Running head: TECHNOLOGICAL IMPACT TO ONLINE LEARNING 1
Technological Impact to Online Learning
Linda S. Davis Liberty University Online TECNOLOGICAL IMPACT TO ONLINE LEARNING 2 Abstract The field of education constantly changes. Using new technologies, teachers and students bring new information into the class through the Internet. Teachers design their lessons around these current events allowing students to conduct research from the classroom. More research is needed to determine the effectiveness of this approach to student learning outcomes. Studies conducted in England and China investigated the effectiveness of online instruction based on socioeconomic status and gender. Educators are not prepared to make this the one size fits all approach but research reveals this approach provides students with another option to meet the demands of learning and a different approach to the classroom learning environment. Educators believe further research will reveal areas of weak instruction to help make improvements in the delivery of online instruction and prepare students to meet the demands of a technology-based workforce.
Keywords: Gender comparison, Distance education, Online education, Distance learning, Online learning, Online student, Distance student, Online learning outcomes TECNOLOGICAL IMPACT TO ONLINE LEARNING 3 Technological Impact to Online Learning The Traditional Education To understand the changes in education one must look first at the start of education as we know it. "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding" (Proverbs 4: 7, King James Version). Our nations educational system was founded on biblical principles and moral values. Our forefathers believed that the Bible provided students with the necessary tool to become productive members of their society. The society of that time was simple and provided childrens education by a public teacher in a one room schoolhouse where multiple grades were taught throughout class time. The courses basically consisted of reading, writing, and arithmetic. Students lived by strict societal standards and rules. Technology Integration into Online Learning In exploring technology integration we find that radios and television were incorporated into education as a supplement to early correspondence courses. These courses started in Europe during the mid-nineteenth century with the United States joining the correspondence movement shortly after. Correspondence courses were designed and created to align with the growing job market. This gave students another option in pursuing a higher education and helped the field of education to increase its correspondence market. As correspondence courses increased it evolved into the online environment known as distance education. This is one of the largest and fastest growing areas in education today (Mahle, 2007). However, currently the term online education is much preferred over distance education because distance is not relevant as much as preference. These early correspondence courses allowed advocates of technology to address and adjust to the technological needs of the changing global market of a more technological society. TECNOLOGICAL IMPACT TO ONLINE LEARNING 4 The response to these courses brought a greater demand for other educational offerings leading to the distance education movement. As the distance education movement evolved learning management systems (LMS) or course management systems (CMS) software programs were created to aid in the organization of online educational courses and help instructors with course management. These systems help track students progress and although they are the primary tool for online education they are used quite frequently to assist face-to-face classes. These systems help the teachers manage the course, assignments, tests, quizzes, and activities as well as create threads for discussion forums. Students using these systems have access 24/7 anywhere they can access the Internet. Some describe this type system as an Internet-based program used to follow student performance and supervise enrollment of students as well as distribute and create course content. Some of the widely known CMS software is Blackboard and WebCT (Simson, Smaldion, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012). Online Learning Demands Many higher education institutions have begun to investigate the type of student preferring online courses and the various technologies available in producing these online materials and courses. These institutions must consider the demands involved in meeting the needs of the students as well as a more advanced society. Students must receive information on the different traits, skills, and characteristics needed for online learning instead of considering online learning as an easy way to take a class. Many misconceptions exist among students believing that online learning offers an easier way of learning because of its work at your own pace approach. Students with this perception often receive low grades resulting in dropping the course (Taormino, 2010). TECNOLOGICAL IMPACT TO ONLINE LEARNING 5 Another popular misconception exists in a degree earned through online education is not viewed as well as one earned from a brick-and-mortar institution. Although research in online education is fairly new, research is being conducted to investigate its effectiveness as well as student achievements. Research in Chinas poorest elementary communities was conducted to investigate the benefit of online education for its low socioeconomic populations as opposed to those with higher socioeconomic status. Another study in England investigates the benefit of online education as opposed to a pencil/paper approach. The first study in Chinas elementary schools determines that boys and girls gain equally from online learning. The study used a random field experiment utilizing the CAL computer program. The study involved 9,356 students from three regions in China. The findings reveal that among Chinas disadvantaged students gender made no difference in the students learning outcomes (Yang, Zhang, Zeng, Pang, Lai, & Rozelle, 2012). The second study in England involving online learning and a pencil/paper approach determines through the survey and analysis approach that boys prefer digital reading materials whereas girls prefer paper medium for reading. One reason this was true was the ability to take notes. The study also revealed that boys spend more time on the Internet surfing than do girls. The study discovered a noticeable difference in male and female selective reading and sustained attention. In addition, the study helps educators to understand the difference between males and females providing a better understanding of the changes in reading behaviors often seen in the online environment therefore aiding in the development of more efficient digital readers (Liu & Huang, 2007). In comparing the two studies the author could not establish that one approach was better than the other. The author did determine that more research is needed to determine student TECNOLOGICAL IMPACT TO ONLINE LEARNING 6 preferences, such as differences in ages, elementary versus higher learning, and socioeconomic status divides effect on achievement and online learning delivery methods. Technology in the Classroom As the classroom shifts from the traditional classroom to the online environment educators must ensure that students receive the proper instruction to obtain a good learning experience. Students must consider social issues involved with the online environment and take into consideration their own learning preferences as well as the future implications of technology-based education. Students should carefully choose online learning after investigating the characteristics and traits needed to become a successful online learner. Younger students may experience technologies in the classroom that are not afforded them outside the classroom. To successfully integrate technology into