Why this Guide?
Online education (defined below) is becoming increasingly common in schools, colleges, and the training realm. Initially, it was used to supplement existing classroom instruction, but over time, online classes have become the primary form of interaction and information. However, many students and teachers have little experience with online learning/teaching and find themselves uncomfortable with the whole idea.
The purpose of this Guide is to introduce some of the basic characteristics of
online education. It is intended for students or teachers who are new to this
domain and looking for some suggestions and advice about how to make it a
more enjoyable and worthwhile endeavor. The views expressed are based on
about 20 years worth of personal experience across many different systems
and settings, plus constant reading of the literature. But you may have
different views based upon your own experiences -- please let
me know about them so I can include/address them in future versions of
this document! (To read some other views, see the
Bibliography )
What is Online Education?
Online education refers to any form of learning/teaching that takes place via
a computer network. The network could be a local bulletin board system
(BBS) or it could be the global internet and world wide web. The network
could also be a local area network (LAN) or an intranet within a particular
organization. Historically, online interaction has been called "computer
mediated communication" (CMC), although this term covers applications
beyond instruction (e.g., decision-making in work teams).
The most common function used in online education is electronic mail (email)
that allows students and teachers to send messages to each other. In
addition, most networks also provide conferencing capabilities that let
participants conduct multi-person discussions either in real-time (often
called "chats") or on a delayed basis (asynchronous). There are also more
elaborate systems called
MUD/MOOs
for group interaction as well as
many "groupware" programs. The latter often involve simultaneous
viewing of graphics (slides) and use of a shared writing space (i.e.,
electronic whiteboard). Online education also involves access to
databases in the form of text files or multimedia web pages, as well as the
exchange of information (e.g., assignments, course materials) via file
transfers.
It is not the purpose of this guide to describe the various capabilities of
networks or different types of CMC systems, but to focus on the instructional
aspects of online interaction. There are many good books that discuss these
aspects and you should consult them for such details
(see Bibliography) . To read about the latest research
on this subject, see the International Journal of Educational
Telecommunications (published by AACE ),
THE Journal , or Educational
Technology magazine. The publications of the
ACM and the
IEEE provide good background on the
computing technologies involved.
In most cases, online instruction takes place in the context of distance
education, i.e., settings in which learners and teachers are located in
different places and all or most interaction takes place via the network.
However, this guide does not discuss distance education at length; for more
information on this subject, see the resources section of the
Online Chronicle of Distance
Education & Communication or my textbook
on the topic.
Nature of Online Learning/Teaching
Learning and teaching online is much different than a traditional classroom
experience (even when used as part of a conventional class). Since most
communication takes place via written messages (or files), writing skill and
the ability to put thoughts into words are paramount. People who have poor
writing skills may be at a disadvantage in an online environment. On the
other hand, having to write everything gives people a chance to think about
their responses, especially in an asynchronous setting, where
you do not need to respond immediately. Furthermore, one of the side
effects of any class involving CMC is plenty of practice writing, often
resulting in improved communication skills. For many learners, this outcome
is just as important as the subject matter being learned.
CMC also changes the social dynamics of education -- putting everyone
(students and teachers) on equal footing. Under usual circumstances,
everyone can post messages, so each online participant has the same
opportunity to contribute ideas or comments. Consider the situation of the
WWW; a web page or site created by a high school student has exactly the
same accessiblity as one created by a Nobel laureate. Similarly, anyone on
the internet or a BBS can send a message to anyone else, regardless of who
they are.
One of the important implications of this change in the status quo is that the
teacher or expert does not automatically command a presence in an online
environment. There is no counterpart to standing at the front of the
classroom pontificating to a captured audience until the bell rings! Any
teacher or expert who tries to "lecture" to an online group will quickly have
them tuning out and doing other things (like sending messages to each
other or forming their own discussion groups). In online education, the
instructor must adopt a role as facilitator or moderator -- someone who
encourages participation and keeps discussions focused on certain topics.
As it turns out this is a much more difficult task than conventional classroom
teaching which basically involves presentation of material.
There is another interesting aspect of the egalitarian nature of CMC. It
minimizes discrimination and prejudice that arises naturally in face-to-face
settings. Unless someone deliberately reveals it, you have no idea about the
age, gender, ethnic background, physical characteristics or disabilities of
participants in an online class. The discussions and comments that ensue in a
online class are about as free of sociocultural bias as possible. Of course, if
people post photos or video clips of themselves, this bias-free element is
diminished, but actual interaction is still relatively unencumbered.
