EDT 610 Teaching Online

Unit 1: The Rationale Behind Teaching Online

History of Distance Education

Distance Education has been around for over 100 years.

Click here for a timeline and also read the article you’ll find as a link in this unit called “A Brief History of Distance Education”

From correspondence schools, to cable and satellite communication, to videos by mail, educators have found alternative ways to connect with students.

For over 10 years now, the Internet has been around and been used as a new medium for conducting distance education.

The NumbersAccording to the Sloan Consortium published

September 2003:Over 1.6 million students took at least one online

course during Fall 2002. Over one-third of these students (578,000) took all

of their courses online. Eighty-one percent of all institutions of higher

education offer at least one fully online or blended course.

A majority of academic leaders (57 percent) already believe that the learning outcomes for online education are equal to or superior to those of face-to-face instruction.

Advantages of Online Learning for Students

1. Access – many students do not have access to traditional classes due to geographical, economical, or temporal constraints

2. Convenience and flexibility—students can complete their class work at home or at work, at whatever time is most convenient

3. Individually paced—students can work at their own pace, and have more control over the areas of the course they focus on

Advantages of Online Learning for Students

4. Profound discussions—threaded discussions allow time for consideration of comments and replies, thus the discussion responses are often more thoughtful and in-depth.

5. Shy learners shine!—Students that suffer in classrooms because of shyness can participate more easily in an online discussion.

Online Learning Provides Access

Learners in rural areas do not have as many options for learning.

Learners in the military cannot attend traditional schooling because of the traveling their duty.During the war in Iraq, many soldiers

logged on to their online courses at community colleges and universities, earning credit during breaks from fighting.

Online Learning Provides Access

Learners whose jobs require them to travel have difficulty remaining in traditional classes

Learners who are physically unable to attend a traditional classroom due to illness or a handicap.

Convenience and Flexibility

Many learners live near an local institution but their lives get in the way. Profiles of typical online learners. Parents with young children at home. Learners with job schedules that change

by the week. Learners who are more effective learners

in the evenings or mornings, when classes may not be available.

Pace of Online CoursesOnline courses provide a schedule, usually with

due dates. However, within certain boundaries, students have control to set their own pace for completing the work.

Students can spend more time reviewing lectures and resources on units that are interesting or relevant to them.

Students can ask questions to the instructors as they read, work, or complete tasks, without waiting for the next class session.

Profound DiscussionsIn a traditional classroom, discussions often lack

depth because little thought and planning is done before a student speaks.

Because threaded discussions are not real-time, students have the chance to read the discussion prompt and other responses, think about it, and then carefully draft their responses before posting.

Shy learners shine!The shy student who sits back in class and does

not participate in a traditional classroom is empowered in an online class.

Students don’t need to fight for a chance to speak. Because threaded discussions are asynchronous, all students can post as many responses as they want, even at the same time.

Advantages of Online Learning for Institutions and Companies

1. Cost—reduces overhead brick and mortar costs

2. Flexibility—faculty/trainers enjoy the flexibility of teaching at the place and time of their choice, allowing them more efficiency in other duties

3. Maintenance/updateability—as content changes, online courseware can be updated more quickly than print-based course materials like syllabi, handouts, etc.

4. Collaboration/Quality Assurance—online courseware standardizes content and strategies for teaching so that faculty/trainers teach the same course in the same way

5. Outreach—online universities can attract students in other geographical areas, as well as local students who otherwise couldn’t attend a traditional class; e-learning systems can train personnel across regions without travel costs

Hybrid CoursesHybrid courses combine both online and face-to-

face activities (see Ko and Rossen, pp. 9-10; 40-44).

Hybrid course vary greatly.Some courses eliminate regular face-to-face

class time and “make it up” online. Example: A college course that traditionally meets

Tuesdays and Thursdays for an hour and half instead only meets Tuesdays, and then students participate in online threaded discussions for the remainder of the week.

Hybrid CoursesOther courses still meet for the full class hours

face-to-face, but the online course is available as a supplement for students to refer to it while studying, doing homework, and preparing for exams.

Example: A high school history teacher posts lectures, notes, assignments, recommended resources, announcements, grades, etc. online for students to access at home.

Terms of the TradeHere are some terms to know right away, but

check out the textbook’s glossary for a more exhaustive list of terms.

asynchronousOccurring at different times; for example, electronic bulletin boards are said to be an asynchronous form of communication because messages are typically posted at one time and read at another.

synchronousOccurring simultaneously. For instance, a synchronous online discussion is one in which users can communicate immediately; examples include online chats and Internet telephone calls.

Terms of the Tradechat

Online communication that occurs synchronously, that is, in real time. Usually chat conversations are conducted with typed text, but some employ audio or video.

chat roomThe online area where a chat is held. Typically, it consists of a window where messages are displayed, as well as a message box where each individual can type in a response.

Terms of the Tradecourse management system

A software program that contains a number of integrated instructional functions; also known as integrated application software, online delivery system, educational delivery application, or online tool suite.

distance educationAny form of learning that does not involve the traditional classroom setting in which student and instructor are in the same location at the same time. Examples range from correspondence courses to videoconferencing to online classes.

Terms of the Tradeelectronic bulletin board

A software program that permits you to "post" messages online (much as you would post a message on a corkboard with a tack) and allows others to reply to your posting with one of their own; also known as a discussion board, forum, conference area, or threaded discussion area.

threadAn ordered row of online comments on a particular topic; a number of threads in a single bulletin board area constitute a threaded discussion. See also electronic bulletin board.

Terms of the Tradehyperlink

An element on a web page (typically an image, icon, or highlighted word or phrase) that makes something happen when you "click" on it with the mouse. Typically, it takes you to another web page, but it can also cause a digital movie or audio file to play. Also known simply as a link.

hybridA course that combines both online and face-to-face components; also known as "blended."

ReferencesAllen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2003). Sizing the

Opportunity: The Quality and Extent of Online Education in the United States, 2002 and 2003. The Sloan-Consortium. http://www.sloan-c.org/resources/sizing_opportunity.pdf

Ko, S., & Rossen, S. (2nd ed.). (2004). Teaching Online: A Practical Guide. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.