Online education, while offering clear advantages such as supporting a self-paced learning experience by allowing learning on an on-demand basis rather than a strict class schedule, also has significant drawbacks. Students in an online only course may struggle with structure and content without hands-on instruction, which can help motivate students who otherwise may be distracted or have difficulty working independently. The traditional structure of classroom education is effective, but also comes with a set of obstacles, particularly for nontraditional students. The best way to bridge this gap is hybrid education, which combines technology and personal interaction to support efficiency and self-paced learning while keeping students motivated, social, and connected to their professors and their peers through face to face interactions. While this newer learning model is still under investigation, there is evidence to prove that hybrid courses can lead to academic success.
A high quality hybrid course is not constructed simply by attaching web content to an existing classroom curriculum. Ideally, it should be a unique blended entity that provides improvements on both the online and offline classroom model to create a new and challenging educational experience. Education researcher Norman Vaughan asserts that hybrid education should change the tone of classroom sessions “from a presentational format (i.e., lecturing and information dissemination) to one of active learning (i.e., discussion and debate)” (83). Vaughan then goes on to cite fellow researcher Dodge to bolster his claim that “this form of active learning ‘involves putting our students in situations which compel them to read, speak, listen, think deeply, and write’” (Dodge...
... middle of paper ...
...erican Journal of Business Education 3.2 (2010): 119-30. ABI/INFORM Complete. Web. 25 Apr. 2012.
Friedman, Hershey H., and Linda Weiser Friedman. "Crises in Education: Online Learning as a Solution." Creative Education 2.3 (2011): 156-63. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 25 Apr. 2012.
Hall, Owen P.,Jr. "Enhancing Management Education using Hybrid Learning Nets: A Perspective from Working Adults." Journal of Business and Management 12.1 (2006): 45-58. ABI/INFORM Complete. Web. 25 Apr. 2012.
Menchaca, Michael P., and Teklu Abate Bekele. "Learner and Instructor Identified Success Factors in Distance Education." Distance Education 29.3 (2008): 231-52. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 25 Apr. 2012.
Vaughan, Norman. "Perspectives on Blended Learning in Higher Education." International Journal on ELearning 6.1 (2007): 81-94. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 25 Apr. 2012
Yet one cannot praise the advantages without taking a look at the possible limitations of Web-based delivery. The authors, (Sunal et al., 2003) stated that Web-based students indicated dissatisfaction with the number of opportunities for interaction with the instructor and other students. (Simonson et al., 2003) concluded that access to technology, paradigm shifts for instructors, bandwidth limitations, and training and technical assistance may hinder course delivery. They (Simonson et al., 2003) reported too, that online courses require students to be motivated, self directed and responsible for their success. Another possible disadvantage with Web-based courses is the potential loss of social relationships and sense of community that exists in traditional face-to-face courses (Hiltz, 1998).
During the ITEC 7445 Multimedia and Web Design course, I created a WebQuest that demonstrates my ability to develop, model and facilitate the use of online and blended learning. The Multimedia Design Project artifact is a blended learning project that includes face-to-face instruction as well as web-based online learning. In my ITEC 7460 Professional Learning & Technology Innovation course, I was able to develop, model, and facilitate a professional development in which I was able to train teachers on how to implement Socrative.
Are you thinking of going to college, and you want to study online, rather than earning a degree the traditional way? You may think that earning a degree online is cheaper than getting your education the way many students do. In addition, you may think online classes are more convenient for busy adults than regular classes. Such thinking would be right, but have you considered a hybrid learning environment, which actually might be better for you than either alternative for a variety of reasons?
With the advances in online and mobile technologies that have come about in the last decade, the contexts in which we teach and the way students learn have become more diverse. Classes can be taught completely online, face-to-face in the traditional format, or a blended mix of the two. Learning has become less about memorizing information. It has become more about knowing how to use, evaluate, and interact with information in our daily lives. Students have come to expect, and benefit from, a mix of learning content in their lessons: text, graphics, video, audio and interactivity. The inclusion of multimedia learning objects in online or blended course design often enhances how students process information by appealing to the multiple ways students learn and giving them opportunities to test or practice their understanding of content.
