Online Vs. Classroom Education

Online vs. Classroom Education

This blog is taking a look at online classes and traditional classes, the advantages and disadvantages of each. Education had been evolving forever, more so ever since the technological boom of the past couple decades. Where once a few Apple computers in the back of the room where something to behold to the point where we don’t even need a classroom to conduct class, how long will it be before we don’t even need to leave the house to gain a college degree, or can we already accomplish it?

Online Learning Benefits

Online classes allow for education in distant or disadvantaged locations. It provides students an easy and convenient way to gain access to homework, course material, exams, and progress. The easy access is provided by just an average internet connection and a typical run-of-the-mill personal computer. Since the course information is usually accessible and transferred electronically via E-mail, it is possible for tasks to be completed at any time.  

Communication is based on simply sending and receiving e-mail, providing a simple way to communicate with the teacher and other students. Classes that provide chat sessions regularly for students give them the opportunity to interact with each other about a certain subject in turn enhancing the overall learning experience.  Making the student become technically aware of different outlets of communication could eventually benefit them by being able to apply this knowledge to situations in the work place.

Online Learning Disadvantages

               Online classes take away from personal face-to-face social interaction a traditional classroom can provide. The lack of social interaction can inhibit a social skill which is a necessary skill in most all jobs in the work place, especially in teaching which applies to most of the readers of this blog. The chance of making new friends is limited during online chat sessions. People are more opt to becoming friends meeting someone face-to-face and carrying a personal conversation as opposed to typing messages back and forth to someone miles away.  

Traditional Learning Benefits

               Now this may be a disadvantage to some but I feel as if it is an advantage: Traditional classrooms make you be somewhere on time. This maybe an inconvenience to some but I feel as if this teaches discipline and responsibility which are important attributes when pursuing a career in teaching. They give you a chance for one-on-one social interaction speaking with real humans and not in an electronically designed “chat room” or E-mail. Social interaction in the class room is important even for the most timid student .Getting people to break away from their comfort zone (I once heard) helps people learn and gain different perspectives.

Traditional Learning Disadvantages

               Having to buy the text books for a traditional classroom is a burden on a student’s wallet, whereas online courses, the material readily available for download and found in a centralized location. We all have professors we don’t like, traditional classrooms force you to see that teacher and take the class for an entire term (if you miss the drop period). Online classes you may never see the teacher. The more timid students are able to get there ideas across more effectively in an online setting because the anxiety of speaking up and in front of people is not existent.

Some of the disadvantages to some may actually be advantages to others, depending upon student preferences (quiet versus outgoing). Some of the advantages may actually be disadvantages, (maybe it’s best for a timid student to be forced into a classroom and interact with others) the student may not like it but in the long run better off gaining some social skills.

There is no real evidence of the effectiveness of online classes being better, equivalent, or less than that of traditional classes. The proof just isn’t there yet that online classes educate better than traditional classes.  I believe it has something to do with your own personal learning preferences. I’ve noticed while attending Edinboro more classes are putting more content online and utilizing D2L. I’ve never taken an online class and some of the views I have may lean towards traditional over online. I have taken some classes where it would be considered a traditional (be here Monday ,Wednesday, Friday for lecture)  but all the work was found and turned in online, making it an infusion of both. Shouldn’t  the evolution of future classes lie somewhere in middle? 

The Differences Between Online and Traditional Classroom Educations

Online classes vs traditional classes

Online Classroom Learning

Tweeting to Educate?

I can see how Twitter can be used as a method for communication to students in a classroom, as far as educating students, not so sure. I have had a Twitter account for a while now but have not immersed myself in it as some others. I am not totally aware of all its capabilities, I am new to hash tags and I don’t tweet as frequently as others do. I have had my twitter account for over a year and have posted a total of four times, all about sport. I was first intrigued by twitter to follow various sports figures and writers but lost interest fairly quickly, due to more informative content on other websites. As with other forms of communication on the web, I can see the possibilities of becoming a more effective teacher. A teacher can post a homework assignment, or deliver various websites in an instant to students that maybe be having trouble with a homework assignment. Teachers could also update the students on future lesson plans and post reminders and reviews for upcoming assignments or exams.

I don’t think it would be fair to fully rely on twitter for teacher delivery; the same sources of information should be made available in the classroom and possibly on another social network. Also student should not be punished if the teacher posts an assignment only on twitter and only few complete the assignment. Twitter one of many ways to create a “social network” between students and teachers and I believe it would be most effective if only one was used. Opening all the doors to all the social networks can become confusing and over whelming. If twitter we’re to work out there should be a training session and made clear what exactly twitter will be used for. We also have to assume that everyone has the internet and online capabilities and this may not be true for every student walking through the door. As an elementary school teacher I see it being more difficult infusing twitter into a classroom as opposed to students in high school. 

PowerPoint Project

The PowerPoint project was a bit confusing at first. I was fimiliar with the older version and took a little while to get to using the newest version. One I figured out how to complete the simple tasks on makung it a "fun and creative" presentation it went along fluently. The creattions that can be made using PowerPoint are endless but should not be the main focal point in the lesson. PowerPoint should be part of teaching, not the Teacher itself.

Chapter 1 Understanding the Power of PLNs

Understanding the Power of PLNs

               I have finished the first chapter of the Personal Learning Networks book. Will Richardson and Rob Mancabelli really want to drive the point home that the old way of learning is out and the new way, infused with technology, is the way of the changing world. They go on to describe the six shifts supporting connection and network building, all of which I tend to agree with. The one thing that is going to have to remember is Isolated to Connected. In a sense we can become isolated by being connected all the time. A perfect personal experience of isolation by being connected occurred at the mall just the other day. While walking around the mall a majority of the shoppers had their cell phone out either texting, or on Facebook updating a status, it is not necessarily a bad thing and only goes to show that world is connected all the time. We just have to remember to unplug every once in a while.

               The tools are now readily available to become more connected with the people around us, as students and teachers it has never been easier to contact or make a connection outside the classroom. From Facebook to Skype, and Twitter to My Space, it has never been easier to make yourself heard. The chapter does make a good point but fails to elaborate on the subject and that is the idea of being able to trust everything that is out there on the internet. Student and teachers alike have to be cautious of accessible content and not cross moral boundaries when searching for knowledge. It states that students are responsible for their own education; well for the older student that is true but the younger students I believe it is up to the teacher to share the burden of responsibility of education.  

               All in all I am open and willing to incorporate a learning network into a classroom in the future. I am excited to learn and find out more about the possibilities to advance the learning experience. I do have a grasp on technology but have a lot to learn about setting up Personal Learning Networks. It seems as if future teachers are going to have to embrace technology and incorporate it in to the classroom, but we have to be mindful that it stays a valuable tool and not distraction.  All though there are a lot of connections to made and technology has always been interesting  to me we all have to remember to unplug and take a break from it once in a while.