Saturday, April 20, 2013

Getting Started: Taking A Look At Barriers Surrounding Online Learning

  When we bring up the topic of online learning, the ideas of "freedom" and "creativity" may come to mind. In a traditional classroom, there holds a certain structure of time as well as resources available to complete work.  An online or blended learning course allows students the opportunity to explore outside of those walls.  The internet and online programs can allow some students more creativity to explore the course content and connect with different learning styles.  The freedom to complete assignments on a more relaxed time schedule may comfort some students who don't perform well under pressure and need more time to work on assignments.
  There are two sides to every story, however, and the positive freedom and creativity from an online course may be a negative for others.  Students that may thrive on structured work time and the help with assignment management from a traditional classroom may struggle to meet the deadlines of an online course.  The wide variety of online resources for assignments could prove to be overwhelming, especially if technical problems arise. 
  The ever-changing world of technology is undeniably affecting the future of education.  The more information available to students and teachers on online and blended learning courses may break some of these barriers surrounding them.  

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