Sunday, August 23, 2009

Is this possible? Online classes better?

Department of Education: Online Education Beats Classroom
Key Findings
- Students who took all or part of their class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction.

- Instruction combining online and face-to-face elements had a larger advantage relative to purely face-to-face instruction than did purely online instruction.

- Studies in which learners in the online condition spent more time on task than students in the face-to-face condition found a greater benefit for online learning.

- Most of the variations in the way in which different studies implemented online learning did not affect student learning outcomes significantly.

- The effectiveness of online learning approaches appears quite broad across different content and learner types.

- Blended and purely online learning conditions implemented within a single study generally result in similar student learning outcomes.

- Elements such as video or online quizzes do not appear to influence the amount that students learn in online classes.

- Online learning can be enhanced by giving learners control of their interactions with media and prompting learner reflection.
I wonder what some of you who have taken online classes think about this report?

We saw last year when Courtney from Alabama came in as a guest speaker in AVID, a lot of her tests and papers are turned in online. So maybe that is a good thing? But, can the computer replace the things a teacher/professor can give as far as interaction?

1 comment:

Rum Tan said...

Online programs prove a more affordable option than traditional colleges. Though not all online degrees offer less expensive net tuition prices than traditional colleges, associated expenses almost always cost less. For example, there are no commuting costs, and sometimes required course materials, such as textbooks, are available online at no cost. In addition, many colleges and universities accept credits earned via free massive open online courses, the most recent advance in online education. These free online courses can help students fulfil general education requirements.