Introduction
With the constant advancement of technology, it was only a matter of time before education went to an online format. At the beginning online training was designed for businesses and their employees, but today it is becoming a growing field for universities and students. This type of learning environment has revolutionized what people have come to expect from their educational experience. It gives students the opportunity to access their coursework from any computer at any period of the day and provides them with the ability to work full time jobs and still further their education. At this point in time it is possible to see the differences between education with the use of technology and without it, as well as its advantages and disadvantages. One of the factors that has made this system so popular is the way media has created easy access to it, making it not just an important element in our current education, but also a significant component in the education of future generations.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
E-learning: Past and Future
E-learning: Past and Future
Jesus Ledezma
The history of online education can be traced to the 19th century when European and American universities started correspondence courses. As the population in urban areas grew, so did the demand for education. Universities then created educational programs in radio and television, technologies that had the potential to reach more people with a lower cost. According to Chung (2005), during the 1980’s university courses were offered via real-time satellite communication. Classrooms were equipped with broadcasting systems that could be found in any television studio. Although this mode of instruction is not so common today, it is still used for teleconferences.
With the development of the computer, companies started to train their workers through computer instruction. They used PowerPoint presentations and similar programs to make the material easier to learn. Soon, educational institutes realized the latent instrument they had in computers to promote education and make it more accessible for everyone. When the World Wide Web became available, companies created e-training for their employees, and a few months later universities came up with e-learning, which basically had the same basis as e-training but with different content, academically oriented.
Today, with tools such as videos, blogs and chat rooms, online education has become popular not just among the youngsters, but among returning students who have to work and/or take care of other responsibilities like family. E-learning gives time flexibility to students, it is accessible from any place in the world that has internet access, it is affordable and opens the door of knowledge without having to go to a college campus.
Online education is one of those things that will stay for a very long time. It is impossible to imagine the technology we will have in two hundred years from now, but in our lifetime e-learning will keep being and growing as an important factor in education. Edelson (2004), states that affordable computers, the development of multimedia and improved software programs will increase student participation in online education. Nothing is perfect and online education is not the exception to the rule. There are still certain concerns about the way e-learning works. Over time, those concerns will be resolved or we will just simply adapt to live with them. A good example would be flying on airplanes: they are safe, fast and efficient, but there is always the risk of an accident, and that is something we cannot control entirely.
Reference List
Chung, Q.B. (2005). Sage on the stage in the digital age: The role of online lecture in distance learning. Electronic journal of e-learning, volume 3, 1-14. Retrieved on November 22, 2008 from, http://www.ejel.org/volume-3/v3-i1/v3-i1-art1-chung.pdf
Edelson, J. (2004). The future of online education in the USA. Retrieved on November 22, 2008 from, http://www.sunysb.edu/spd/dean_papers/finland.pdf
United States Distance Learning Association. (n.d.) United States Distance Learning Association. Retrieved on November 22, 2008 from, http://www.usdla.org/timeline/start.html
Jesus Ledezma
The history of online education can be traced to the 19th century when European and American universities started correspondence courses. As the population in urban areas grew, so did the demand for education. Universities then created educational programs in radio and television, technologies that had the potential to reach more people with a lower cost. According to Chung (2005), during the 1980’s university courses were offered via real-time satellite communication. Classrooms were equipped with broadcasting systems that could be found in any television studio. Although this mode of instruction is not so common today, it is still used for teleconferences.
With the development of the computer, companies started to train their workers through computer instruction. They used PowerPoint presentations and similar programs to make the material easier to learn. Soon, educational institutes realized the latent instrument they had in computers to promote education and make it more accessible for everyone. When the World Wide Web became available, companies created e-training for their employees, and a few months later universities came up with e-learning, which basically had the same basis as e-training but with different content, academically oriented.
Today, with tools such as videos, blogs and chat rooms, online education has become popular not just among the youngsters, but among returning students who have to work and/or take care of other responsibilities like family. E-learning gives time flexibility to students, it is accessible from any place in the world that has internet access, it is affordable and opens the door of knowledge without having to go to a college campus.
Online education is one of those things that will stay for a very long time. It is impossible to imagine the technology we will have in two hundred years from now, but in our lifetime e-learning will keep being and growing as an important factor in education. Edelson (2004), states that affordable computers, the development of multimedia and improved software programs will increase student participation in online education. Nothing is perfect and online education is not the exception to the rule. There are still certain concerns about the way e-learning works. Over time, those concerns will be resolved or we will just simply adapt to live with them. A good example would be flying on airplanes: they are safe, fast and efficient, but there is always the risk of an accident, and that is something we cannot control entirely.
