learning online vs. classroom learning round 1

Once upon a time many schools had one room, one teacher, and multiple age groups. Students learned in a variety of ways including but not restricted to self-guided lessons, individual instruction, small group instruction, and large group discussion that crossed the age barrier. Are those days gone? The necessity of the one-room system due to the cost to student ratio were removed over time with smaller schools being consolidated, providing for grade appropriate instruction for all.

It would seem that the things that drove the use of a one-room school might have come full circle. Technological instruction can be mass produced and self-regulated. One teacher can record lessons that can be distributed an infinite number of times. The cost per student ratio can be reduced because direct individual instruction reaches multiple people at the same time. A system that has prerecorded instruction then would need fewer instructors. The instructors that it did utilize could spend time answering questions and grading assignments via technology. This should allow them to service more students then the traditional teacher who has these activities plus planning and instruction time.

What does this scenario have to do with the discussion of online vs. classroom instruction? Simply put: it is where we live! The realities of economy vs. effectiveness might short-circuit a discussion on philosophy and pedagogy. In some ways it reminds me of an old episode of the television show “Welcome Back Kotter.” In the episode a computer begins to instruct students in the class and the teacher ends up reading the paper. At some point the computer is less then effective and Mr. Kotter is back on the job.

There is a place for both and the effectiveness of either will depend on the learning and the instructional design of the learning environment. Classroom instruction depends on the ability of the teacher to adapt to the pace and learning styles of the students. Online instruction is dependent on the ability of the educational programmer to communicate effectively through the medium. In the classroom student motivation has a lot to do with attention and retention. On line learning requires self-discipline and time management—translation: motivation. Both programs rely on similar things to succeed and the real variable is the students learning style and intrinsic drive.

Returning to the one-room schoolhouse. There are many options for the online learning scenario. One options is the way this program and other like it are arranged—without personal/non-technical contact. Teachers instruct students from an office or cubical and might be able to handle more of a class load if there is adequate preplanning time.

Another option is the highbred between the two. I am currently teaching summer school where I am the “instructor” for twenty-seven students in multiple classes. These students use a program that has direct instruction delivered in a variety of methods individually accessed via their own computer. Students are able to access lessons both at school or anywhere they have the Internet. This allows a small school that would not have enough enrolment to offer the number of summer school classes it needs to help students with credit recovery. I am certified to teach math and science but I am overseeing multiple classes—it is a one-room school.

Do I think this is quality instruction? Yes I think it is quality instruction in some cases. But at the same time I do not believe that every classroom situation is quality instruction either. It depends on too many variables to say which is better. (There is an aside here that I would love to discuss some other time and that is the potential difference e-documents have on reading abilities as compared to the tactile function of a real book.) But as I said before the cost to student ratio may derail any discussion based on philosophy of education.