I’ve been teaching courses in a blended fashion for several years now, meaning partially online and partially “brick and mortar”. I’ve been calling my classes the “2.0 version”.
This year, I’ll be teaching a fully online version of AP U.S. Government & Politics and that has me paying closer attention to news items and journal articles about online learning. Yesterday, Oregon Public Broadcasting had this to say about the debate over the value of online courses (below). Apparently everyone agrees they save cash, but the jury is out on whether they are effective.
What do you think? Do you have experience taking an online course? Teaching one? Did it work? Please post your thoughts.
Paul Nelson: “Virtually every study I’ve seen has shown that students enjoy taking courses online, it may not be their whole educational experience, but where it’s appropriate, it fits their schedule, they enjoy that and it works.”
Kelly Carlisle: “We actually are looking at the data, and right now we are not satisfied with the results of the online courses, in terms of the numbers of students who are successfully completing the classes.”
Nelson says so long as there’s an emphasis on personal contact between teachers and students – online education is a good option for most students.
But Kelly Carlisle who supervises Salem-Keizer’s online program, is doubtful. He says while there are some savings, there are also additional costs – technology and training, for instance.
Kelly Carlisle: “I’m not convinced we’re going to see savings to the degree of 20 percent result. But even if there’s a small savings, that’s something to be happy about.”
On the academic bottom line, Carlisle says he’s seen mixed results.
Nelson says the center can also save money. He says it won’t this year, when there are only 200 to 400 students enrolled. But he says a study of Florida’s enormous virtual school found savings there of 20 percent.
Paul Nelson: “The savings were realized because students didn’t have to be bussed, you didn’t have to buy buildings, or paint them, or air-condition them, or power them.”
Michael Gwaltney 