This I have taken time to think about the differences of face to face and online learning. It is very interesting to me because before I started this program I would have never thought I would be taking an online program to earn my masters degree. There was so much uncertainty to it that I really did not know about. When thinking about it the most important things when it comes to any type of learning are the content and those fall in to the similarities section of the diagram. I have also found the only thing that really mattered to me when doing this compare contrast was the idea that there is very little face time with online learning. I personally like to have a face to the name and voice. Most of groups and professors will at some point put up a video feed allow this to happen. Below is the venn Diagram created on Creately.com
It is a completely different experience to be completing grad classes online; I did my whole library media certification in a face-to-face setting with a cohort, meaning I really got to know the people I was going through the program with and was able to develop lasting friendships and professional relationships with many of them. I wonder if we would have been able to forge those kind of connections wihtout the "face time", via online classes?
ReplyDeleteWe were discussing the “face time” deficit in our group meeting via Google Hangouts and I think it really is a product of how poorly Collaborate can handle audio and video. It’s really impossible to mingle in an online class and after over a year in the program, I still have not seen a picture of several of our classmates. I think technology will eventually eliminate this deficiency, but this is still early days.
ReplyDeleteYour point about non-verbal communication is an interesting one. I often find myself talking to my students about the messages they're sending without realizing it. "I didn't just roll my eyes, Mr. Granger! I was just looking around!" There is definitely something to be said about learning through experience how to handle different emotions around others.
ReplyDeleteI also really enjoy the face-to-face aspect of teaching and truly believe that most students, especially at the younger level, still need it. Part of school is learning how to communicate and act in an appropriate manner in a professional setting so I do not think that online education will overtake face-to-face education and that the blended model is much more realistic.
ReplyDeleteSince you looked at the two more "opposite" formats, being online and face-to-face, do you think that your comparing space in the center describes what blended learning would include? There are so many ways to complete this diagram, and mostly due to the variability in learning and instruction styles and each person's interpretation.
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