I am interested in your opinion of online education. Granite State College offers many courses on line. They have many online education, early childhood certification, and elementary education degree courses now online. So I am wondering what you think of an online model in the field of education?
I recently taught the same course in both a face to face and an online format at Granite State College. The course was for Early Childhood Education Majors. I have asked students in the class for their feedback on the course materials including books, videos, discussions and forums. Those students who took the course face to face seemed less interested in the book and more interested in the discussions. Those students who took the course online were very impressed with the book and the videos. They enjoyed the posts of classmates to forums, but rated the book more highly. So I am asking your opinion of the online education experience. Is it a good way to gain an education? Do you think you get the same overall experience? Are there things that are missing in one format or the other that we should build in to the face to face or online models? Stay tuned to see what people are saying about online education.
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From a student learning perspective I found the online classes to not be as helpful as face to face class room experiences. The personalization is lost. The ability to see facial expressions, read body language, hear tone of voice is gone for online classes- which can lead to feelings being hurt and things to be misunderstood.
I also found teacher student communication to be more difficult for online classes. I had one online course through GSC where the teacher went MIA for five days-midweek! I understand how easily life gets in the way, but to go MIA without posting as much as a note is irresponsible for a teacher/professor.
I am now in a MEd program and travel over an hour to avoid taking online classes. The type of learning that I need comes from face to face meetings. I remember the material and can recall aspects of courses much better than online classes.
I found GSC to be a perfect match for me to obtain my under grad degree. I had an amazing advisor, fabulous teachers and professors, and the classmates were amazing! The only not so positive experience was the online classes.
If I were an advisor helping a student navigate course selections, I would take the extra time to get to know the student. Find out what home is like- young kids, stressful job, roommates coming and going, parties are all things that can prevent a student from having a successful online experience. Hybrid courses offer the best of both worlds for people with an active home life or a tendency to procrastinate.
As I stated above, my feelings and experiences were mixed. It was also enough to let me know that online classes are NOT for everyone