As I explore the sixth grade language arts lessons for the virtual class I'm observing, I keep wondering, "What do the kids think about this lesson?" I wonder if they think the lesson is fun, interesting, long, etc. I wonder if the work zips by quickly or if it feels like a chore. I wonder if their mom has to nag them to get busy and threaten to take away privileges if they don't finish promptly.Then I thought about my life as a virtual student. I thought about the lessons I work through each week, and how I feel about them. I thought about the weeks I procrastinate and the weeks I work ahead. Like me, I'm sure virtual kids experience a natural ebb and flow of motivation and productivity.
Next year, after I finish my degree at UF this summer, I have the option of doing additional grad work in Boston. The program is full time, face-to-face, with no online options. My husband is working on a joint venture there, and he would love to relocate temporarily. Our last kid will start college in the fall (phew!) and the timing feels right. I'd have to take a leave of absence from my beloved job, buy a backpack, and probably ride an old, rusty bike around campus. As you can imagine, I have mixed feelings, especially at my age.
Surprisingly, one of my concerns is how I'll adjust to the demands of the face-to-face classroom. Though I've taken college courses throughout my adult life, the last time I had to drag myself to a brick and mortar college classroom was in 1998. I love online learning; it's perfect for me. I worry that I'll resent having to go to class and listen to lectures. I wonder if I'll skip class when the snow piles up. I wonder if working in groups, face-to-face with students I may not enjoy working with, will bug me.
So I decided to make a list of the things I love about online learning and the things I love about face-to-face classes. Maybe the list will help me decide. Probably not. Here it is:
Attributes of online learning (IMO)
I learn when I want to, not when the clock says I should
I can learn in my robe with wet hair and a cup of coffee (this is a big one)
I don't have to interact with classmates if I don't feel like it
I can interact with classmates if I feel like it
I like to write, and online classes are usually focused on writing
I get more personal attention from teachers than I ever had in any face-to-face classes
Attributes of face-to-face classes (IMO)
If you're lucky, you'll witness live unforgettable lectures by accomplished professors
You can meet and become friends with interesting students who live near you
You can become immersed in the campus experience and everything campus life offers
Riding an old rusty bike around campus is less sedentary than sitting on the sofa with a laptop
When I look at my list, I can't help but wonder if kids who have taken virtual classes feel the same way. Like everything in life, choices involve opportunity costs. Everything has pros and cons. Nothing is totally good or totally awful.
Though these decisions are hard, I can't help but think about how lucky this generation is because they have choices that I only found after I was 30. I'll let you know what I decide.
4 comments:
Jeanne-
I enjoyed this post very much. It is amazing to have the options today of either learning online or in person. I'm still quite young at 30, but even when I was starting college online courses were just beginning to be offered, and only in small numbers. Additionally, everyone looked down their nose at online learning. The past decade has brought myriad change in the amount and quality of online/virtual education. For me, I loved many things about the traditional college classroom, which all of my undergraduate work involved. Now, doing my Master's entirely online has been a learning experience, but I do find myself liking it for the many of the same reasons you do. Maybe it isn't for everyone, but you're right, at least today's students have a choice. When people can make decisions about education and have it fit into their lives, then they have the opportunity to better themselves in ways that were never before possible outside of going to a traditional classroom. That's very powerful indeed.
Jeanne,
The opportunity to extend your graduate work sounds wonderful to me, even the rusty bike.
I also wonder how the children feel about their classes. As grad students we have chosen our courses. Yes, some are better than others, but we choose the field of study. I wonder if it is harder to get motivated by the required courses. I think it depends a lot on the design of the course, too.
I can also still enjoy a good lecture course. But, one thing that became painfully clear upon returning to the lecture format was the change of pace...literally. In an online course, I'm multitasking, clicking here and there, moving from one interesting site or activity to another, or typing frantically to make a point on a discussion board, blog, or reflection. The lecture pace just seemed painfully slow to me after I had taken a few online courses.
Jeanne, I'm sitting here trying to compare my online and face to face classes. I think I'm so busy completing all my course requirements that it's hard to step back and be objective.
I think it would be a good exercise for me to take an online course in a new language, maybe French or something. This would really help me to develop empathic understanding from the student's perspective. At the graduate level I feel like so much of the work is independent anyway that the F2F and online classes are not that different. I think I really have trouble being objective about my experiences online and F2F, like I said, because I'm just so busy getting everything done.
It is interesting to wonder about what is going on in the student's home world and about the ebb and flow of their productivity. I have a classmate that has not posted to his blog since January (and it's a requirement). I wonder if there is just something 'not real' about online assignments for some students. I'm trying to think about my own experiences and I suppose 'sometimes' I can feel less pressure knowing that my feedback from the professor won't be face to face. Then again, something about the asynchronous communication is motivating for me to often create more thoughtful work.
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