(As desktop videoconfencing becomes more common many of the current
characteristics of online interaction will change since this adds the "face-to-
face" element back into the equation.)
Finally, it is important to note that people react differently to CMC -- and
participate differently -- based upon their personalities and interests. Some
people feel quite comfortable joining in and initiating email discussions,
whereas others prefer to just read everyone else's messages, but not
participate actively themselves (so-called "lurkers"). Teachers and students
in online classes need to be tolerant of different levels and styles of
participation.
Making the Most of Online Learning/Teaching
Like any endeavor, online learning/teaching can be done well or poorly.
The single most important element of successful online education is
interaction among participants. It is the instructor's role as a facilitator to
ensure that a high level of interaction occurs in an online course. This can be
achieved in many ways. The simplist technique is to have students complete
regular (e.g., weekly) assignments which consist of answers to problems or
questions posed by the instructor. If these responses are posted publicly so
that everyone in the class can read them, this provides a basis for sharing
of ideas and discussion among participants. And, sharing of ideas is one of
the most powerful aspects of online education.
An even more powerful form of interaction is group activity. Students can
be divided into small groups of 3-4 based upon common or complementary
interests/skills. These groups can be formed for the full duration of a course
(e.g., design teams for a project) or they can be short-term for the
completion of a particular assignment (e.g., weekly discussion of a
problem/issue). Group membership can be assigned by the instructor or can
be determined by the participants themselves. For example in some of our
courses, we require students to work in online teams but we leave it up to
them to determine who they want to work with (based upon background
information posted by each participant beforehand). There are also a
whole collection of "groupware" programs that allow more sophisticated
group interaction (such as shared workspaces and decision-making tools)
which can be employed in courses.
Getting feedback on things posted is very important to most people. In fact if
participants do not receive feedback on their responses, they will eventually
stop posting messages. Providing feedback is the primary responsibility of
the instructor (or teaching assistants/tutors). Every major assignment
completed online should entail some kind of feedback comments (even if
they are very brief). With large groups, the instructor may have to provide
group rather than individual feedback, i.e., summarize responses in one
message to all participants. Another way to handle feedback is to use peer
evaluation, i.e., have participants critique and comment on each other's work.
This works particularly well if students are paired up and take turns
evaluating each other's work over a series of assignments.
One of the intriguing aspects of online education is that it can sometimes
succeed in spite of an ineffective instructor. If students form their own
discussion groups or project teams using the email/conferencing capabilities
of the system, there can be a high level of interaction regardless of what the
instructor does/doesn't do. It is also possible for students to upload or
exchange files (or web site addresses) so that useful information can be
shared among participants. Online education is inherently student-centered
and with a group of highly-motivated students, it can be a
very powerful form of learning that is relatively immune to the quality of
teaching. On the other hand, a good teacher who facilitates well and ensures
lots of feedback can make an online class much more worthwhile and
enjoyable for participants. Futhermore, online group activities take a lot of
effort to organize and manage -- a task that should be performed by the
instructor.
Some Misconceptions about Online Education
People who have little or no experience with online learning or teaching tend
to harbor some misconceptions (which are quickly cleared up after actual
participation in online classes). The most common misconception is that
online classes will be fairly sterile and impersonal. But once a person starts
to interact with other group
members, they quickly discover that an online learning environment can be
very rich and very personal. Participants often establish online friendships
which outlast the particular class. Furthermore, people typically find that
they are drawn into the
subject matter of the class much more deeply than in a traditional course
because of the discussions they get involved in.
A second misconception is that online education is only for "techies", i.e.,
people who have a lot of experience with computers. It is true that you have
to have some minimal computer skills to participate in CMC, but you
certainly do not need to know (or care) very much about computers. With
modern software, participating in
an online course shouldn't require much more technical know-how than
what you need to operate any other piece of office equipment (e.g., fax
machine, copier). On the other hand, you do have to have convenient access
to a properly equipped computer system
in order to participate regularly in an online class; this means having a
machine at work and at home (preferably both -- and a laptop if you travel
a lot).
