Baragh & McKenna, 2004 have reflected that the Internet is becoming as pervasive as electricity and that has a significant impact on social life. The fundamental ways the Internet has shaped not only the worlds but has given people the chance to change their lives. Whether it is to connect with people, learn more about themselves, invest in the community or go to school, it is needless to say that the Internet provides many new channels. One of the most important and rewarding channels that individuals are investing upon is online education. There are many positive and negative effects of computer mediated communication in education.
How is online education affecting individuals in a positive way? Chi-sing & Beverly, 2008 explain that it is saving people time. Online classes give the student the option to complete work assignments around their own schedule. This is beneficial, especially for those who work and go to school. The authors also point out the posting of online information not only lets teachers spend less time traveling and photocopying papers, but it also teaches students independent learning. Also, having 24hour access to online classes allows the student to replay online lectures as many times as needed to comprehend. Dempsey, Fisher, Wright & Anderton, 2008 agreed that individuals have to be able to navigate online tools such as attaching papers and group discussion, as well as dealing with time management. These are learning tools to prepare students for the real world.
What are students loosing along the way? Bejerano, 2008 questions whether or not students a getting a smaller caliber of education as opposed to traditional class room settings. Those students who choose online classes are missing out on campus experiences. The importance of academic and social integration is very important to the school experience, thus could cause online students to persist with degrees Furthermore, in a study done by Zimbylas, 2008 found that adult online users experienced anxiety when first starting classes. But this eventually decreased and found that they reported positive feelings for their peers and online professors. Although, students felt negative emotions were related to the demands of the online schedule. Some negative outcomes of computer mediated communication in education are reports from students who needed extra motivation in order to keep on track with class work. Also frustration and impatience happens when dealing with online glitches (Murday, Ushida, & Chenowenth, 2008). Others feel that interpersonal interaction has changed because of the internet. Face-to-face meeting changes the overall dynamic of the situation. Without vocal tones and nonverbal speech, it limits the bandwidth of communication (Bargh & McKenna, 2004). It seems as though the demands of communicating on the Internet causes new challenges in everyday life.
Bargh, J. A., & McKenna, K. Y. A. (2004). The internet and social life. Annual review of psychology, 55, 573-90.
Bejerano, A., R. (2008). The genesis and evolution of online degree programs: Who are they for and what have we lost along the way. Communication Education, 57, 408-414.
Chi-Sing, L., & Beverly, I. (2008) An overview of online education: Attractiveness, benefits, challenges, concerns, and recommendations. College Student Journal, 42(2).
Dempsey, J. V., Fisher, S. F., Wright, D. E., Anderton, E. K. (2008). Training and support, obstacles, and library impacts on learning activities. College Student Journal ,42(2).
Murday, K., Ushida, E., & Chenoweth, N. A. (2008). Learners’ and teachers’ perspectives on language online. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 21(2), 125-142.
Zembylas, M. (2008). Adult learners’ emotions in online learning. Distance Education, 29, 71-78.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
As a working adult with a family, I too take online classes in order to juggle all of my responsibilities and fulfill my desire for an education. I find that the study performed by Berjerano (2008) is lacking in considering the age group of the students. At my age of 30, I do not have an overwhelming desire to experience campus life. Because I have passed the adolescent stage of experimenting with my identity (Valkenburg 2005), I am comfortable with who I am and seek acquaintances at the same life stage.
Valkenburg, Patti M, Alexander P. Schouten, and Jochen Peter. "Adolescents' Identiy Experiments on the Internet." New Media & Society 7.3 (2005): 383-402.
Bejerano, A., R. (2008). The genesis and evolution of online degree programs: Who are they for and what have we lost along the way. Communication Education, 57, 408-414.
Online courses definitely have their advantages and disadvantages for the student. I have taken both and they are extremely convenient and time efficient as they eliminate the time/space taxonomy desribed by Burnett & Marshall (2003b). However, the disadvantages you discuss depend on many variables like age, previous education, and many other circumstances. Yes there is a "limited bandwith" that creates a lack of trust with other online students and the website (Bargh & McKenna, 2004). Accessibility to the teacher is slightly decreased as well as the social circumstances that are necessary and healthy. But online education can be a necessity for many people. Aside from these factors, an important question to consider is if these classes are preparing the students for the future aside from just education about a certain topic.
References:
Bargh, J.A., & McKenna, K.Y.A. (2004). The internet and social life. Annual Review of
Psychology, 55, 573-90.
Burnett, R., & Marshall, P.D. (2003a). Web of technology. In, Web Theory: An Introduction.
New York: Routledge.
Post a Comment