My Thoughts On Online Learning

When Professor Bachenheimer first announced that 1/3 of this class was going to be online, my initial thoughts were very negative. I thought the class would be more difficult for me because of my technological limitations. I also figured that the material would not be as interesting or engaging.

I'm happy to report that I've been very pleasantly surprised and impressed by the online portion of the class so far! Most importantly, I love being able to attend class from the comfort of my bed and work at my own pace. I've also found that the online classes are just as challenging and engaging as the classroom sessions of this course. To complete the online work, I really have to understand the content of the week's lesson and express this understanding through my blog. (In some ways, the online class requires more participation than our actual classroom sessions.) The course has also stretched me to use technology in ways that I usually avoid. Although it is uncomfortable, it has also been a good experience. I think I've become a little more open to using technology because of the requirements of this course. While this new attitude may not be a direct learning objective of this class, it's probably the most meaningful thing I've been exposed to in all of my graduate course work. After this experience, I would certainly be willing to take other hybrid or online courses. (I also just registered for a workshop on pod casting because I've realized that I would like to learn more about effectively using technology in my own classroom.)

The one suggestion for improvement that I would make to all professors of hybrid and online courses is to survey their students at the beginning any course. This survey should inform professors about the types of computers and programs that students will be using during the semester, as well as their experiences with technology. Professors may choose to make accommodations for students based upon these surveys. For example, I don't have power point on my home computer (and it's expensive to buy!). So, I go to the library to access any power point slides for this class. Knowledge of these types of things might impact some minor instructional decisions.