Another common misconception is that online classes will be easy -- easier
than conventional classes. But almost all participants report that they find
online classes much more work -- and much more rewarding -- than
traditional courses they have taken. Again, this has to do with the amount of
thought about the subject matter that
results from online discussions. Such classes also require the self-discipline
to do the preparation required for online participation and activities --
homework is homework, whether online or offline!
Finally it should be mentioned that almost any form of assessment or
evaluation is possible with online classes. You can do traditional quizzes or
tests with multiple choice questions or problems to be solved if you want;
they can even be done with time limits. However, it seems that assignments
and projects that involve critical
thinking, creativity, problem-solving and group discussion/interaction are
more appropriate for online education. Portfolio methods that involve
journals or work samples are also ideal for CMC (especially when the web is
used since they can include multimedia components).
The question of cheating always comes up with
any form of online education since online activity is normally done in an
unsupervised setting. To the extent that assessment involves assignments or
projects unique to a given individual (or done in a team or group context),
this is not likely to be a problem. Tests can also be made unique for each
person -- or they can be conducted in a supervised environment (like a
library or learning center) if really necessary. Basically, if people are going to
cheat, they will find a way, online or not.
Assessing group performance in an online setting is a little more difficult
than evaluating individual efforts -- particularly when people do team
projects with a single outcome representing the collective work of the
group. [Note that this is just as true in traditional classroom settings.]
However, it is possible to have the contribution of each team member
identified and perhaps background work shown in Appendices or attached
files/web page links.
Rules of Netiquette
Over time a set of rules (conventions) have emerged that make online
communication more pleasant and effective. Here are some of the most
important ones:
Research about online learning
The preceding guidelines, like most of the literature about online
learning
and CMC, is based upon anecdotal experience rather systematic research
studies. Indeed, the research and theoretical basis for online learning is
quite
limited at this time (see the Bibliography below for some
references/links
to what does exist). In principle, much of what we know about effective
learning/teaching in traditional classroom settings ought to apply -- but
online learning is a different paradigm and may need new theoretical
frameworks.
Here is brief list of some of the questions and issues that need to
addressed
in research studies:
Of course any research about online learning will have to be conducted
in a particular computing environment (e.g., MOOs, web conferences,
groupware) as well as a specific subject matter/learning task domain,
and this will affect the outcomes. So we need many studies to be conducted
across different contexts in order to identify useful general principles
or
consistent patterns of behavior. In the meantime, we have to rely on
anecdotal experience.
Final Thoughts
Computer networks are evolving rapidly and hence the world of online
education is constantly changing. For example, in the past, CMC has been
pretty well restricted to text messages, emphasizing writing skills. But it is
now possible to have two-way video conversations over the internet (using a
program such as CUSeeMe) and the web makes it possible to include audio or
video clips in a document. So, written responses will become less important
over time and people will increasingly interact online using all their sensory
modalities.
The increasing number of online options and features is beginning
to make it difficult for instructors and course designers to determine
which functions should be used for what aspects of a course. For example,
what is the best use of synchronous (real-time chats or MUD/MOOs) versus
asynchronous conferencing (forums, listservs) for a given class? When
is an audio/video link needed, or a slide-sharing/whiteboard feature?
Because there are so many programs available now for CMC; it is difficult
to evaluate them and decide which one(s) to use. Of course, over time
personal experience and research studies will provide guidance but
at present the technology is evolving too quickly for there to be much
of either.
The changes in the social dynamic of the classroom brought about by online
education are pretty profound. Online classes emphasize social interaction
among the participants and nullify the authoritarian role of the teacher or
subject matter expert. People need to get used to working in online
teams/groups. Teachers must get used to fulfilling the role of
facilitator/moderator in which they have to cultivate both personal and
group participation. And assessment techniques need to move away from
testing to projects, assignments, and case studies.
Everyone who experiences online education realizes that this is the
beginning of a new paradigm for learning and teaching. Welcome to the 21st
century! And enjoy your journeys along the information highway.
Bibliography
Anderson, T. (1996). The virtual conference: Extending professional
education in cyberspace. Intl J. Educ. Telecommunications, 2(2/3), 121-135.
See ICDE 95 Online
Conference
Angell, D. & Heslop, B. (1994). The Elements of E-mail Style. Reading, MA:
Addison-Wesley.
Berge, Z. (1995).
