I use laptops and IT applications in classroom teaching every day; in conducting the lesson, as well as my students doing research and assignments online and uploading their PPT slides for presentation . Even exams are conducted online. In fact, if a student doesn't bring laptop to the classroom, he/she is not allowed to sit and do his work (there is a resource centre from where he can borrow one). During the semester we also teach online for one week where students do not come to the college; rather they learn from their homes( just to prepare ourselves of any emergencies!). Today I wish to discuss about these two modes of teaching.
There are some basic differences between face-to-face (F2F) and online teaching. Let us look into some characteristics of these two.
F2F teaching is in real time, dynamic and highly interactive. We as teachers are able to see our students, look at their body language while they respond to us, and notice their emotional state, and gauge their level of understanding. Accordingly, we can adjust our responses. One of the main issues of today’s highly wired students is how to engage them, away from their distractions, and increase their attention span on the lesson. This may be better monitored and guided in F2F lesson, as a measure of their focused effort (by introducing some activities related to the lesson). Also honing their skills in teamwork, active participation in class discussion and debates, and the opportunity of on-the-spot clarification of doubts with us are more realistic in F2F teaching than online.
On the other hand, online teaching provides more flexibility in terms of time and place as students need not come to the college. This aspect becomes very important if classes can’t be conducted in college due to some emergencies like MERS, etc. So students can choose to look into the lesson while having dinner at the coffee shop, and respond to the discussion forum at midnight (assuming that it is asynchronous mode of online teaching). Since no one is looking, some of the less-responsive or shy students can now express themselves more freely in discussion forum, without getting intimidated by ‘loud ones’. They can write their ideas or opinions or answer the questions posed by us without getting anxious, and taking their own sweet time!
In summary, each type of teaching has its own strengths and weaknesses. Depending on the situation, availability of resources in the college, as well as ease of accessibility of these resources to the students outside the college, either of these can be used. While online teaching provides more flexibility (in time and place) to the students as well as to the teachers, it requires different set of methods to conduct the lesson, gauge students’ progress and give them feedback. So we as teachers need to learn newer ways to engage them meaningfully, know them without meeting F2F, and respond to their queries any time of the day! As for F2F teaching, we have to be mindful of our verbal language, body language and emotions so as not to hurt any students’ sentiments in classroom, chances of which are lower in online lessons. Also F2F lessons become mandatory for those subjects where labs or some sort of demonstrations are required.
There are some basic differences between face-to-face (F2F) and online teaching. Let us look into some characteristics of these two.
F2F teaching is in real time, dynamic and highly interactive. We as teachers are able to see our students, look at their body language while they respond to us, and notice their emotional state, and gauge their level of understanding. Accordingly, we can adjust our responses. One of the main issues of today’s highly wired students is how to engage them, away from their distractions, and increase their attention span on the lesson. This may be better monitored and guided in F2F lesson, as a measure of their focused effort (by introducing some activities related to the lesson). Also honing their skills in teamwork, active participation in class discussion and debates, and the opportunity of on-the-spot clarification of doubts with us are more realistic in F2F teaching than online.
On the other hand, online teaching provides more flexibility in terms of time and place as students need not come to the college. This aspect becomes very important if classes can’t be conducted in college due to some emergencies like MERS, etc. So students can choose to look into the lesson while having dinner at the coffee shop, and respond to the discussion forum at midnight (assuming that it is asynchronous mode of online teaching). Since no one is looking, some of the less-responsive or shy students can now express themselves more freely in discussion forum, without getting intimidated by ‘loud ones’. They can write their ideas or opinions or answer the questions posed by us without getting anxious, and taking their own sweet time!
In summary, each type of teaching has its own strengths and weaknesses. Depending on the situation, availability of resources in the college, as well as ease of accessibility of these resources to the students outside the college, either of these can be used. While online teaching provides more flexibility (in time and place) to the students as well as to the teachers, it requires different set of methods to conduct the lesson, gauge students’ progress and give them feedback. So we as teachers need to learn newer ways to engage them meaningfully, know them without meeting F2F, and respond to their queries any time of the day! As for F2F teaching, we have to be mindful of our verbal language, body language and emotions so as not to hurt any students’ sentiments in classroom, chances of which are lower in online lessons. Also F2F lessons become mandatory for those subjects where labs or some sort of demonstrations are required.
excellent comparison
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