Is not uncommon to hear of online teaching and to think about what is lost. The immediate reaction is to wonder how, pedagogically, you can replace the classroom experience in a virtual environment. The simple fact is, you cannot. The fluid dialog that happens naturally when a group of people share a room -even in the contrived social delineations of a classroom- is impossible to recreate on a computer. This is lost and even the best online experiences cannot recreate it.
This understood, all too often people fail to realize what is gained. Online learning has numerous benefits, many of which go beyond the obvious. Of course, schools are attracted to the savings that happen when classrooms are not needed, a single teacher can deal with a large number of students, and the geographic net for potential enrollees is unlimited. These gains are obvious and while attractive, none of them necessarily translate into positive student experiences and are therefore not convincing reasons to teach online.
What, then, do students gain? Convenience is the easiest answer. Particularly at the graduate level, the students I regularly see are busy people. They have families, jobs, and must confront greater Boston’s traffic. Being able to access their educational experiences in a flexible way that permits them to make their own schedule is valuable. In some cases, online is the only way that education is possible. The idea of opening education to people who want it and otherwise would find it unattainable strikes me as an enormous benefit.
Beyond this issue of general accessibility, an online course offers specific pedagogical benefits. A constant challenge in any teaching environment is to create avenues for all students to participate. An online platform makes forms of participation possible that a traditional classroom prevents; no longer is there a danger of one or two students dominating the conversation while others find their opinions marginalized. This equitable participation is augmented by the fact that online learning makes possible innovative ways for students to engage with materials. This means that learning itself is transformed as student experience becomes something it was not when restrained by a tradicional classroom. The novelty is not limited to the student, but is also for the teacher as he or she develops new ways to bring students to the learning and the learning to the students.
These thoughts about what is gained versus what is lost are what are on my mind as I prepare a graduate-level literature course for next semester. SPN 711 focuses on Latin American and US Latino literatures. If you’re a strong Spanish speaker and would like to learn more, you can find course details here. I look forward to bringing this learning to you.
This understood, all too often people fail to realize what is gained. Online learning has numerous benefits, many of which go beyond the obvious. Of course, schools are attracted to the savings that happen when classrooms are not needed, a single teacher can deal with a large number of students, and the geographic net for potential enrollees is unlimited. These gains are obvious and while attractive, none of them necessarily translate into positive student experiences and are therefore not convincing reasons to teach online.
What, then, do students gain? Convenience is the easiest answer. Particularly at the graduate level, the students I regularly see are busy people. They have families, jobs, and must confront greater Boston’s traffic. Being able to access their educational experiences in a flexible way that permits them to make their own schedule is valuable. In some cases, online is the only way that education is possible. The idea of opening education to people who want it and otherwise would find it unattainable strikes me as an enormous benefit.
Beyond this issue of general accessibility, an online course offers specific pedagogical benefits. A constant challenge in any teaching environment is to create avenues for all students to participate. An online platform makes forms of participation possible that a traditional classroom prevents; no longer is there a danger of one or two students dominating the conversation while others find their opinions marginalized. This equitable participation is augmented by the fact that online learning makes possible innovative ways for students to engage with materials. This means that learning itself is transformed as student experience becomes something it was not when restrained by a tradicional classroom. The novelty is not limited to the student, but is also for the teacher as he or she develops new ways to bring students to the learning and the learning to the students.
These thoughts about what is gained versus what is lost are what are on my mind as I prepare a graduate-level literature course for next semester. SPN 711 focuses on Latin American and US Latino literatures. If you’re a strong Spanish speaker and would like to learn more, you can find course details here. I look forward to bringing this learning to you.
