Traditional Classroom Instruction vs. Online or Distance Learning: Which Is Better?

[Dr. Bob Gonzales]

Most educators who favor a traditional education format where all or most instruction given is face-to-face assume that online education or distance-learning is inferior. That assumption is being questioned, however, in light of recent studies that show online or distance education to be equally effective as and sometimes more effective than traditional classroom instruction. For more, click on the link below.

Traditional Face-to-Face Instruction vs. Online or Distance Learning: Which Is Better?

 

[MLCOPE2]

Hrm Very interesting.

 

[Der Pilger]

It depends on how the individual learns. Me? I do better with distance learning because I am more of a text-based learner than an auditory learner. If I have to learn through lectures (auditory), it's far better for me to download the recorded lecture so I can replay parts that I didn't get. This allows me to transcribe the lecture accurately into a textual format that I can print out and study later.

It's also better for me because I can pace myself better and take more time to let the material sink in. I retain the material much better that way.

 

[Notthemama1984]

I agree with Jeremy. I have a very hard time keeping my attention on a multi-hour lecture. I perform better when I can read the text, take notes, and take an exam or write on what I read.

 

[Herald]

On the road right now. I'll weigh in later.

 

[Covenant Joel]

I do think it depends on the individual student. I spent a year on campus at RTS, and am now finishing up my degree with RTS-Virtual. I actually am getting more direct feedback from the professor in the online format than I ever did on campus. However, I don't get the regular, face-to-face interaction with other students and the prof. That can be a problem, but at least with RTS, I am required to meet with a mentor. So I meet regularly with an elder from my church to discuss what I am studying (and any other ministry or theology-related issues). For me, that has been far better than the couple of times I asked a prof a question after class. Plus I work full-time and am still able to continue seminary.

I had to read On the Internet by Hubert Dreyfus for a class, and he discusses in there some of the problems with distance education. See my review here. I do think he has some valuable points...there is a certain risk that you take when you are physically present in class and you present your views (either to agreement, laughing, scorn, or indifference), a risk which isn't present online in the same way. However, I don't think some of the critiques of distance education often given (such as "Would you send a brain-surgeon to an online school?") really hold water, particularly when there is a strong mentoring component to the education.

 

[Bookmeister]

Interesting this comes up now. I have been a very strong advocate of B & M education until the last couple of weeks. My situation has changed and I have to leave RTS to take care of my wife's parents. I have finished 54 of the 106 credits here on campus, the minimum required, and will finish the last 52 virtually. I do have a mentor lined up in the URC, I am OPC, and he is very excited about the prospect of mentoring me. I would not even consider this move if it were not for him and his willingness. I suppose when I am finished I will have had the experience of both and will be equipped to answer any questions about this subject that come my way in my future ministry. I am still a bit anxious about this and would love some encouragement from those who have done this.

 

[Herald]

Speaking strictly about a biblical/theological education; there is a distinct advantage (for some) to have solid pastoral reinforcement to accompany classroom learning. Online/distance learning needs to provide one-on-one contact with the teacher/professor. To match that up with a pastor/elder who is willing to take the student under his wing allows for a more well-rounded learning experience. There's a lot of "givens" in my comments. I'm presupposing that the educational institution is accredited, or providing learning opportunities that are on par with accredited institutions. Also, the reading and writing requirements are not dumbed down because it is an online/distance course.

 

[KSon]

As someone who was called out of the darkness into the light at age 34, and then was blessed with the further call into pastoral ministry, it was not feasible for a myriad of reasons (family, mortgage, etc.) to pack up and attend a B&M seminary. Because of this, I have found distance learning to be a blessing sent from the Lord. For me, that blessing has come through Midwest Center for Theological Studies. Now I would certainly be quick to admit that I would have had some hesitancy with the distance dynamic if the pastoral training program at my church was not so rigorous. That fills the gap of the face-to-face instruction, personal accountability, and immediate correction/feedback.

For someone who lives in my parts (NE Illinois), the two graduate school choices are Wheaton Graduate School and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. An MA in Biblical Exegesis at Wheaton (for 42 hours) would cost me a little over $27,000, at $645 a credit our. TEDS checks in at $590 a credit hour if you are taking under 12 credit hours a term, over $700 a credit hour if you are enrolled in more. I am saying all of this to say that I struggle with the notion that, in order to be properly qualified "academically" for the pastorate, I must incur a tremendous amount of debt in doing so, which certainly strikes me as counter-biblical. I understand fully the whole "well, you have to pay for quality instruction and instructors..." viewpoint, really I do. I just find it hard to believe that quality, Christ-honoring, academic ministry preparation can only come at such a large expense and within the walls of a building.

I do respect those who would see it differently.

