How is online teaching really different?
How this will help:
The basics
The first step in learning the differences between online and face-to-face teaching is understanding that one is not necessarily ‘better’ than the other. There are numerous aspects of traditional teaching practices that are extremely valuable to distance education. However, online teaching requires facilitators to take the knowledge they currently have and expand upon it to meet the needs of the online environment.
You may suspect that online teaching is different than teaching face-to-face – which of course, it is in many ways. It may feel completely foreign to think about interacting with your students only through text or not having improvisational conversations in your Thursday lecture. However, what almost all research suggests is that learning does not change based on how students access a course. Although the modality (face-to-face or technology based) alone can seem overwhelmingly different when you are accustomed to a traditional, teacher-led class, the underlying principles that make an excellent learning experience remains the same. For example, some of the best courses regardless of delivery method employ a well-structured and planned, learner-centered approach aligning with learning objectives and focusing on active learning.
Comparing face-to-face and online education
|
Face-to-face @ U of M |
Online | |
| Quality of learning |
Students learn | |
|
Technology |
Sometimes it fails. (Have you ever had a powerpoint fail to load or the internet go down?) | |
|
Delivery method |
Lecture, discussion groups, case-based learning, quizzes, exams, group projects, case-based learning. | |
| Usually in the same room, sometimes on paper. | Usually not in the same room, usually in an online format. | |
| Planning/development | Can be flexible. Some faculty plan well ahead of class, others may design lectures and activities hours before class. | Planning must be done ahead of time, usually before the semester starts. Because video/audio take time to produce, you may develop content as much as six months in advance. |
|
Class time with students | Unplanned conversations in the moment occur more organically when all students are in the same place | Asynchronous communication tools may take longer for unplanned conversations to develop |
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Students | Most residential students at the University of Michigan are “traditional” meaning they are under the age of 22, full-time students, accustomed to the schedule and workflow of a traditional residential college setting. | Many online students are adults (over the age of 25), balancing a full time career on top of family as well as school. While they may consider themselves life-long learners, a traditional classroom and expectations may not be something they have had experience with for several years. |
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Time | Time spent on a course is distributed in a known way. Face-to-face courses have a set meeting day and time and length. Assignments tend to come in at the same time. | Online courses are accessible 24/7 which means the class is taking place 24/7. Students may email at all hours, assignments may be submitted differently. Adult students may try to anticipate outside workloads by working ahead. |
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Interaction with students | Frequently, you can see students to gauge understanding you may have informal before/after class conversations with students. | Although many instructors report greater interaction with students in an online course because of the types of interaction possible online, it is challenging to use some of the same informal methods that you may be accustomed to. Creating informal spaces for communication or more frequent formative assessment methods can help bridge that gap. |
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Instructor role | A good portion of face-to-face teaching for faculty involves the physical presence of leading a class, through lecture, discussions and/or activities. Classroom management, transitions between topics and activities all factor into “class time” | “Lectures” are frequently developed many weeks or months in advance, which leaves the faculty role in an online course to facilitate group discussions, coach students, monitor for learning. |
Practical tips
- Get to know the platform and other technologies in advance
If you are not comfortable with technology, that’s okay. Technology does not have to be “cutting edge” to be pedagogically successful. Use what you know and spend the time to get comfortable with new technologies. Accept that technology will fail at some point, but there are ways to mitigate impact to the class. - Be proactive about thinking about timelines for designing and facilitating your course
- Learn about best practices for teaching online. While many of them are similar to face-to-face practices, you may find the methods different. Knowing more prior to designing a course will help integrate the pedagogies that resonate with your teaching style.
- Identify university support resources available to you and utilize them
Resources
University of Michigan
CRLT- Strategies for online teaching
Other Resources
John Hopkins University- Comparing online and face-to-face teaching