Reference List
Chung, Q.B. (2005). Sage on the stage in the digital age: The role of online lecture in distance learning. Electronic journal of e-learning, volume 3, 1-14. Retrieved on November 22, 2008 from, http://www.ejel.org/volume-3/v3-i1/v3-i1-art1-chung.pdf
Edelson, J. (2004). The future of online education in the USA. Retrieved on November 22, 2008 from, http://www.sunysb.edu/spd/dean_papers/finland.pdf
United States Distance Learning Association. (n.d.) United States Distance Learning Association. Retrieved on November 22, 2008 from, http://www.usdla.org/timeline/start.html
Education through Media
Education through Media
Jeff Hopkins
With the entrance of new technologies education has proven to transcend through many different types of obstacles. Education has been able to evolve over the years to appeal toward students and teachers of various situations and in turn further their knowledge and development. According to J. Reisslein, P. Seeling and M. Reisslein, While taking advantage of certain internet abilities, people are able to learn by watching high speed videos or listening to audio recordings and Podcasts wherever they choose (2005). In turn, internet media has become a convenient and cost effective way to educate in specific areas of work and life.
By using the internet to view educational videos, students are able to learn whenever and wherever they choose, even in the comforts of one’s home. A perfect example of this education is found in the Oakland Intermediate School District and their use of web-based television programs. Through the school districts network, 28 different districts have been connected to these programs and have given students a chance to learn in various fields of study (Shepard-Owsley 2008). According to Shepard-Owsley in 2008, more than 245,000 assessments have been made for students in mathematics, social sciences, English, language arts, world languages, and physical and special education. The amazing part is that these assessments are results of progressive learning through this channel of media and all districts are able to interact with this tool.
Not only is there a capability for education through video, but there are opportunities through audio recordings and Podcasting. There are many different organizations and educators that use this form of media regularly to advance their lesson plans and agenda toward people. Through specifically Podcasting, students are able to learn by downloading lectures or audio books right to their computer or iPod. This is a beneficial and cost effective way to advancing knowledge through the internet. Also, according to Gardener Campbell, distributing a podcast is actually very simple and easy to set up through the internet. The way that podcasting is so beneficial is the mobility of the media. Once downloaded onto an iPod, a student is able to listen to the lecture or recording while walking to class or even commuting to and from places. By using this method of learning, students are able to advance their knowledge without being tied down to a computer or a book. Podcasting is changing the dimensions of learning.
Education is a major part of the development of our society and advancing the ways we are able to learn has proven beneficial through the internet. By creating new and innovative ways to learn through the web, the limitations of education seem to dissipate. This is exemplified through the technologies of video and podcasting, but they are just the beginning of how education advancing through the internet.
Reference List
J. Reisslein, P. Seeling & M. Reisslein. 2004. Video in distance education: ITFS vs. web-streaming: Evaluation of student attitudes. Internet and Higher Education. 8, pp 24-44.
G. Campbell. 2005. There’s something in the air: Podcasting in education. Educause Review. Pp 33-46.
L. Shepard-Owsley. 2008. New technologies helping educators, students, and parents. Spinal Column Newsweekly. http://www.spinalcolumnonline.com/Articles-i-2008-11-12-56462.113117_New_technologies_helping_educators_students_and_parents.html
Jeff Hopkins
With the entrance of new technologies education has proven to transcend through many different types of obstacles. Education has been able to evolve over the years to appeal toward students and teachers of various situations and in turn further their knowledge and development. According to J. Reisslein, P. Seeling and M. Reisslein, While taking advantage of certain internet abilities, people are able to learn by watching high speed videos or listening to audio recordings and Podcasts wherever they choose (2005). In turn, internet media has become a convenient and cost effective way to educate in specific areas of work and life.
By using the internet to view educational videos, students are able to learn whenever and wherever they choose, even in the comforts of one’s home. A perfect example of this education is found in the Oakland Intermediate School District and their use of web-based television programs. Through the school districts network, 28 different districts have been connected to these programs and have given students a chance to learn in various fields of study (Shepard-Owsley 2008). According to Shepard-Owsley in 2008, more than 245,000 assessments have been made for students in mathematics, social sciences, English, language arts, world languages, and physical and special education. The amazing part is that these assessments are results of progressive learning through this channel of media and all districts are able to interact with this tool.
