Online Learning vs. Face-to-Face Learning

From: http://www.mercy.edu/mercyonline/best_practices_report.htm

Faculty at Mercy College were asked to compare online and on-campus teaching methods. Below is what they came up with. What do you think?

Make greater efforts online to communicate clearly

In both, expectations of student curriculum-based participation is becoming more obvious

More dynamic online since it is more difficult to add appropriate emotion and dialogue without chancing misinterpretation

Focus on one aspect of communicating information at a time in class while delivering information from many different directions at once online

Greater relating of course content to actual societal issues online than in class

"Live" examples (guests, videos, group discussions) are not given online as they are in class

Promote greater interaction in discussions online than onsite

Approach onsite class as an "entity" and online with a more one-on-one approach

"Break-up" of activities to avoid monotony and allow a "mental break" in class is not necessary online

Although "labor-heavy," greater one-on-one interaction online than in class

Tendency to "embellish and take chances more" in class than online

Requirement of participation works online, not onsite

Onsite requires paper responses vs. online where responses are placed in discussion

Greater promotion of student-to-student interaction online

Onsite one can "wing" a class through body language; online requires constant feedback and more attention to the written word

Inability to "break in" on discussions and raise questions or provide comments "on the spot" online as onsite

More creativity required in communicating and making connections online

Online allows continuous feedback from day one allowing greater knowledge as to whether students misunderstood or missed important information unlike in class