Online vs. F2F learning

Answer the following questions individually. After that, comment on at least 2 of your classmates' contributions.

a) Do you have any experience taking online courses?

No, I don't have any experience taking online courses.

b) What do you think about online learning?

I have not taken any online course. But I believe that it should exist a variety types of courses. I think that maybe online courses demand motivated and committed people, because you organized your study time. So if you are not that kind of people, you should continue with F2F learning.

c) How does it compare to traditional F2F learning? Think about benefits and challenges.

Differences	F2F	Online
Inherent Characteristics	• Synchronous learning • Learning occurs in specified time and space. • Teacher directed pace	• Synchronous and asynchronous learning • Time and space for learning is flexible • Self-paced learning allowed
Methods of Communication	• Verbal and non verbal communication	• Heavy emphasis on writing
Technical Knowledge	• Not a pre-requisite for course	• Technical knowledge required
Access to learning Materials	• Lectures or discussions are real time. No detail records archived.	• Lectures and discussions archived and can be accessed anytime.
Cost	• Cost for setting up physical space, commuting, parking, etc. may be high	• Cost for initial installment of hardware and software as well as constant upgrade may be high.
Learning Process	• Allows learners and instructors to bond socially • May inhibit reticent learners to participate. • Human interaction tends to reduce high dropout rate • Discussion is limited to the pre-defined time frame. • Immediate adjustment to repair misunderstanding is possible. • Teacher exercises strong leadership. • Feedback is immediately Delivered through verbal/visual/textual modalities.	• Allows learners and instructors to exchange idea in a more thoughtful fashion. • Allows reticent learners to speak up more easily and actively. • Conducive to learning new skills in technology • Dropout rates are higher due to lack of human contact and technical problems • Discussion is not limited to the class time. • Misunderstanding in discussion may not be adjusted in time, causing unnecessary rift in class. • Conducive to student centered learning. • Feedback is usually delayed and is given mostly through text.

     

Instead of reinforcing the divide between face-to-face and online learning, many educators have started to take advantages of both learning environments. With the hybrid model, face-to-face learning allows learners to bond socially, while the online portion of the lesson provides another forum for in-depth discussion. Furthermore, learners can establish a mentor-mentee relationship with the instructor in a face-to-face environment and build on the relationship by being able to communicate in another format at anytime anywhere. Lastly, unlike the linear progression in the face-to-face instruction, the hypertext technology enables learners to develop multilineal thinking processes by instantly connecting a wide variety of perspectives to the lesson at hand.