Not only is there a capability for education through video, but there are opportunities through audio recordings and Podcasting. There are many different organizations and educators that use this form of media regularly to advance their lesson plans and agenda toward people. Through specifically Podcasting, students are able to learn by downloading lectures or audio books right to their computer or iPod. This is a beneficial and cost effective way to advancing knowledge through the internet. Also, according to Gardener Campbell, distributing a podcast is actually very simple and easy to set up through the internet. The way that podcasting is so beneficial is the mobility of the media. Once downloaded onto an iPod, a student is able to listen to the lecture or recording while walking to class or even commuting to and from places. By using this method of learning, students are able to advance their knowledge without being tied down to a computer or a book. Podcasting is changing the dimensions of learning.
Education is a major part of the development of our society and advancing the ways we are able to learn has proven beneficial through the internet. By creating new and innovative ways to learn through the web, the limitations of education seem to dissipate. This is exemplified through the technologies of video and podcasting, but they are just the beginning of how education advancing through the internet.
Reference List
J. Reisslein, P. Seeling & M. Reisslein. 2004. Video in distance education: ITFS vs. web-streaming: Evaluation of student attitudes. Internet and Higher Education. 8, pp 24-44.
G. Campbell. 2005. There’s something in the air: Podcasting in education. Educause Review. Pp 33-46.
L. Shepard-Owsley. 2008. New technologies helping educators, students, and parents. Spinal Column Newsweekly. http://www.spinalcolumnonline.com/Articles-i-2008-11-12-56462.113117_New_technologies_helping_educators_students_and_parents.html
Communication in the Classroom
Communication in the Classroom
Joey Munley
Over the past few decades, technology has increased dramatically and has played significant roles in the classroom. In the past, teachers would use worksheets, books, and old fashion chalk boards. With the increase in technology for schools who can afford it, they have new tools which help them teach more effectively. Computers have proven to increase a student’s means of resource which has created a digital divide. This is a popular term that suggests there is a division between nations or communities who have access to communication technology and those who don’t. (Thurlow, Lengel, & Tomic 2004 P. 84) This divide has fueled the One Laptop Per Child to allow those underprivileged to get a better education.
The OLPC’s goal is,” To create educational opportunities for the world's poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning.”(OLPC 2008) When children have access to this type of tool they get engaged in their own education. Technology in regards to children’s education has shown to improve not only their ability to research everything, but their interactive level in the class has shown to improve. For example, “Elementary classes have used the internet to establish personal correspondence with other students throughout the world. Global communication helps kids learn firsthand about the diversity in the world, knowledge that cannot be equivalently expressed in a textbook.” (Woodall 1996).
Teachers benefit from using technology not only for things during class, but also outside of the school. In class, instructors no longer need to use only worksheets to have children participate in class, now they can have their students do online quizzes and lessons online which keep the kids active and involved. Higher education also involves the instructor’s use of technology. Instructors benefit from this technology by using power points during class along with using a microphone to help enhance their students learning. In a research conducted to help support literacy skills, “Early results suggest students are highly engaged with the PowerPoint™ presentations”. (Blum and Watts 2007) Power point on projection screens support phonological awareness skills, and keeps kids interested. By using this, the teacher was able to add sounds, pictures and keep it interesting for the kids to stay involved and to pay attention. (Blum and Watts 2007) With research such as this, it shows that technology in classrooms is more efficient then without. It can be used to grab student’s attention, even if they seem to be an at-risk child.
Research has been done on the effects of technology use with teachers to parents. This was an attempt to involve the parents and have more communication with teachers rather then a parent teacher conference a few times a year. The results from this research were that through these emails, parents were more involved at the elementary and secondary level. (Thompson 2008) Communication has developed into an everyday tool used by most people who have access to it, and having easy access to your children’s homework, and emails from their teacher makes it easy to keep track and keep involved in their education. Those without this use of technology can have a hard time keeping up with how their kids are doing, and keeping the communication with the teacher close.
Reference List
Blum, C., & Watts, E. H. (2007). [Teachers’ use of LCD projection systems to teach young children]. Unpublished raw data.
