The Pro's and Con's of an Online Course

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The Pro's and Con's of an Online Course

• Presented by
• David Brear
• UBC Course Facilitator
• Faculty of Education, UBC

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On Ramp to the Information Highway

• Course Number EDCI 396C
• UBC Correspondence Course
• Curriculum Development and Evaluation
• Introduction to Telecommunications Multimedia
  in Education
• Office of Continuing Professional Education
• Faculty of Education, UBC

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On Ramp to the Information Highway continued

• Offered 3 times year
• Fall - September - December
• Winter - January - April
• Spring - May - July
• URL, http//members.shaw.ca/dbrear/index.html

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BACKGROUND

• Course created as a Tri U course
• Lecture model with hands on
• Offered on campus for 2 summers, 1996 and 1997
• Funding was dropped for Tri U courses
• Rewritten as an online course, Fall 1997
• Initially enrolled 6 students
• Initially Web pages sent as attachments

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BACKGROUND CONTINUED

• Written originally in HTML
• Web page editor now used to make it easier
• Lectures based on text
• Students received Web based pages as lectures
  with HotLinks
• Problem arose in receiving attachments
• Problem arose as to makes of PCs

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BACKGROUND CONTINUED

• Need arose to make the course truly Web based.
• Search for a place to call the course home
• Ease for facilitator to upload changes
• Settled on _at_shaw ( was _at_home)
• In 1997, UBC was not ready

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PROS

• Meeting a really great group of online students
• It actually works !!
• Students can take it from anywhere in the world
• Courses become universal
• Learn to problem solve quickly
• Students learn lots !!
• Truly 24/7

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PROS CONTINUED

• Students come from places like Japan, Hong Kong,
  Viet Nam, Australia, Dubé, Bishkek, Manila,
  California, Montreal, Ft. McMurray, Saskatchewan
• Ability to present an exciting topic to many
  students coming from varied technology
  backgrounds
• Lighting technology fires all around the world
• Number of students who have continued with IT
  programs, eg. MET Program UBC

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Needs

• Ensuring everyone is successful
• Answering everyones questions
• Encouraging everyone to get involved
• Ensuring participants feel comfortable
• Encouraging the use of Email
• Getting Off to a Good Start
• An Enthusiastic Welcome
• Creation of online resources

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Cons

• Time
• Software
• Maintenance
• Storage Capacity
• Keeping everyone involved successfully
• Meeting everyones needs
• Ending one group and starting another

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Cons continued

• Email Difficulties
• Inconsistency
• Using other peoples names
• ISP Email vs Web based Email
• Lack of prior knowledge on how to use Email
• Difficulties setting up ListServs

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Cons continued

• Communication Problems
• Students not reading the material on the Web site
• Server crashes
• Giving the students the right tutorials
• Varied technology starting places of the students

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REFERENCES

• Student Feedback
• The Teachers Complete and Easy Guide to the
  Internet
• CTF Horizons Magazine, Spring 2003
• Technology and Learning Magazine, April 2003

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Pros Cons of an Online Course

• The END
• Thank You !!