Week1 reflection : wiki 2

How do the 2 models (online vs. face-to face) of teaching compare?

According to Cathy Galyon Keramidas, in her study at West Virginia University, Are Undergraduate Students Ready for Online Learning? A Comparison of Online and Face-to-Face Sections of a Course, “Flexibility and freedom to work at their own pace is one cited benefit to students who pursue online Learning”. I strongly agree that in today’s busy work & home environments, the benefits of flexibility that are present in an online course far outweigh any face-to face interaction advantages.  As digital tools become the norm, student interactions with each other and the instructor can become more prevalent and meaningful in an online environment. It can be difficult to capture the instructor for that quick question right before or after class, especially when others are also competing for a moment of his or her time. Online, the mindset is “all business” and the asynchronous atmosphere provides both the teacher and student with a flexible window for one-on-one interaction which can lead to heightened understanding. I believe this to be a win-win situation as the interaction tends to expand the thoughts of  the originating student ,  other classmates involved in the online discussion as well as the instructor.

KLC

Reference:

Galyon Keramidas, C. (2012). Are Undergraduate Students Ready for Online Learning? A Comparison of Online and Face-to-Face Sections of a Course. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 31(4), 25-32. Retrieved October 10, 2014.