One Laptop Per Child. 2008. vision mission education project. Retrieved 11/23/08
http://laptop.org/en/vision/index.shtml
Thompson, B. 2008. Characteristics of Parent-Teacher E-Mail Communication. Research. Volume 57, Issue 2 April 2008 , pages 201 - 223
Thurlow, C., Lengel, L. & Tomic, A. (2004). Online Ethics and International Inequities.(P84) Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications.
Woodall. M. “Teaching the Teachers,":Rich Tools for Global Learning
Philadelphia Inquirer, November 28, 1996. Retrieved. 11/23/08.
http://www.princeton.edu/~edutech/benefits/tools.html
Joey Munley
Over the past few decades, technology has increased dramatically and has played significant roles in the classroom. In the past, teachers would use worksheets, books, and old fashion chalk boards. With the increase in technology for schools who can afford it, they have new tools which help them teach more effectively. Computers have proven to increase a student’s means of resource which has created a digital divide. This is a popular term that suggests there is a division between nations or communities who have access to communication technology and those who don’t. (Thurlow, Lengel, & Tomic 2004 P. 84) This divide has fueled the One Laptop Per Child to allow those underprivileged to get a better education.
The OLPC’s goal is,” To create educational opportunities for the world's poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning.”(OLPC 2008) When children have access to this type of tool they get engaged in their own education. Technology in regards to children’s education has shown to improve not only their ability to research everything, but their interactive level in the class has shown to improve. For example, “Elementary classes have used the internet to establish personal correspondence with other students throughout the world. Global communication helps kids learn firsthand about the diversity in the world, knowledge that cannot be equivalently expressed in a textbook.” (Woodall 1996).
Teachers benefit from using technology not only for things during class, but also outside of the school. In class, instructors no longer need to use only worksheets to have children participate in class, now they can have their students do online quizzes and lessons online which keep the kids active and involved. Higher education also involves the instructor’s use of technology. Instructors benefit from this technology by using power points during class along with using a microphone to help enhance their students learning. In a research conducted to help support literacy skills, “Early results suggest students are highly engaged with the PowerPoint™ presentations”. (Blum and Watts 2007) Power point on projection screens support phonological awareness skills, and keeps kids interested. By using this, the teacher was able to add sounds, pictures and keep it interesting for the kids to stay involved and to pay attention. (Blum and Watts 2007) With research such as this, it shows that technology in classrooms is more efficient then without. It can be used to grab student’s attention, even if they seem to be an at-risk child.
Research has been done on the effects of technology use with teachers to parents. This was an attempt to involve the parents and have more communication with teachers rather then a parent teacher conference a few times a year. The results from this research were that through these emails, parents were more involved at the elementary and secondary level. (Thompson 2008) Communication has developed into an everyday tool used by most people who have access to it, and having easy access to your children’s homework, and emails from their teacher makes it easy to keep track and keep involved in their education. Those without this use of technology can have a hard time keeping up with how their kids are doing, and keeping the communication with the teacher close.
Reference List
Blum, C., & Watts, E. H. (2007). [Teachers’ use of LCD projection systems to teach young children]. Unpublished raw data.
One Laptop Per Child. 2008. vision mission education project. Retrieved 11/23/08
http://laptop.org/en/vision/index.shtml
Thompson, B. 2008. Characteristics of Parent-Teacher E-Mail Communication. Research. Volume 57, Issue 2 April 2008 , pages 201 - 223
Thurlow, C., Lengel, L. & Tomic, A. (2004). Online Ethics and International Inequities.(P84) Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications.
Woodall. M. “Teaching the Teachers,":Rich Tools for Global Learning
Philadelphia Inquirer, November 28, 1996. Retrieved. 11/23/08.
http://www.princeton.edu/~edutech/benefits/tools.html
Online Degrees Just Make $ense (Cents)
Online Degrees Just Make $ense (Cents)
Michael Turner
If you have gone to school in this wonderful country of America, you know that it is not very friendly on the pockets. When you think about getting a degree, you think about needing it, not being able to afford it. Higher learning after high school is just a mandatory thing in this country to make it. It has become a necessity and the schools realize this, so they start to charge more and more by the year. One way that students are fighting back is a switch up in the way that they learn. Online degrees and learning through the Internet has become the way to strike back. It is a way to get the same level of education while saving money. They are more affordable in almost all cases and there are many other benefits to the Internet's new classrooms that are popping up all over the web.
