In the same way that transitions between technological epochs often breed transitional names that are shed as the new technology becomes established (e.g., the automobile was called the “horseless carriage” and the railroad train was called an “iron horse”), research in new applications of technology in education often focuses, initially, on comparisons with more established instructional applications (e.g., classroom instruction). In the 1950s and 1960s, the emergence of television as a new medium of instruction initiated a flurry of research that compared it with “traditional” classroom instruction. Similarly, various forms of computer-based instruction (1970s and 1980s), multi-media (1980s and 1990s), teleconferencing (1990s) and distance education (spanning all of these decades) have been investigated from a comparative perspective in an attempt to judge their relative effectiveness. It is arguably the case that these comparisons are necessary for policymakers, designers, researchers and adaptors to be certain of the relative value of innovation. Questions about relative effectiveness are important both in the early stages of development and as a field matures to summarize the nature and extent of the impact on important outcomes, giving credibility to change and helping to focus it (Bernard, Abrami, Borokhovski et. al., 2004). Which setting is more effective and beneficial for the students?
Reference
Bernard, R. M., Abrami, P. C., Borokhovski, A. (2004). How Does Distance Education Compare to Classroom Instruction? A meta-analysis of the Empirical Literature. Review of Educational Research. Retrieved December 4, 2006, from Concordia University database.
5 comments:
Kristin
I like the debate regarding classroom education versus online education and I can tell you since the past seven years, i have chosen online education. My reasons are very simple. First, with the life that most are having in the nations traveling and staying long hours at work, it would be just absurd to continue spending the latter part of the day traveling again facing rush hour traffic, weather conditions and ensuring that someone is watching the children, plus now we have to add gas prices that are increasing. Moreover, the rich blend of online classmates is impossible to find in a four wall classroom where possibly everyone would be living in the same area and have similar experience. Added to this, with online schooling, there is much more information available on any given subject that a classroom would not really be offering perhaps with a couple of textbooks on this given subject. There are specific fields such as health, that a complete online course would not serve greatly but overall it has been set that online education is a solid as it can be and the skeptics that once said that people must be aware of the school and their degree did not apparently recognized the benefits of such practices.
Great Debate
Greg
Having spent the past several years taking on-line courses, I am always making such a comparison—that is, I’m always judging the value and validity of both the “old” and the “new”. I have read several articles on this topic, and, at least with me, the verdict is still out.
In our fast paced world, on-line courses are certainly very flexible with regard to how and when we choose to complete our assignments. On-line courses allow us to work from the comfort of home at all sorts of strange hours, a hotel room while away on business or vacation, or on a train in transit to work. And, for those reasons, many would argue online courses are more convenient. All of our interactions with classmates are through the computer. We never have to have physical contact with anyone if we so desire. The upside to my last comment is, “we are judged by the content of our character and not the color of our skin.” How we value each other is now a matter of the content and quality of our written and spoken words, and how well we support each other during group projects.
Of course the flip side to this is we can become less and less social. The traditional classroom allows for a certain type of energy and spontaneity. It allows us to empathize with each other in a way that an on-line course cannot. Are we not social creatures? How do we learn to interact with others if we never have an opportunity to do so? More and more, we may be depriving ourselves of the very physical contact we need in order to become caring individuals.
Wonderful topic for discussion Kristin, I think there are pros and cons to both, it all depends of course on the person and how busy their life is. One down fall, if any of the online course is that you are on your own for the most part. The online course causes you to be a bit more organized and discipline. If you dont mind having dialouge with people face to face then online is awsome. Again they both are wonderful tools for furthering ones education, its good to have choices of how you want to pursue or enhance your education.
There are many people who criticize and say that completing a degree through distance learning is the easy way out. I think that most of us in this course could agree on the fact that distance learning through NOVA is not an easy way out. It’s really sad when people make a judgment about something that they don’t have an understanding of. I feel as though I am constantly defending distance learning because of the negative feedback that I get. One of the things that I miss about the traditional route is the face to face interaction with professors and peers. However, the convenience and flexibility factors seem to override any drawbacks. I am very happy with the choice that I have made in pursuing a degree through NOVA online and will continue promoting distance learning. Your idea to start a blog on traditional vs nontraditional setting in education is a great idea. Hopefully, many people can benefit from it.
This a very interesting blog. I believe with the advancement of technology more and more people are being drawn to online education. People are still able to work full-time and complete class assignments when they get home. Online education is more convienent for some and allows people to go about their daily lives without major changes in their schedules. I am more of a hands on type of person. I am more drawn to traditional classroom education. I enjoy the personal interaction. The best scenario is the blended model. A person is able to get the classroom time but not have to meet daily. A person should persue the type of style of learning environment that will best fit their lifestyle and schedule. A person is able to select a personalized education experience that will allow them to get the most for their money.
Post a Comment