The Role of the Online Instructor/Facilitator
Berge, Z. & Collins, M. (1995). Computer Mediated Communication and the
Online Classroom (Vols I-III). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Berge, Z. & Collins, M. (1996). Wired Together: The Online K-12
Classroom. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Campbell, D. & Campbell, M. (1995). The Student's Guide to Doing
Research on the Internet. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Caso Internet
University Various articles about online learning.
Collis, B. et al. (1995). Online Learning & Distance Ed course
(Univ Twente).
Collis, B. (1996). Tele-Learning in a Digital World. International
Thomson Computer Press.
Cox, B. (Oct 1997). Evolving
a Distributed Learning Community [Originally published in the Wired
Together: The Online K-12 Classroom by Berge & Collins ]
Duchastel, P. (1996).
Web-Based Learning (numerous articles)
Eastmond, D.V. (1995). Alone But Together. Adult Distance Study Through
Computer Conferencing. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Easton, T. (1998).
Teaching Online Courses: Introduction and Toolkit
Global Schoolnet (GSN)
TeleLearning Articles (great collection, especially for K-12 setting)
Gurwitz, C. & Van Sickle, J. (Oct 1997).
"Virtual Instruction: Experientia Docet" , THE Journal.
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The
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The Virtual Professor: A personal case study.
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"Why teach online?" (Community College Online conference
presentation)
McManus, T. (1995)
"Delivering instruction on the web"
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Using electronic chats for instructional purposes.
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Higher Education and the WWW
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1. Brief is Best. Keep messages/files short and focus on a single idea/topic
It is a difficult to process and remember information that is more than a
couple of display screens long -- so keep all messages as brief as possible.
When there are multiple ideas/topics to be discussed, use a separate
message for each. Similarly, use separate files for different kinds of
data/information instead of putting it all in one large file.
2. Careful with Formating Don't use fancy formatting (e.g., tabs, tables, fonts) unless you are sure
that all users can read this (as in the case of WWW documents). On the
other hand, make messages/files more readable by using spacing, subheads,
and lines. Similarly, don't include graphics, images or multimedia
components (audio/video clips) in messages or files unless you are fairly
sure that the intended audience can view them. When including multimedia
components in web documents, identify the format used (e..g, mpeg, wav,
etc) so people can determine what "plug-ins" (helper applications) are
needed to run them. If you are using a specialized plug-in, provide a source
location (ideally via a direct link) where people can obtain the plug-in.
3. Provide Structure Take the time to create meaningful subject headings or descriptors for
messages/files to help people orient to the purpose/context of the
information. Also, begin email messages with a summary, recap, or excerpt
of an ongoing discussion to provide context. When people are reading dozens
of messages or files, they need as much help as possible decifering them.
When organizing a real-time conference, it is very important to distribute
an outline or agenda beforehand to help keep the discussion focused and
provide some structure.
4. Manage Participation Participation in a real-time conference (aka "chat") involves some
special considerations. More than anything, it requires a lot of patience;
think of an online chat as a group conversation in slow motion. Each
person must be allowed to finish their comment before someone else
types something. In a highly structured conference, the moderator may
require that participants request permission to talk by sending a
sign (e.g., typing a "!" or "?" for comment or question). This is like
asking for the "floor" in a formal meeting. Even if this practice is not
used, the moderator must play a strong role in managing the discussion
or chaos will result. In particular, the moderator needs to ensure that
the discussion stays focused and that participants do not stray off on
individual discussions or tangential topics. The larger the number of
participants, the more formal procedures will be needed.
5. Public domain Think carefully about what you write. First of all, it is very easy for
people to forward some or all of an email message/files to others ... so
always assume that anything you post could be made quite public. (Use the
telephone or fax for confidential conversations, not CMC!). Also your message
may be read by a wide variety of people (particularly if it is posted to a
public forum on the internet/web), so be especially sensitive to any form of
cultural bias in what you say.
6. Be kind and gentle. There is no need to make cyberspace a nasty
place. Avoid sarcasm and mean-spiritedness. And if you read something that
upsets you, don't flame; either ignore it or wait a day and send a rational
response. The online environment is a wonderful place for debate and
discussion, but remember to be civil and considerate.
For more detailed guidesto netiquette, see Angell & Heslop (1994),
Shea (1994), or the Albion
or Wabash
College web sites.