Sam Dillon of the New York Times recently looked into this phenomenon and tried to figure out why this form of learning is becoming so popular. One student he talked with was having trouble affording the commute. With gas prices flying through the roof in the past year and the price in the future being very unpredictable, Ryan Gibbons, the student Dillon reported on, had recently gone from a Chevy Blazer to a more gas savvy Hyundai. After has continued to increase and the economy was hurting, Gibbons went the online route to eliminate commuting altogether.
This trend increased enormously this past summer. Some schools reported the online classes that they provide have gone up 50 to 100 percent this summer. With people's pockets hurting now more than ever, this trend will probably not go away anytime soon. During the Bush Administration, they noticed this trend and acted on it. Congress passed a bill that no longer requires students to take more than half of their classes on campus rather than online to qualify for federal aid.
It is advancements like this that make the average student think twice about why they are spending so much money for classes on campus that they never wake up for and cannot consistently commute to. The benefits to most students are overwhelming. The class is available 7 days a week 24 hours a day. You do not have to attend a class when you are far to tired to be able to comprehend what is being taught to you. You can look at the website whenever you feel ready to work on the class. With the online class, you do not have to leave the house at all. You do not have to worry about paying $4 for a gallon of gas or taking a bus to campus.
Even kids at the middle and high school level are getting involved in online learning. Charter schools are being made available for students to start using the internet to learn at a younger age. With schedules getting busier and busier for the young, online schools are becoming more popular by the year. There are currently more than 50,000 kids enrolled in Florida Virtual School, it is the largest in virtual high school in America. The education is the same and the instructors are just as available as they would be in any class.
Online schooling allows people to go to school that would otherwise not be able to do so. It allows the student who is not able to make the commute to campus the availability of going to class while not leaving the home. It allows the student who does not like waking up early or has a schedule that does not match that of normal campus classes to be able to get work done what ever time of day it is. If you are a night person, work on homework for the class at night. The benefits are plentiful and the students are starting to realize this. The degrees are just as legit as face to face education and it allows a new and improved way of learning. These positive aspects of internet classrooms should not go ignored. In the future, look for even more advancements in what is available through internet schools and even more people interested in giving it a shot. The classrooms of the future are here and to find them you do not even have to step out side your own home.
Reference List:
Dillon, Sam. "High Cost of Driving Ignites Online Classes Boom." New York Times 11 July 2008.
Halcom, Chad. "More are studying online; Programs expand in scope, draw from outside state, country." Crain's Detroit Business (2007): 14.
Dillon, Sam. "Online Schooling Grows, Setting Off Debate." New York Times 1 Feb. 2008.
Dillon, Sam. "Online Degrees Recieve a Boost from Congress." New York Times 1 Mar. 2006.
Michael Turner
If you have gone to school in this wonderful country of America, you know that it is not very friendly on the pockets. When you think about getting a degree, you think about needing it, not being able to afford it. Higher learning after high school is just a mandatory thing in this country to make it. It has become a necessity and the schools realize this, so they start to charge more and more by the year. One way that students are fighting back is a switch up in the way that they learn. Online degrees and learning through the Internet has become the way to strike back. It is a way to get the same level of education while saving money. They are more affordable in almost all cases and there are many other benefits to the Internet's new classrooms that are popping up all over the web.
Sam Dillon of the New York Times recently looked into this phenomenon and tried to figure out why this form of learning is becoming so popular. One student he talked with was having trouble affording the commute. With gas prices flying through the roof in the past year and the price in the future being very unpredictable, Ryan Gibbons, the student Dillon reported on, had recently gone from a Chevy Blazer to a more gas savvy Hyundai. After has continued to increase and the economy was hurting, Gibbons went the online route to eliminate commuting altogether.
This trend increased enormously this past summer. Some schools reported the online classes that they provide have gone up 50 to 100 percent this summer. With people's pockets hurting now more than ever, this trend will probably not go away anytime soon. During the Bush Administration, they noticed this trend and acted on it. Congress passed a bill that no longer requires students to take more than half of their classes on campus rather than online to qualify for federal aid.
It is advancements like this that make the average student think twice about why they are spending so much money for classes on campus that they never wake up for and cannot consistently commute to. The benefits to most students are overwhelming. The class is available 7 days a week 24 hours a day. You do not have to attend a class when you are far to tired to be able to comprehend what is being taught to you. You can look at the website whenever you feel ready to work on the class. With the online class, you do not have to leave the house at all. You do not have to worry about paying $4 for a gallon of gas or taking a bus to campus.
