Learning from a Distance Brings it Home
Bray discusses in this article the different methods and components of an online course that make it successful. These items are divided into four difference categories: credited coursework, virtual field trips, interactive one-time videoconferences, collaborative on-going projects. Within these categories, Bray also gives some insight as to what makes an online course successful.
Within the area of credited coursework, she gives a listing of what some of the online course components should or could be. Some of these items are a syllabus with learning objectives, the grading criteria with rubrics and checklists, a schedule with assignments listed for each class, synchronous chats and videoconferencing activities along with asynchronous discussion boards, and portfolios.
Virtual field trips are also discussed as an alternative to actual field trips. Bray mentions the fact that with the cost to take students to some sites is cost prohibitive but there are several other ways to get the information to the students. The use of the virtual field trips and videoconferencing with the different locations is one way to accomplish this.
Projects, especially collaborative projects, are also discussed. The idea with this is so that all participants are able to interact with each other and even have projects with people that are not in their class. Some examples were having students in different classes work together online for a project. Also having a videoconference between different classes in different states or countries. By doing this, it is suggested that these students would be able to learn things that they may not be able to learn otherwise.
Within this article, there were several points and ideas that could be very beneficial to smaller school districts around the country. When looking at the cost for a school to send a bus of students to a location, no matter how close it may be, it is shocking. By teaching educators, whether it be teachers or administrators, about some of the other opportunities that are available to everyone now with technology, we will all still be able to have our students experience field trips and exciting learning environments.
As you read this article, you realize that several ideas that are discussed are things that we are currently experiencing in this course. Some of the concepts are what most people would believe are normal expectations for any course one is taking such as having a syllabus and grading criteria with checklists available for students. However, most traditional courses do not deal with synchronous and asynchronous chats, discussion board, and videoconferencing. This is an idea that more institutions may look into doing as the availability to these technologies keeps increasing.
The idea of the virtual field trips, interactive videoconferences and collaborative projects with people or groups that are across the country or even in another part of the world are fascinating. I am sure that there are teachers in several parts of the country that have never even thought that this would be a possibility or something that they could do within their classrooms. There are several different types of projects that our students could experience with this type of technology that some of the teachers may have never even experienced either.
The overwhelming thought as I was reading this article was how important some of these ideas are for our smaller schools or underfunded institutions. By informing other educators and administrators about some of these concepts, we can still give our younger generations all the opportunities that we had and even give them opportunities that we would have never even thought could be a reality when we were their ages.
Bray, B (2005, May 1). TechLearning. Retrieved September 16, 2008, from Learning from a distance brings it home Web site: http://www.techlearning.com/showArticle.php?articleID=160911808