There is no doubt that teaching online is very different than teaching in a traditional classroom. While the material being taught may be similar, the way the material is presented and the way students learn the material is very different.
One of the biggest surprises I encountered when I began teaching online is that for most schools, curriculum is already designed and developed for instructors within the online classroom. In traditional schools, there is more flexibility and leeway to plan lessons and tailor courses based on individual teaching styles and student needs within the classroom. Within an online course, the foundation of the course is already set, making it more rigid and structured.
There are many reasons that online curriculum is already set – for many online schools, the instructors are largely adjuncts who do not have the time or the inclination to spend a great deal of time developing and culling curriculum. Also, to meet credit hour requirements, online schools need to be quite specific regarding the number of pages, resources, and assignments students are required to complete during the course. And of course, having a preset curriculum is more cost effective for the schools as instructors spend less time in the course and therefore can be paid less.
Online courses are typically designed by a team of instructional designers and teachers familiar with the course content to meet a specific set of criteria required by the school and by accrediting agencies. I have created my own online course for a local community college (now in it’s 6th semester) as well as worked with a team to modify and redesign courses. Both processes are quite rigorous with numerous criteria and requirements.
While I’ve become accustomed to utilizing the course shell that is provided within the online classroom and I’ve developed my own methods for customizing the class through online lectures, discussion thread posts, etc. I miss the flexibility that having complete control over my lesson plans allowed in the traditional classroom. When I taught for a brick and mortar school, I was often able to modify my lessons on the fly – allowing an extra day or two for concepts that students did not understand or were struggling with – or moving through the material faster if students were grasping concepts rapidly. Within the online classroom, materials covered and due dates for assignments are all pre-defined when the course begins, making this type of flexibility impossible.
There are benefits to both types of classrooms. Within the online classroom, students are more responsible for their own learning. While I am available to provide guidance, answer questions, and facilitate discussions, true student learning is ultimately up to the student. In a more traditional classroom, It seemed easier to encourage and promote student learning. Students were at least learning something – even if they weren’t totally paying attention in class – by being immersed in the classroom culture.
There are benefits to both types of classrooms and both types of curriculum and lesson structures. In my opinion, it depends on the type of instructor and the type of learner if the method is ultimately successful in promoting student learning.
About the Author
Jamie Weitl is a WAHM teaching for several online universities and raising three precocious little ones. In her spare time she enjoys writing, baking, and running. For more info, see my Google Plus Profile.