 

[puritan628]

I've been teaching in the college environment for 10 years. This year was my first year to deliver instruction on-line; although I'd been prepared for the past five years, I hadn't the opportunity before now. I've has some interesting revelations about both my face-to-face instructional delivery AND my on-line course delivery:

1. Apparently I give better instructions textually. It seems that in the classroom, I try so very hard to make sure the students understand the assignment, that sometimes I reach a point of diminishing returns. While I do get a few requests for clarification of assignments in my on-line class, compared to the performance of the students doing the same assignment in the face-to-face class, the completed works in the on-line class match the instructions to a greater degree than the completed works in the face-to-face class.

2. I am still able to develop a "relationship" with my students even via mediated communication. Granted, my discipline IS communication; however, even before pursuing a master's degree in communication, I had been practicing injecting a relational element in my mediated communication. Even for students who don't know what my real voice sounds like, I believe they ascribe a fairly accurate tone to my textual voice because of the types of responses I get after responding to their inquiries.

3. There seems to be a temptation among college instructors to use the delivery platform (WebCT, Blackboard, Moodle, etc.) to make use of short-cut methods of assessment. From one semester to the next, I'm still sticking with application answers (open-ended answers vs. multiple choice responses); but after realizing that I'd set myself up to grade over 13,000 answers due to all of the quizzes I'd created, I decided to not "quiz" as much and allow the major assignments (essays, discussions, reflection papers) to demonstrate students' learning of the concepts. I suspect the same instructors assess learning the same way in the classroom as they do on-line. But it's my personal conviction that unless an instructors is really, really good at objective question design, the best way to assess student learning is via application, which means grading every answer to every question, usually in paragraph form.

4. I make myself available to students at specific times, exactly the same way I do for my on-campus students: I have student office hours, so students taking an on-line course are able to call me if they don't know quite how to write out their questions or concerns about an assignment. Sometimes it requires "talking it out." Our delivery platform also has instant messaging, which I've had students use when they see I'm online.

5. Sometimes one student will ask a question that forces me to realize that I need to answer that question in a class-wide email. The student's question will usually pertain to some ambiguity in my instructions. Therefore, I'm constantly updating my on-line course material (as well as my face-to-face classes).

6. As others have stated, a LOT of the success in an on-line learning environment depends on the student. I have students for whom my class is their very first on-line class ever and the only reason they're even enrolled in it is because all of the face-to-face sections were full. Many of these students can only succeed if they seek out additional technology help from either the computer labs, the tutoring center, or from other, more experienced students. Student success depends a lot on the student's self-discipline to keep up with the course. To that end, I try to make my syllabus, semester schedule, and assignment instructions and grading criteria as easy to understand as possible while still being thorough and rigorous.

Thanks for this discussion thread. I hope my contribution was useful from an instructor's perspective.

 

[Herald]

Laura,

Excellent points from an educator.

 

[puritan628]

Laura,

Excellent points from an educator.

Thank you, Elder Brown.

 

[Covenant Joel]

There's quite a discussion going on about this over at the Heidelblog.

I might post a few thoughts arising from that conversation here later on.

 

[Dr. Bob Gonzales]

Joel,

Thanks for making me aware of the discussion at Heidelblog. I think you made some helpful counterpoints to Dr. Clark's arguments there. While I don't think distance-learning is the only valid or best model in every respect, I do believe there are some facets to a well-run distance-learning program with a mentoring requirement in place that are promising and, in some cases for some people, offer advantages vis-a-vis the onsite traditional model. For more, see the following post on my blog: Distance Education & the Ministry by Jerrold H. Lewis

 

[Andres]

Joel, I just wanted to add that your comments on the Heidelblog were excellent! You brought up some excellent points and were very respectful in disagreeing with Dr. Clark on certain issues. Blessings on your studies sir.

 

[Covenant Joel]

Joel,

Thanks for making me aware of the discussion at Heidelblog. I think you made some helpful counterpoints to Dr. Clark's arguments there. While I don't think distance-learning is the only valid or best model in every respect, I do believe there are some facets to a well-run distance-learning program with a mentoring requirement in place that are promising and, in some cases for some people, offer advantages vis-a-vis the onsite traditional model. For more, see the following post on my blog: Distance Education & the Ministry by Jerrold H. Lewis

Thanks for the thoughts and the link. That was quite a good article, and it helped me to think more clearly through some of these things.

I am also not saying that DE is the ideal for everyone and that brick-and-mortar schools should be ditched. I enjoyed my time on campus. But I don't feel that I am getting an inferior education online.

---------- Post added at 02:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:24 PM ----------

Joel, I just wanted to add that your comments on the Heidelblog were excellent! You brought up some excellent points and were very respectful in disagreeing with Dr. Clark on certain issues. Blessings on your studies sir.

Thanks, Andrew. I'm trying to think through it all well...and it's obviously important to me, since I'm in the midst of the studies. I have great respect for what WSC is doing (it seems they do make it a point for faculty and students to have regular, good interaction outside of class), so hopefully my comments were taken in that way.