Pearcy, Mark. “Student, Teacher, Professor: Three Perspectives on Online Education.” History Teacher 27.2 (2014): 169-185. Education Research Complete. Web. 2 April 2014.
Caruso, C. (2008). Bringing Online Learning to Life. Educational Leadership, 65(8) 70. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
...that studies to measure differences in student performance should go beyond just grades. Therefore, additional studies have included outcomes including student involvement, and participation, cognitive engagement, technology self-efficacy, attitudes toward the technology employed, the usefulness of the technology, attitudes toward technology-mediated distance learning and the relative advantage and disadvantage of distance learning . In order to achieve learning most effectively, methods should include the use of rich media, interaction between students and instructors, and instructors who project positive attitudes.
A myriad of schools around the world have successfully utilized the advancement of technologies to create more appropriate learning conditions for learners. Beldarrin (2006) stated that the evolution of technology encouraged distance educators to use new tools to launch better learning environments where learners are prepared to be life-long learners. With distance education, schools have been able to take in more students, but they do not need to expand their physical space. Adult learners believe distance education is more accessible and self-regulated. Among the distance education models, hybrid learning has become more popular because of its combination of...
Education is one of the most important things for everyone, from all walks of life, especially in today's competitive era. For that variety of ways are used to raise the standard of education, so that later will produce students skilled, clever, and able to answer the challenges of the times better. One method used is blended learning, which is a mixture of traditional methods of online learning.
Postsecondary educators are frequently faced with the dilemma of how to extend time on topic in critical areas where the time in the classroom is limited. Traditionally outside class work was assigned to fill the void. There was no opportunity for the educator to dynamically interact with students outside the classroom except time intensive group discussions or tutoring. While the method was adequate, it had limited scope and was not the richest of learning environments. The advent of the modern Internet and rapid proliferation of technology from the mid 1990s onward offered increasingly more opportunities for technology application to learning. Today, use of online technology offers opportunities to enrich learning beyond the classroom. The question to be decided is the effect of technology application outside the classroom, and are there significant gains in student achievement to warrant the costs of adding technology to enhance learning.
Furthermore, some may suggest that online learning is benefiting our students in society. There has been a breakthrough in time and geographical limitations of education via online courses (Ho, 2009). Online education is cost-effective, efficient, and easily accessible (Schmeeckle, 2003). Online classes are used for individual and independent learning in which the student can learn at their own pace (Gonzalez, 2009). Not only is online education beneficial for breaking down barriers, online education has the potential to help students learn material more efficiently. Students are more likely to seek help from their instructors when the material is taught online (Whipp & Lorentz, 2009). Computer use in statistical classes could help decrease math anxiety (Gundy, Morton, Liu, & Kline, 2006). In a study that measured online students’ ability to achieve the same efficiency of course material as face-to-face students, at least 98% of students reported that they had, so one may be lead to believe that online learning is just as efficient as face-to-face courses (Liebowitz, 2003). With all of the positive aspects of online education, one may wonder why there is any debate as to whether or not online education is beneficial for
Blended learning combines both online and learning experience in-person. For example a student can just come one day to the classroom and meet in a traditional way with the teacher. But at the same time complete online components of the course outside of the classroom. The time that the student has in class can be completed by online experiences that he has. The rooms can have computers that the pupils will use to enter a website or a presentation which helps the teacher.
A hybrid study program works well in the modern world of today 's technology. Younger students are already familiar with digital technology, so they feel at home in a virtual classroom. Still, some face-to-face contact with
Abstract: Recently, there has been a rush to create web-based instructional courses. The approach that is being taken to create web-based courses is to create websites that will function as the central distributors of information and materials. Based on the format and content of the course, the student is to go through lesson by lesson to complete courses. In this paper, I address some of the problems inherent in this approach, especially with respect to 18-22 year-old undergraduate education.
Blended learning, whose definition could be distilled to the type of learning that combines digital instructions with face-to-face methods, could be considered as the “traditional learning method of the future” (Aitken, 2010, p. 76). It is a concoction of pedagogic techniques, which employs a collection of assorted lea...