5b+-+Comparing+Learning+Environments


 * 5. A r ef l e ct i on on o n l i ne p e d a g o gy a s i t i s s i m i l a r t o a nd d i ff e re n t from f a c e- t o - f a c e i ns t ru ct i on (continued) **


 * ** S e l e ct a r t i f a c t s tha t re p r e s e n t d i ff e re n ce an d s i m i l a r i t i e s, ad v antag e s a n d d i s ad v antag e s. **  [[image:online_or_f2f_hg2s.com width="148" height="175" align="right" caption="photo credit http://hg2s.com"]]
 * ** W r i t e r e f l e c t i ve s ta t e m e nt s f o r e a ch a r t i f a c t, e l a bor at i n g o n w h y i t w a s s e l e c t e d an d i t s m e an i n g an d v a l u e i n th **** e p or t f o l i o . **

__** Artifacts/Resources: Articles **__

10 Advantages of Online Courses I chose this article as an example of the advantages of online courses. Copied with permission from Sean Chamberlin at Fullerton College, this article lists 10 advantages to taking an online course.

10 Disadvantages of Online Courses I chose this article as an example of the disadvantages of online courses. Taken from the Student Success Center of Montgomery College in Maryland, the article lists the top 10 disadvantages to taking an online course. While some of the points made here may not seem, at first, like disadvantages, I have always felt that knowledge is power, so the more students know and are aware of the advantages and disadvantages of something (like online courses), the better chance they'll make the right choice for them.

A Study Comparing F2F and Online Courses I chose this article as an example of the advantages of online courses. This article, from August 2009, discusses the results of a study conducted by SRI International for the Department of Education. Its findings? Students who learned in an online environment performed better than those who learned in a f2f environment.

Comparing Online and Face-to-Face Learning Environments I chose this article as an example of the differences that exist between f2f and online courses. Adapted from David McConnell's book //Implementing Computer Supported Cooperative Learning// (2000), this table compares differences in such areas as receiving feedback, physical space, instructor control, group dynamics, and divergence.

__** Artifacts/Resources: Videos **__

YouTube video - the future of learning media type="youtube" key="-JTc9HeTh1A" height="195" width="320" This is a video created by the Department of Education in the UK. I included it in my portfolio because it shows just how far education has come, and just how far it can go in the future. I love the quote at the end by one of the presenters: "//This isn't the information age; this is the learning age//."

YouTube video - A vision of 21st century teachers media type="youtube" key="B4g5M06YyVw" height="242" width="332"  So much has been said and created about the 21st century student - but aren't teachers students, too, when it comes to technology advances? I included this video to show how teachers are changing and embracing change to help their students aspire to be technology-literate and proficient.

YouTube video - digital learner vs. traditional learner media type="youtube" key="OBFcZVTagWs" height="281" width="338" I included this as part of my portfolio simply because it's just a cute, short little video which shows one difference between traditional (f2f) learners and digital (online) learners.

__** Artifacts/Resources: Screenshots **__

Feedback screenshot <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">: I included a screenshot of an example of feedback a student received in my Master Teacher's course to illustrate a similarity between f2f and online courses, which is that feedback is an important part of both learning environments, as it helps students assess what they're doing well and what they could make improvements in/on to enhance or deepen their learning.

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Gradebook screenshot <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">: Here is a screenshot of the gradebook from my practicum course. I include it here in my portfolio to show another similarity between f2f and online courses, which is that in both learning environments, assessment of students' learning is an important aspect of the course. Without assessments, how will the instructor or the students know if and when the goals of the course have been achieved?

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Course Curriculum <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">: I included this screenshot of the lessons page of my practicum course to illustrate both a similarity AND a difference between f2f and online courses. With both, the instructor needs to set and follow a curriculum and to have an end goal in mind. The difference here is that with an online course, the instructor needs to have the entire course pretty much set up and prepared beforehand (as you can see here with all 15 weeks mapped out), while with a f2f course, the instructor has more time to prepare and organize.

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Time Management Tool <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">: This screenshot illustrates a difference between f2f and online courses. This is one of the tools available with most online learning environments - a time tracker. With this tool, instructors can view just how long students have spent on various tasks, including accessing learning materials and completing assignments. While with a f2f course instructors can sometimes distinguish between students who have put in the necessary time to complete assignments from those who complete work last minute, it is not an exact science.

__** Artifacts/Resources: Miscellaneous **__

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"><span class="wiki_link_ext">Online Learning Readiness Assessment and Teaching and Learning with Technology <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The first is from the San Diego Community College District, the second is from Penn State. At both sites, the 20 questions help learners determine whether or not they have the technical AND student skills necessary to succeed in an online learning environment. Feedback is provided as soon as the test-taker hits the "submit" button, and further links and reading materials are provided, based on the test-taker's results.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Online Tutoring - The Next Big Thing? <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">This brief article discusses the idea of online tutoring, including who and how it might help. Also at this website are parent resources and a section on related links (including articles about motivation, learning styles, and test preparation)

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">This clipart represents the frustration we (both teachers and students) feel at times with technology.
 * [[image:angry_person_computer_karlonia.com width="216" height="169" caption="http://karlonia.com"]] ||
 * http://karlonia.com ||

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