Online classes are readily available 24/7 from anywhere in the world. Online classes have become a new trend in recent years. I feel that many people are entranced by the idea of lying at a beach and sipping on a Margareta while taking an online course. I can see that there is a place for this, however, I am not certain if bringing this technology into the classroom or even replacing a classroom is really such a good idea.
Taking an online course implies that there might be very little or no face-to-face interactions with a teacher and according to some research, students often underestimated the importance of it and felt that they missed the dialog and the interaction of learning. Online courses put all the responsibility onto the students themselves and require intense self-discipline, self-direction, and efficient time management skills.
As we can see, there are many reasons why students are against taking an online course because they demand a high degree of time management skills and put so much more responsibility to the student.
However, I think that online courses, classrooms, and online learning do have a place in today’s world.
I strongly believe that it depends on the technology used, the age group of the students and the set-up of the classroom itself. There is no reason why online classrooms cannot be fun and very interactive as I have recently experienced myself in one of my amazing courses called the “Internet for Educators”.
I think that the success of any kind of learning environment depends on classroom management, the technology used and the relationships between the students themselves and the teacher. Thus, do your research, find the technology that works best for you and your class.
I think the big perk to online courses is the accessibility. I think many people would prefer to take classes in person, because I agree that many students likely miss the face-to-face and struggle with the management skills. But if they have no other options to take that class, I think it’s great to have the online option available. Even better if it is engaging much like our I4Ed class!
….you are right that I am enticed thinking about lying on the beach and drinking a margarita while learning! Tempting!
Great post Martina!
Martina I agree with your comments. Online courses can be made to be more fun and interactive. If all the online courses were like the ones we had on Jan 20, then I would sign up! I am also sure that face to face interactions are irreplaceable. I think that there needs to be value placed on one to one visits to ensure that the students understand the capabilities of the software they are using before using it and that everyone is able to fully participate. I feel that there should be a technology portion assigned to the courses that the students take. Or at least an online crash course available to all students worth a portion of their overall mark.
Steph