Learning Experiences: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Online

¶ … Learning Experiences: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Online vs. In-Class Instruction

After having had several courses that were entirely delivered online and the majority being delivered in traditional in-class environments, the relative strengths and weaknesses of each approach to instruction emerge. Comparing and contrasting each approach to instruction is based on an evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of each approach to teaching. One of the most interesting courses combined in-class and online learning, which further added to greater insights into the more complex concepts and theoretical foundations of the course. After having completed courses delivered in all three forms (online, in-class and hybrid) it is apparent that the online courses excel where individual repetition of complex concepts is critical to learning a complex subject. This was specifically the case with the math and statistical analysis courses taught in hybrid format. The purely online courses were best used for learning fundamental concepts and were most effective in introductory courses. The greater the complexity of the subject, the greater the need for more collaboration to supplement individual learning time. Empirical research of language learning supports this observation, specifically in the area of foreign language study and mastery of complex foreign language semantics (Salcedo, 49).

Evaluating the Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Class Learning

The most immediate advantages and disadvantages of online class learning revolve around autonomy, convenience, collaboration and mastery of a subject area given the flexibility and customization of online tools. The disadvantages include the lack of communication, collaboration, and the nature of interactive learning with instructors in the room to guide conversations. There is also the disadvantage of seeing how others think through complex problems, and learn from hearing how their logic attacks a specific problem.

In analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of online instruction, the benefits were amplified in specific types of courses. The weaknesses also become more pronounced in courses that seemed more attuned to this specific learning platform. Beginning of the advantage that had the greatest extent of differentiation between online and in-class experiences, the ability to construct and manage an individualized learning program was exceptional online relative to in-class. This teaching technique is called scaffolding, and is highly effective in creating a more tailored and effective learning plan and program for each student (Najjar, 43). Using an individualized learning program online was exceptionally more effective than attempting to do the same purely in a traditional in-class environment. The factors that enabled the scaffolding to be effective was the ability to go back and repeat complex concepts, continually use varying scenarios and concepts (in the case of statistics data) in the online tools, and the ability to track progress in learning over time. These aspects of scaffolding turned out to be highly effective in making the concepts more memorable, while also associating them with others I had already known. Combining scaffolding, in-class and online instruction in hybrid courses was also very effective in making complex projects much more understandable and relevant. There is ample empirical evidence the combining of these factors leads to significant performance gains over time in long-term learning (Bates, Watson, 38).

The disadvantages of online class learning included not having class mates to listen to and see how they approach solving complex problems, the lack of interaction on the more intricate areas of the subject area and the lack of insight into how the more complex aspects of the course fit together. The best instructors can translate all of these factors into a cohesive framework for learning effectiveness. The focus on creating an interwoven, tightly integrated experience is what differentiates the best in-class sessions relative to those online. Empirical research also supports this finding as is shown in the studies completed of initial engineering courses where there is a high percentage of abstract, conceptual content (Akladios, Lim, Parsaei, 5). Interaction with classmates, support from instructors with the broader framework of the course within the topics of conversation, and the ability to interlink concepts all unify an in-person course (Akladios, Lim, Parsaei, 4). These disadvantages of online courses can be overcome with hybrid course development and the fine-tuning of learning programs to individual student requirements (Bates, Watson, 46). In conclusion, the widest differences between the advantages and disadvantages of online learning can be bridged through more effective use of scaffolding and personal learning strategies and programs (Najjar, 42) in conjunction with strategies for interweaving the core foundational concepts of the course to keep all learning in context (Akladios, Lim, Parsaei, 5). The advantages and disadvantages of online learning illustrate how this approach to teaching can be used for highly complex, abstract courses content that is supported by interactive, customizable tools to the needs of the individual learner. When subjects require a high degree of interactivity, communication and collaboration, both hybrid and in-class teaching are more effective.

Evaluating the Advantages & Disadvantages of In-Class Instruction

The advantages of in-class instruction include greater levels of communication, collaboration and shared knowledge with students and the instructor, greater effectiveness in gaining insights into the most challenging problems in a course, and continual reinforcement of the theoretical framework that the knowledge is part of. The disadvantages are those of pedagogical teaching techniques that concentrate on continual review and often highly repetitive approaches to leaching (Bates, Watson, 39) and the lack of potential for scaffolding or personal learning programs to be used (Najjar, 37). There is also the lack of continual reinforcement at the student's own pace, which is how online language training tools are designed (Salcedo, 48).