Already thinking differently..
Completing the readings after making my first two blog posts makes me realize that I am thinking differently already. It’s interesting to me that I did not think about the LMS I use (Desire2Learn/BrightSpace) as part of blended learning. Thinking about it though, I do post discussion topics, quizzes are done through the LMS, assignments are handed in and delivered back through the LMS, I post practice activities, reminders and other prompts through the LMS.
During the pandemic, like most of the world, I had to quickly move to remote learning (aka emergency remote learning). The course I teach is quite formula heavy with a lot of new concepts, which I demonstrate visually usually on the board. Without time to adapt my teaching modality, I had to quickly borrow hardware (Wacom monitor) and learn how to use Zoom functions such as the white board etc. Once my desk was set up, the rest was fairly easy. Additional challenges were almost exclusively on the students side, such as finding a space in a crowded home, sharing computer time with siblings, and bandwidth issues.
I enjoyed the article Old wine in new Bottles, and what really landed with me was that course design needs to adapt to the different environment, the new online environment. As it state, online learning puts the students in a space that is different than the face-to-face classroom. I find in the classroom it is the collaboration and ‘work together’ time that not only solidifies certain concepts, but it is here that gaps in knowledge are recognized and can be addressed and discussed as a group. New ways of achieving this need to be adopted if using an online model.
A question is posed in 10.5 The future of the campus – Teaching in a Digital Age – Second Edition (bccampus.ca). The authors say state that what we need to be asking is “what is the academic or pedagogical justification for the campus, when students can learn most things online?”. They go on to assert that on-campus activities must be meaningful.
Perhaps part of my answer to this question lies in my constructivist view and thoughts on collaboration.
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I am a bit fearful of a world in which everything can be learned online, which is ironic as I’ve taken almost the entirety of my master’s degree remotely. This is not because online classes are inherently inferior, as our readings point out instructional practices, not modality, determine efficacy, but the tendency for large institutions to see online or blended classes as source of cost savings. I feel that there is a perception that if a class is online it requires less care and attention than face-to-face instruction. This feeling was reinforced by our discussion of the university re-using the material from the deceased professor without disclosing his passing to prospective students. I worry that with a move to more and more online only models we will see a reduction in quality instruction in the name of “efficiencies.”
Hi Matthew, thank you for your comment. I do agree with your thoughts about learning exclusively online. Which, again, is ironic as I am completing this degree online. You can argue for and against this in a couple of ways. If we are staying true to good pedagogy, then certainly some ideas, topics, courses are suitable for online learning, given the instructor is committed to the teaching and knowledge transmission and translation. However, not all topics are suitable for remote or online learning. Not everything can be learned online.
Then there is the other way of looking at it, as you pointed out, the degradation of quality instruction due to this perception.
Coming into this masters program, I did not expect as you said “less care and attention” to the online approach. However, I feel I have experienced this (in one course only) and of course the article about the deceased professor was shocking. There is cause to be worried about the quality of instruction. Considering the growing number of online institutions that grant online degrees and diplomas, it is a concern that the perception of online is inferior could affect the reputation of reputable schools looking to offer flexibility to its adult learners.
I agree that there can be a tendency to assume that online classes require less attention from educators, or that some institutions may make it deliberately so to save resources. I completed my MSc entirely online as well (not at the UofR; only stepped foot on campus for my convocation). My experience really depended on the professor and their preferences (or perhaps motivation). All classes were asynchronous, with the majority of grades based on individual projects and research papers. However, several professors made attempts at group projects (likely very difficult to coordinate on their end!), mandatory video chats with the professor, blog posts, etc. Those classes were far more engaging from a student’s perspective, even if we might have grumbled about the extra work at the time. I honestly wasn’t too sure what to expect with EC&I 834, as it’s my first class with the Faculty of Education. (I’m one of those people who saw it posted as day/time TBA, so I assumed it was asynchronous). Now that I understand more about the different formats and pros/cons, I can see the benefit of offering the class as-is.
Hi Lauren, Overall have your experiences with exclusively online learning been positive? Did you feel the lack of a physical classroom impeded either the instruction or your learning?
I also teach physical education and in a world where technology is becoming more and more “convenient” I fear that students (mostly young kids) are becoming less involved in activities. There are so many positives to teaching online and learning from home/different environments. However, there is something about working with others, especially in a physical education setting, where you learn cooperative skills and movement concepts that are very difficult to teach/learn from a computer. I felt the impact COVID had on our wellness and student motivation.
Hi Sarah, I am so grateful that we still have PE in our schools. You are right, that as everything becomes increasingly online, PE classes serve more than just being active and learning about physical activity. I hope that collaboration will continue to be a priority in our school system as well.
Thank you for your comments!