Week 2 Learning Activity 1: Online Versus Face-to-Face Teaching

Both videos provided a thorough explanation of the differences between online teaching and face-to-face teaching. An additional difference not explicitly explained in the videos was the increased instructor diversity. For example, for courses entirely taught online, there are higher chances of faculty being hired from across the globe who do not have to live close to the physical institution. Diversity provides students a rich learning experience based on different cultural practices and enhances connection and belonging. Additionally, the types of resources used to teach are different. For example, online teaching has endless software, databases, and learning sites that can be used compared to physical textbooks, printouts and whiteboards.

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  1. I had yet to consider the opportunity for instructors to teach from across the globe online. This would be a benefit in some courses as they could bring a unique worldview to their classroom.

    • Kind of cool right!!? It reminds me of how you posted your introduction while on vacation! We would learn so much about other cultures if we had instructors from across the globe!

  2. Hi Verundeep,

    Your post made me think about how many digital tools we are likely using across all of our different modalities. I wonder how many students choose phyical textbooks over e-texts? How many F2F courses are supported by asynchronous activities that happen in digital environments? I often think lately that one of the outcomes of the emergency remote teaching was that our classrooms are more blended – and learners and teachers alike are working and learning in increasingly hybrid ways – what do you think?

    Michelle

    • Hi Michelle,
      I’m a student who prefers physical textbooks despite being in online courses. In my current master’s of nursing program, we have a lot of articles to read, and I end up printing all of them + highlighting them as I find I learn much better. I get distracted when I’m reading on my laptop and open new tabs. Many students are okay with e-texts, but I find myself taking much longer to grasp the same content when I read online as opposed to when I read with the physical material.

      I agree that emergencies such as COVID-19 have shaped us into working and learning in more hybrid ways. My relatives with office jobs have more choice in terms of whether or not they want to work from home, so definitely there is more flexibility. In mental health nursing, I work in a hospital setting, so I am required to go in person, but those working in the community have opportunities to check in with their patients virtually. Personally, I don’t like the idea of conducting psychiatric assessments online, but I can see how some people might find it helpful (transportation, time, feeling physically sick).

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