In a blow to the sentimental old teaching model celebrated from “Goodbye, Mr. Chips” to “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” a new study shows that online education works as well as in-class learning.
According to a report done by Ithaka S+R, a nonprofit think tank focused on technology and education, students taking an online introductory statistics course, with only one hour per week of face time, did just as well as those who took the course the old school way, via face-to-face teaching.
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Every student from that introductory statistics course should be able to tell you that one study does not make a very convincing argument for "online education" in general. On the other hand, it is evidence that a **hybrid** approach to introductory statistics is effective.
I have not participated in online courses but I have, and am, studying subjects that range from Astonomy to Zoology. These studies are from The Teaching Company. They comprise DVD's and Transcripts. It allows you to really concentrate on the subject as opposed to "why is he wearing that stupid outfit" or "she is really sweet looking, I have to get to know her". Distractions! I don't get them. The courses are given by top-rated professors from top-rated universities, who are thoroughly screened. A Degree is not in place, but I'm not interested at this point... I'm 81 years young, etc., etc.
The most memorable and pleasurable course I took in college was a small seminar of about 6 students and the professor (a full professor, not a grad student) in Victorian English poetry. What was so wonderful about that class was the chance to talk about our impressions of the poems we were reading,- to discuss our impressions and feelings about these poems at leisure and in an intimate way. This would not have been possible in an on-line format.
Unfortunately, this research is being over generalized. It is being cited, as here, as "a new study shows that online education works as well as in-class learning." Well, no. It shows only that an introductory statistics course can be taught as well online as in a class. But an intro to statistics course is more cut and dry and well-defined than most other courses. It's precisely the kind of course that can be mastered well with only online help. But many others can't. Maybe next someone should offer an online course in critical thinking, one that would teach people not to overgeneralize from information that is too-limited.