interaction, computer and phone communication and the ability to decipher the written word...are they sarcastic, antagonistic, "quiet" or "noisy."
Candace,
Good point. This reinforces the need for clear expectations for both students and instructors so students know NOT to expect a 24/7 response, but also understand what they should expect.
Herbert Brown III
Thank you for stating the obvious! I have taught f2f and online. In regards to online I tried to make myself available 24/7. That was a mistake. Giving guidelines and time for responses to the student is as important for the educator as well as the student. I learned this the hard way. I won't make that mistake again!
Thank you for the post!
Disagree. The traditional classroom is immediate. Be it the answering of a question, dealing with a disruptive student, etc. The classroom gives us human interaction which is a very important part of education in my opinion.
Good evening Herbert,
I believe the answer to this question revolves around what we believe the word "same" means. Obviously, these are two separate environments and the actual tasks that we must complete as instructors are different.
For example, we must communicate the core structure, assignments, grading methodology, and timeline to our students. This is usually accomplished with a course syllabus. In a face-to-face class, instructor usually creates a syllabus and makes copies to hand out to each student in the class on the first day of the course. However in an online environment, that same syllabus is communicated by uploading that file into the learning management system and the student then download that file to receive the same information. I realize that this may seem like splitting hairs. While the underlying responsibility is communicating a syllabus to the student, the actual method utilized by an instructor varies with the technology involved.
cheers, mj
I do not agree. I feel more obligated to push the students online as they can disappear behind the screen. I feel like we need to be more active with them.
Elizabeth
Teaching online is different than teaching on campus. However, the responsibilities are pretty much the same. Both settings require written and verbal instructions. Also, to be the most effective, both settings require a variety of teaching techniques.
I agree with your comment. Teaching online carries the same responsibilities and I think it's even harder to connect with the students at the beginning because you don't have the benefit of the visual cues of the physical classroom.
Since you cannot see and interact with most of them, it takes longer to determine their learning styles, and you have to make an extra effort to reach out to them.
The online environment can be more intimate in some cases where the student is willing to participate, but for students who are more comfortable with personal interaction it can be a lot more impersonal, so it is important for us as instructors to be approachable and make them feel comfortable with the class.
