In the last twenty years, internet has become the driving force for the development of our society. It significantly changed our life in many ways, such as online education. In 2002, more than 1.6 million college students took online courses and unsurprisingly, this number almost tripled in 2008 (Allen and Seaman, 2010). Queen and Lewis found (2011), “74% of school districts with distance education programs planned to expand online offerings over the next 3 years.” However, although many students and instructors are using online education, the debate about the efficiency of online instruction comparing with that by traditional mode still going on as online education does not achieved universal acceptance. Thus, it is necessary to examine its effectiveness and to compare it with the traditional face-to-face way of teaching in order to find a best way for students to learn. The most basic requirement of a successful online education is computers with high speed Internets. Larson and Sung (2009) suggested that traditional face-to-face was prevalent may mainly because that was the only option for students and teachers, as the high speed internet was not available in the past. On the other hand, as a result of better internet service availabilities, developed countries generally have much more online education provided and in contrast, many developing countries need to further develop it. Of course, students and teachers also must have essential skills to operate computer and to navigate web. As a result, certain people, such as seniors who do not know how to use computer and people with disabilities, are not suitable to get online courses. Beyond basic technical requirement, students-and-instructor and students-and-students i... ... middle of paper ... ... 37-41. Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., Bakia, M., & Jones, K. (2010). Evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning: A meta-analysis and review of online learning studies. U.S. Department of Education, Perry, E. H., & Pilati, M. L. (2011, December 8). Online learning. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2011(128), 95-104. Janet Ferguson & Anne Marie Tryjankowski (2009): Online versus face‐to‐face learning: looking at modes of instruction in Master’s‐level courses, Journal of Further and Higher Education, 33:3, 219-228 Battaglino, T., Haldeman, M., and Laurans, E. (2011). The Costs of Online Learning. The Thomas Fordham Institute. Queen, B., and Lewis, L. (2011). Distance Education Courses for Public Elementary and Secondary School Students: 2009-10 (NCES 2012-009). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.ioyu
In his article, “Can You Be Education from a Distance?”, James Barszcz effectively weighs the pros and cons of online education compared to the traditional method, while effectively supporting his position with factual information and statistics. While distance education proves to be convenient for students, Barszcz asserts that it eliminates valuable experiences necessary in order to get the most out of the material being learned.
The twenty-first century the exponential increase in technology has allowed people to have unprecedented access to seemingly limitless information unlike any other time in human history. Today people from all corners of the globe now have the ability to harness a vast sea of resources at their very fingertips. One of the byproducts of the technological revolution has been the dramatic increase in online, or distance learning, from perspective students looking for a more flexible option to pursue higher education. And although online learning does present a tremendous opportunity for students who may not otherwise
Pearcy, Mark. “Student, Teacher, Professor: Three Perspectives on Online Education.” History Teacher 27.2 (2014): 169-185. Education Research Complete. Web. 2 April 2014.
The Internet helps us to find the current news and information just in a few seconds. Because of the Internet, the educational institution created a new method to learn: via the web. Online education is a little bit different from the traditional education because students and teachers do not meet face-to-face which makes the teachers’ teaching method is mostly by using video. Although online learning is different, students still gain knowledge from it. With the knowledge they learned, they are up-to-date to the current information around the world (Tucker, 2014). The knowledge they have can also help students to finish their formal education and earn a degree after completing their online
In the world of education, modern society and technology have revamped our ideas of what might be considered a traditional way of gaining education. Face-to-face courses and online courses are both similar and different in relation to the content of courses, student-professor and peer relationships, class participation/interaction and effective methods of both teaching and learning. Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” This still is, and always will be an accurate statement because it does not matter how your education is obtained; in the end, knowledge is power.
...mpelling study. Although there are some limitations, having good, clear research is important in the burgeoning arena of online education. Although this was targeted at University level courses, the study could easily be expanded to lower level programs. As an avid consumer of online education, it is a fascinating subject. I have had a bachelor and master traditional education as well as an online T2T program and currently an online masters. I see great potential for this line of research. In fact, I plan to investigate it further and incorporate my findings into the classes I teach.
As we advance in technology every day, more options for doing regular every-day things are becoming more available. One certain argument that has surfaced is online teaching through online classes. Online teaching offers students a chance to learn from teachers from far away while in the comfort of their home. Although everyone sees the idea as a brilliant one and many students entering college are jumping on the chance to take these online classes, it has many drawbacks, such as how poor time management and self-discipline is for most students in college, the miscommunication between the students and the teacher, and the learning process that comes with being taught through a computer screen.
Now a days students who attend college have many other obligations they must fulfill in order to be successful. The opportunity of taking online classes allows them to be able to get an education as well, while not interfering with their usual routine. Online education comes with many benefits that can help a student’s life be more successful in many
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
Technology has taken many things to new soaring levels: medicine, long distance communication, and education, just to name a few. The internet has revolutionized the way we access, receive, and disseminate information to the point that we are able to earn degrees online in as little as a year. With these type of conveniences there are always opportunities for challenges. In-person classrooms provide the opportunity to network and connect with fellow students, engage in dialogue, and get your questions answered on the spot. Online classrooms have the potential of being static and leave room for passive learning. For the working professionals, online classes are convenient and offer a degree of flexibility that in-person classes don’t.
Phipps, Ronald and Merisotis, James (1999). What’s the difference? A review of contemporary research on the effectiveness of distance learning in higher education. Available: WWW URL: http://www.aaup.org/319let.htm
Today’s generation is like no other. The nation as a whole has completely evolved from past times, with technology being one of the greatest improvements. Traditionally, schooling takes place in a classroom setting, but, with the many modifications in our world’s system, we are able to assimilate more modern means of education, such as online learning. However, with many changes comes differences and requires adjustments. The online learning system has proven to be just as effective as traditional learning, with some minor differences, however, nothing of great significance. A few of those insignificant differences include online learning being convenient, especially for the non-traditional students,
Digital learning is defined as learning through digital devices such as computers, tablets, or smart phones over the Internet. It is also known by other names, such as virtual learning, online learning, e-learning, distance learning, or continuing education. Digital learning was first introduced as “Computer Assisted Learning Center” in 1982 [1]. The first online course was introduced by “Computer Assisted Learning Campus” in 1994, in which students can take courses over the web [1]. Michael Chasen and Matthew Pittinsky founded Blackboard in 1997. In 1999, Blackboard, SmartThinking and e-campus became popular among different universities around the world. Between 2002 and 2008, there was an increase in students taking online courses by 187% [2]. In the year 2009, total number of students who were taking web-based curriculum was 5.5 million [2]. This statistic shows that the online learning trend is on the rise each day.
Moore, J. L., Dickson-Deane, C., & Gaylen, K. (2010). e-Learning, online learning, and distance learning environments: Are they the same? Internet and Higher Education, 129-135.
Many people think online education can be more expensive than a traditional school setting. Previous generations did not have the option for online learning experience, so why should we start now? An interesting point about online education is that LeBaron (2010) states, “The largest school in the U.S. is the University of Phoenix Online, with a whopping 380,232 students. That’s over 5x more than the largest public school, Arizona State University, which has 68,064 students” (para. 7). Despite the cost effectiveness, distance education is becoming the educational model of the future.