Online Learning

     Online learning can have many advantages and disadvantages as compared to the traditional classroom setting.  Online learning also comes with its own learning theories that are applied to students and coursework.  One theory of online learning is community of inquiry.  The community of inquiry model supports the design of online courses as active learning environments dependent on instructors and students sharing ideas, information, and opinions.  This model is based on the concept of three distinct "presences": cognitive, social, and teaching; "Presence" is a social phenomenon and manifests itself through interactions among students and instructors.

    Another theory of online learning is connectivism.  This is a learning model that acknowledges major shifts in the way knowledge and information flows, grows, and changes because of vast data communication networks.  Technological advancements in the internet have moved learning from internal, individualistic activities to group, community, and even crowd activities.  Connectivism as a theory is driven by the dynamic of information flow.  Students need to be able to understand, and be provided with, experiences in recognizing and navigating oceans of constantly shifting and evolving information.  Connectivism is particularly appropriate for courses with very high enrollments and where the learning goal or objective is to develop and create knowledge rather than disseminate it.

    A third theory of online learning is online collaborative learning.  This model of online learning focuses on the facilities of the internet to provide learning environments that foster collaboration and knowledge building.  In online collaborative learning there exist three phases of knowledge construction through discourse in a group: Idea generating - the brainstorming phase, where divergent thoughts are gathered; Idea organizing - the phase where ideas are compared, analyzed, and categorized through discussion and argument; Intellectual convergence - the phase where intellectual synthesis and consensus occurs, including agreeing to disagree, usually through an assignment, essay, or other joint piece of work.  A major aspect of online collaborative learning is the teacher is not necessarily separate and apart but rather, an active facilitator of, knowledge building.  Online collaborative learning is best suited for smaller instructional environments due to the active role of the teacher.

    Online learning also utilizes synchronous and asynchronous learning.  Synchronous learning in an online setting means that the class meets online in a virtual meeting like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, etc. at a specific time on specific days.  Synchronous learning often involves the instructor going through the assignments in the class, step by step, for the entirety of the term.  Asynchronous learning on the other hand, means the class never comes together to meet at a specified time.  Usually these online learning environments involve the instructor making all of the coursework for the term available right at the beginning of the term.  It's then on the students to properly manage their time and compete all the coursework by the respective due dates.

    There are many advantages and disadvantages to online learning.  One advantage is flexibility, you can complete coursework from anywhere with an internet connection.  Another advantage is it helps you develop time-management skills.  There's also the added bonus of not having a commute to and from classes.  Online learning also allows students to experiment with different learning styles.  One disadvantage to online learning is less in-person interaction, this could make it harder to ask question when you don't understand a topic.  Another disadvantage is you might experience distractions, the internet is full of distractions that are just a click away.  One final disadvantage of online learning is the technology requirement, not all students might have access to a computer.