Even kids at the middle and high school level are getting involved in online learning. Charter schools are being made available for students to start using the internet to learn at a younger age. With schedules getting busier and busier for the young, online schools are becoming more popular by the year. There are currently more than 50,000 kids enrolled in Florida Virtual School, it is the largest in virtual high school in America. The education is the same and the instructors are just as available as they would be in any class.
Online schooling allows people to go to school that would otherwise not be able to do so. It allows the student who is not able to make the commute to campus the availability of going to class while not leaving the home. It allows the student who does not like waking up early or has a schedule that does not match that of normal campus classes to be able to get work done what ever time of day it is. If you are a night person, work on homework for the class at night. The benefits are plentiful and the students are starting to realize this. The degrees are just as legit as face to face education and it allows a new and improved way of learning. These positive aspects of internet classrooms should not go ignored. In the future, look for even more advancements in what is available through internet schools and even more people interested in giving it a shot. The classrooms of the future are here and to find them you do not even have to step out side your own home.
Reference List:
Dillon, Sam. "High Cost of Driving Ignites Online Classes Boom." New York Times 11 July 2008.
Halcom, Chad. "More are studying online; Programs expand in scope, draw from outside state, country." Crain's Detroit Business (2007): 14.
Dillon, Sam. "Online Schooling Grows, Setting Off Debate." New York Times 1 Feb. 2008.
Dillon, Sam. "Online Degrees Recieve a Boost from Congress." New York Times 1 Mar. 2006.
CMC effects on Distance Learning
CMC effects on Distance Learning
Dustin Chryst
There has been much debate over whether the internet has improved or impaired the college student's learning experience. Many of them have chosen to take on both a career and school at the same time and online courses have helped them clear the hurdle of managing their time. On the other hand, some would argue these students are missing the traditional face to face experience that has been associated with college for many years.
One method of study that has become increasingly difficult in an online based course is group projects. Many students take online courses because they have difficulty committing to being at a certain place at the same time on the same day each week. This makes it difficult to work together using a synchronous type of communication such as an online chat. According to Paulus (2007), this is the most effective method for brainstorming and effective collaboration. In a traditional classroom, it is much easier to have a discussion because the time and place are already set by the instructor. This leaves email or a discussion board as the primary means of communication. This often entails a few students with the most time doing the majority of the work because they are able to frequent the site most often. The students who are not able to visit the discussion board due to other obligations come off as working less or even lazy. However, this can also be an advantage to an online course. The research also showed that if students were given the choice of which methods of CMC to use, they were able to be much more successful in their studies (Paulus, 2007). In fact, the groups that were more flexible in their CMC methods were the most successful overall. This is the ultimately the advantage of online courses is their flexibility. Therefore, it really is not a surprise that the students who utilize this great opportunity are more flexible themselves. Being able to communicate using a variety of different methods should yield the most successful results.
Another controversial topic regarding online courses is the aspect of anonymity. In a traditional classroom we get to associate names with faces. We see our professor on an every week basis; know what they look like and where we can meet them if needed. In an online course we can become disconnected with the professor, the students and even the environment itself if the effort is not made to stay in contact. How do we really even know the names on the roster or even the professor are real people? Nagel, Blignaut and Cronje (2007) address this issue and argue that novice online students can feel isolated, frustrated or even become unmotivated when their professors do not adequately engage the class. This is most likely due to the lack of human stimulation and the main reason online classes are not for everyone. The easiest way to address this issue is for the professor to be seen and available frequently as often as possible in beginning of the course. One positive aspect of anonymity is the freedom it gives students to express themselves who are not as social. According to Donath (2001), we are free to represent ourselves differently online than in real life. In person, we are judged by our race, ethnicity, sex and many other socially limiting factors. When we are online, we can project ourselves differently and be viewed the same by everyone in the course. This can be liberating for some people because it is a freedom them are not given in traditional classes. Overall, there are many advantages and disadvantages to online learning but in the end it all comes down to the student. It is a blessing for some and a curse for others. With technology advancing as quickly as it has, we might all be learning with online courses in the near future.