the classroom educators must prepare for students who have no technical experience. This necessitates time for students to become comfortable with technology and develop skills in its use before requiring online task completion. Students not properly trained in technology may develop resentment leading to rejection of instead of embracement of technological learning experiences. Younger students allowed to grow with technology have a greater embracement of the virtual learning experience. As students become comfortable with technology they gain the confidence and ability to demonstrate their skills in the classroom through different approaches. Online learning allows the student to benefit from a lack of constraint in the teaching environment. Students further benefit from the ability to use technology anytime, anywhere. To meet the growing demands of a future technological workforce the online learner must develop expert technical skills. New technological standards along with a greater emphasis on integration of technology, engineering, and science in the classroom led advocates of online TECNOLOGICAL IMPACT TO ONLINE LEARNING 7 learning to believe students will become better prepared for their futures after high school. This will require more research to prove that the new standards effectiveness with successful integration into the school districts throughout the United States (ISTE, 2000). Online Education Today The current debate in the field of education involves various views on the best practices and approaches in classroom instruction. Advocates of online learning believe that online education provides better opportunities while others believe online learning is not the best method of delivery for achieving appropriate instruction but technology should be used in addition to traditional methods. Some do not believe that online education has lived up to the promise to reform the classroom and make online education more lucrative (Reisman, 2004). Many believe traditional classroom teaching demands more than online teaching. Educators believe they do more preparation for in classroom courses. Others believe they do more preparation for the online programs with little training. As society becomes more inclined toward technology the greater the demands become for technological courses. Concern for proper ethical behavior in these online environments causes concern by facilitators in the online community. To promote good ethical behavior institutions need to provide ethical training for its online facilitators (Simonson, 2012). Research shows that online courses require as much forethought during development of the course as does the traditional classroom course. This research further reveals that teacher assistants and faculty take twice as long to develop their online courses as they do for their classroom courses. This proves the value of an online course equals that of a traditional classroom course (Bender, Wood, & Vredevoogd, 2004). TECNOLOGICAL IMPACT TO ONLINE LEARNING 8 Security becomes an issue in any online environment. Universities and schools must find ways to incorporate safety into online courses to help students learn safe practices. K-12 schools need to incorporate blended learning into the classroom to better prepare students for future online learning after high school or as job preparation for professional development. The Future Face of Online Education The rapid increase of virtual classes and online learning will require more use of technologies by students and teachers in the future. These diverse educational opportunities will increase online learning among students of all ages opening doors for online students who do not believe the traditional classroom provides the best approach for their personal learning. This allows online learning to revolutionize the way students learn and the methods of material delivery (Al-Bataineh, Brooks, & Bassoppo-Moyo, 2005). Today opportunities to earn a higher education degree through online learning have become reality. Teacher implications involve the fact a teacher can easily adjust coursework to new learning environments by mindfully applying collaborative learning, active learning, communication, and reflective practices. Students must shift their thinking to maximize knowledge attainment. Institutions are encouraged to broaden their visions to discover new techniques to utilize online education. Research shows that students benefit greatly from the technological experiences of their online coursework (Al-Bataineh, Brooks, & Bassoppo-Moyo, 2005). With the advent of more Internet applications medical schools have integrated automated Problem-Based Learning (PBL) methodology. Consequently, a good many PBL methods inaccurately demonstrate situations in an actual medical circumstance, therefore interpreting the worth of these as learning tools as insufficient. Research analyzed automated PBL teaching TECNOLOGICAL IMPACT TO ONLINE LEARNING 9 cases by taking into consideration how to best present a clinical teaching case to students. This research desired to develop a Web-based PBL method to simulate a real clinical situation where the student could determine the actual patient condition for a particular time by instituting a theory of time sequence in the case-based lesson. The researchers created a prototype for testing purposes at Taiwan Medical Center which provided feedback confirming the effectiveness of the system. Research reveals a system allowing medical students to exhibit their medical proficiency in authentic clinical situations identifying areas of weakness throughout the duration of medical diagnosis. These types of simulation methodology provide good practice for Web-based PBL courses. Medical schools throughout the United States use simulation technology more and more making it a large component in the field of medical education. Medical schools like other areas of education are moving more and more of its course work to the online environment (Chen, Cheng, Weng, Chen, & Lin, 2009). Online learning allows more options for students to interpret and view information. As technology advances throughout the world, the need for society to adjust to more technological approaches and provide technological upgrades to stay current becomes a necessity. This requires continuing software upgrades to meet the demands of online courses and student needs. More and more classrooms will provide Wi-Fi connectivity to use with tablets, iPads, iPods, and Smartphones. With technological advances in the classroom tomorrows students will have the opportunity to do more with less. Pencil and paper approaches will become obsolete changing the traditional classroom to meet the demands of the student. Advocates believe that online learning will continually improve the field of education as well as those who choose to opt for the online learning approach.
TECNOLOGICAL IMPACT TO ONLINE LEARNING 10 Conclusion With the advancement of technological educational standards as well as the move of traditional classrooms to blended learning approaches, online learning will continue to pave the way for the future of learning. More research is needed on the online learning approach to establish ways of meeting diverse student needs. Research in England and China revealed how information remains unconvincing. Although the data provides some information into the impact of online learning and programs, the findings did not demonstrate that students desired one technique of instruction over another. The field of education cannot get a full vision of the effectiveness of online education without further research. Further research to compare and study findings is needed to make certain that online education is worth pursuing in our classrooms and in the global education market. Educators continue to pursue the best approaches to improve student learning outcomes in their classrooms as well as their online courses.
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