Venn Diagram: Characteristics of Online, Blended, and Face-to-Face Learning
Here is my Venn diagram comparing online, blended, and face-to-face learning environments. I created this diagram using Google Drawings. I included a broad comparison of these types of learning environments by comparing specific program examples, general pros and cons, and examples of students who can benefit from each style of learning. Note that the "Blended" section in the middle of the diagram does not represent shared characteristics between fully face-to-face and fully online environments, but is represented for the purpose of easily comparing and contrasting these three learning environments.
Reflection
Prompt: Considering the online learning self-assessment you took, and thinking about your reasons for taking this course, what is your highest priority learning goal for this course? What are some specific skills, strategies or tools you are hoping to learn more about?
After taking the University of Houston Tools: Testing of Online Learning Success survey I was a little alarmed. I received a score of 174, which is relatively low on the spectrum. I think this may be due to my conservative answering throughout the survey. I put “comfortable” or “confident” rather than “incredibly comfortable” in a lot of categories. I always like to give myself growing room when it comes to learning, especially with technology.
My main reason for taking this course is to improve and refresh my online teaching skills. In the classroom I taught in a blended environment and I have taken the majority of my graduate coursework completely online, however I have never taught in a fully online environment. I will likely be teaching online technology professional development courses in the future with my job as a Technology Integration Specialist with SDCOE, so I want to use this course as an opportunity to prepare for the future.
My specific learning goal for this course is to focus on the content and structure of online courses. I want to figure out the benefits of embedding various media formats into online course content. I also want to pay attention to content length and quality. With online courses it’s important to give your students enriching material that they can access without a lot of face-to-face scaffolding. I also want to learn more about how to effectively organize and structure learning modules to facilitate ease of use for students.
Another aspect of this online class that I’m looking forward to is interacting with other teachers all over the county and beyond. I had a great time getting to know everyone at the face-to-face meeting this week and am excited to learn from the vast wealth of knowledge from our group.
After taking the University of Houston Tools: Testing of Online Learning Success survey I was a little alarmed. I received a score of 174, which is relatively low on the spectrum. I think this may be due to my conservative answering throughout the survey. I put “comfortable” or “confident” rather than “incredibly comfortable” in a lot of categories. I always like to give myself growing room when it comes to learning, especially with technology.
My main reason for taking this course is to improve and refresh my online teaching skills. In the classroom I taught in a blended environment and I have taken the majority of my graduate coursework completely online, however I have never taught in a fully online environment. I will likely be teaching online technology professional development courses in the future with my job as a Technology Integration Specialist with SDCOE, so I want to use this course as an opportunity to prepare for the future.
My specific learning goal for this course is to focus on the content and structure of online courses. I want to figure out the benefits of embedding various media formats into online course content. I also want to pay attention to content length and quality. With online courses it’s important to give your students enriching material that they can access without a lot of face-to-face scaffolding. I also want to learn more about how to effectively organize and structure learning modules to facilitate ease of use for students.
Another aspect of this online class that I’m looking forward to is interacting with other teachers all over the county and beyond. I had a great time getting to know everyone at the face-to-face meeting this week and am excited to learn from the vast wealth of knowledge from our group.