Reference List
Paulus, Trina (2007). CMC Modes for Learning Tasks at a Distance. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12, 1322-1345
Nagel, L., Blignaut, S., & Cronje, J. (2007). Methical Jane: Perspectives on an Undisclosed Virtual Student. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12, 1346-1368
Donath, J. S. (2001). Being real. In K. Goldberg (Ed.), The robot in the garden: Telerobotics and telepistemology in the age of the internet (pp. 297-311). Cambridge: MIT Press.
Dustin Chryst
There has been much debate over whether the internet has improved or impaired the college student's learning experience. Many of them have chosen to take on both a career and school at the same time and online courses have helped them clear the hurdle of managing their time. On the other hand, some would argue these students are missing the traditional face to face experience that has been associated with college for many years.
One method of study that has become increasingly difficult in an online based course is group projects. Many students take online courses because they have difficulty committing to being at a certain place at the same time on the same day each week. This makes it difficult to work together using a synchronous type of communication such as an online chat. According to Paulus (2007), this is the most effective method for brainstorming and effective collaboration. In a traditional classroom, it is much easier to have a discussion because the time and place are already set by the instructor. This leaves email or a discussion board as the primary means of communication. This often entails a few students with the most time doing the majority of the work because they are able to frequent the site most often. The students who are not able to visit the discussion board due to other obligations come off as working less or even lazy. However, this can also be an advantage to an online course. The research also showed that if students were given the choice of which methods of CMC to use, they were able to be much more successful in their studies (Paulus, 2007). In fact, the groups that were more flexible in their CMC methods were the most successful overall. This is the ultimately the advantage of online courses is their flexibility. Therefore, it really is not a surprise that the students who utilize this great opportunity are more flexible themselves. Being able to communicate using a variety of different methods should yield the most successful results.
Another controversial topic regarding online courses is the aspect of anonymity. In a traditional classroom we get to associate names with faces. We see our professor on an every week basis; know what they look like and where we can meet them if needed. In an online course we can become disconnected with the professor, the students and even the environment itself if the effort is not made to stay in contact. How do we really even know the names on the roster or even the professor are real people? Nagel, Blignaut and Cronje (2007) address this issue and argue that novice online students can feel isolated, frustrated or even become unmotivated when their professors do not adequately engage the class. This is most likely due to the lack of human stimulation and the main reason online classes are not for everyone. The easiest way to address this issue is for the professor to be seen and available frequently as often as possible in beginning of the course. One positive aspect of anonymity is the freedom it gives students to express themselves who are not as social. According to Donath (2001), we are free to represent ourselves differently online than in real life. In person, we are judged by our race, ethnicity, sex and many other socially limiting factors. When we are online, we can project ourselves differently and be viewed the same by everyone in the course. This can be liberating for some people because it is a freedom them are not given in traditional classes. Overall, there are many advantages and disadvantages to online learning but in the end it all comes down to the student. It is a blessing for some and a curse for others. With technology advancing as quickly as it has, we might all be learning with online courses in the near future.
Reference List
Paulus, Trina (2007). CMC Modes for Learning Tasks at a Distance. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12, 1322-1345
Nagel, L., Blignaut, S., & Cronje, J. (2007). Methical Jane: Perspectives on an Undisclosed Virtual Student. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12, 1346-1368
Donath, J. S. (2001). Being real. In K. Goldberg (Ed.), The robot in the garden: Telerobotics and telepistemology in the age of the internet (pp. 297-311). Cambridge: MIT Press.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Change is inevitable and although the idea of going to a college campus and spend time in classrooms might vanish over time because of online learning, the benefits of this type of education will outweigh the loss of the traditional day of a college student. Education through the internet is a creative and innovative way for students to expand their knowledge. The advancements in technology are ultimately leading new generations more towards online classes. There is no question that people who work full time jobs and still want to further their education find this new method very useful. After all, the goal of educating people, in a lecture hall or through the internet, is the same as it was one hundred years ago: create a better society through knowledge.
Change is inevitable and although the idea of going to a college campus and spend time in classrooms might vanish over time because of online learning, the benefits of this type of education will outweigh the loss of the traditional day of a college student. Education through the internet is a creative and innovative way for students to expand their knowledge. The advancements in technology are ultimately leading new generations more towards online classes. There is no question that people who work full time jobs and still want to further their education find this new method very useful. After all, the goal of educating people, in a lecture hall or through the internet, is the same as it was one hundred years ago: create a better society through knowledge.
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