One myth which I have not heard and was new to me was that "online students are isolated and therefore will be socially disadvantaged." I find this untrue as most online programs force you to interact with others similar to the interactions in a regular classroom. Another point mentioned was that "online courses represent an 'add on' to already burdened school systems and teachers. This is untrue in our district as most of this programs are ran and taken over by teachers who take the lead in finding new and innovative approaches to instruction. Also, I do not feel any teachers believe that online classes are easier, instead I believe this is what many bosses believe. Just as the reading mentioned, I also believe students who have never taken an online class... also belief it will be easier.
In my earlier post, I believe got it right by demonstrating how customizable online programs are and how they can work for different students. Also, as my district has purchase prepackaged online construction, I knew this option was available. In reading the myths that were listed, there were not many surprises.
Hello and thanks for sharing your post.
ReplyDeleteI agree that I did not find too many surprises when I was going over the material for the week, but it is interesting to see the perception of online learning and how different from reality it can be.
One thing that I thought was interesting from your post was where you mentioned that students who have never taken an online course believe it will be easier. When I think back to when I took my first online class, I think that I was under the impression it would be easier as well, but in a different meaning than you think. I do better in online classrooms than traditional ones because I am not an ideal student- ie: I struggle to sit around for a long time and listen to lectures for hours on various topics for coursework. Unfortunately in my educational experience this has been the case more in college than it ever was in my formative years. However, online learning has been so much more effective for me because I can move at my own pace and learn content at a time that works best in my schedule. Barbour and Reeves (2009) stated that the asynchronous method of learning is the most common virtual learning model used in the United States today. I believe that I would be much more productive in asynchronous online learning than in a traditional classroom as a child. However I would pursue a mix of traditional and online courses because at that age I still craved more interactivity with my peers than I would get in an online setting.
What are your thoughts about online learning? Would you be interested in taking these courses if you were enrolled in K-12 today?
Alan, I too love the flexibility of online learning. I believe this flexibility give you a greater opportunity to reach more students who otherwise may not be able to participate in a larger variety of courses. I would have loved to have been able to have the online learning options that are available to our students today.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, "in almost all of the available literature on student performance, students enrolled in virtual school courses do as well or better than their classroom counterparts," I do believe that there should be more studies done to see what types of online learning are the most effective (Barbour, pg. 16). I do not believe that all online learning experiences are equal or have as much impact as others. Online learning should be well thought out in order to be implemented correctly.
Carlyss, you’re so right about the quality of virtual schools not being consistent. Even the Barbour quote you cited is followed by his skepticism about the studies’ validity. Barbour mentions that many of these studies don’t account for lower performing students who drop out or fail to complete all the assessments. I’m also skeptical about what measures the studies use to assess achievement. Are the assessments solely created by the online teacher, not standardized or in common with any real-world classes? I think we all know of classes where one can receive an A, but learn nothing.
ReplyDeleteThere have been some studies that show virtual schools seriously failing their students (see https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/10/31/study-on-online-charter-schools-it-is-literally-as-if-the-kid-did-not-go-to-school-for-an-entire-year/?utm_term=.e0b0004ba0e0). Closer to home, the Governor wants to lower funding for virtual charters, which should have fewer expenses, and many of which show poor standardized test scores (see http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2017/02/28/michigan-cyber-schools-fight-snyders-proposed-aid-cut/98505700). But are these scores the result of the virtual schools’s poor teaching, or are they due to their disadvantaged student base that comes to them often as a last resort? How do we tease these factors out, and demand quality and demonstrable progress from virtual schools? I agree that the key should be in careful, considerate planning, and I think all courses should be looked at and approved by the state or school districts to determine whether students can take them for credit.
Dayna, thanks for the interesting articles about online learning. I believe these proof that a lot still needs to be done with looking closely at all online schools and courses to make sure are producing successful students who are learning.
DeleteAgain, (as I've mentioned in several threads), we must consider the source. Online learning is an area where the profit motive is high, and that makes it difficult to tease out the truth.
ReplyDeleteThe other issue, one we address in IT6140, is the problem with media-comparison studies. It's too difficult to say which one is better. What's needed is research (well, more publicly available research that isn't the either/or type) on what techniques and strategies improve achievement in online environments, and whether or not they differ from traditional classrooms. Both online and f2f instruction work...sometimes. So, what conditions improve our odds in each?
To be hones.... I believe both forms of teaching work but their success is largely due on the teacher who is teaching and/facilitating the work and interacting with the student. Adaptable, caring, and knowledgeable teachers and equal access to material and technology for all students will definitely improve odds.
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