The Background: The discussion turned from the official post question to a tangent discussion. This happens as frequently on the online discussion boards as often as it does in face to face discussions. I know, shocking, right? The discussion turned to the topic of online courses. Some professors exhibit high anxiety concerning the quality of education online learners earn. Many students prefer the online format. My response to one of these posts is below. By the way, I have removed the names of the people I to whom I am responding.
The Response:
I understand the desire for professors to meet with students face to face. They like to know that the student really does get the concept. They like to see it in their eyes, and in their body language. They like to know they pay attention in class and take copious notes. They like to pry the questions out that the student feels too anxious to ask (many times, they feel it is a stupid question, or will make them sound like horrible, awful people in front of their classmates). They also know that a student who personally hands in a paper (actual hard-copy), while looking into the eyes of the professor is (at least slightly) less likely to plagiarize.
As an experienced online learner, I understand many of the reasons students prefer online courses. You can arrange your course work around your "real work" (you know, the one that keeps a roof over your head and food on the table), your kids, and your other obligations. You can frequently pause the lecture and google the answers to your questions without disrupting the rest of the class, or annoying your professor. You can bring out your APA style guide and refer to it twenty times during the course of a five page essay without looking like a moron to the rest of your classmates.
For me, sometimes the most important part of online learning is the ability to put everything away when your brain feels so fuzzy, it could pass as a teddy bear.
That's the way I understand things,
Laura
