Recent studies suggest
that online post-secondary courses may have a negative effect, especially for some learners
within some subjects, when compared to on-campus courses. However, decision-makers should not interpret
the findings to indicate that online delivery is generally less effective, only
that the predominant models for online delivery currently used by the
institutions in the study are less effective than currently used on-campus
delivery models.
These studies may only confirm, for example, that video
lectures 'broadcasted' online can be less effective than in-person lectures in which the lecturer can see the audience and gauge engagement/understanding. The studies generally analyze data sets about
students enrolled in online classes without differentiating online delivery
models. The online delivery model,
especially for MOOC-style courses, is too often a less interactive substitute
for a lecture series with homework and non-formative assessments. There is one advantage of a streaming video lecture
over the physical lecture hall experience, the learner can pause and review the material again. However, the
streaming video by itself does not have a feedback mechanism to gauge the
learner’s understanding and adjust instruction accordingly. Effective online learning processes, like
effective tutors, track individual learner competency and continuously optimize
the learning experience.
The recent studies tend to compare the “place” in
which learning takes place, i.e. online vs. in-class, rather than the models of
teaching and learning used in the online and physical environments. The findings raise legitimate concerns about the currently used online models and the implementation of
those models at a time when societal
and financial pressures are pushing universities more toward online
delivery. So rather than categorically
discount online delivery, we should now ask “why” the models are less
effective, and “what” are the characteristics of online models that are more
effective.
Decision-makers and practitioners need new research that focuses on the learning model rather than the delivery
mode. Online technology allows for
interactive models of online learning that continuously monitor understanding
and skills, provide timely feedback, continuously adjust the learning
experience within the zone of proximal development, facilitate relationships
for learning, and address motivational aspects of learning. I suspect that the less effective online
models are the ones that overlook the individualized feedback, relationships,
and motivational aspects of learning. I
also suspect that, in many cases, the online models that address these aspects and leverage technology to overcome time/space/pace constraints will prove
to be more effective than traditional fixed place/time course delivery models.
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