Aloha Friends-
Sorry you missed my live class. We are in our third day and it is INTENSE. Not for everyone that's for sure.
I am receiving many calls asking me when I am planning to give another live class. It will not be soon, I am not planning on another this year.
In the meantime, have you thought about an online course? Here are 10 Reasons why you might want to take one.
Ten Advantages of Online Learning
By
Jim Luger
ContinuingEdExpress.com
A
friend, and fellow real estate educator of many years, told me that he had
misgivings about the growing trend of online education. “I build a relationship
with my students,” he said. “I can tell by their body language that they are
enthusiastic about my class. Synergy develops in the classroom.”
I
responded to his concerns: “If you are asking whether a computer can duplicate those
classroom experiences, the answer is no.
But if you are asking whether a student can learn as well online, the answer is
yes—provided the course material is
well-written, the educational objectives are well-designed and executed, and
the student is properly engaged.”
I
didn’t want to push the point with my reluctant colleague, but there are
significant advantages to online learning compared to traditional classroom
education:
1. Within the same
amount of time, you can cover more material online than in a classroom.
According
to a report from the Human Factors and
Ergonomics Society, the range at which people comfortably hear words is
between 150-160 words per minute. In another study that measured reading speed,
Aaronson and Colet found the average reader could read 342 words-per-minute,
with a range from 143 to 540 words-per-minute.
Because
average reading rates are considerably faster than normal speaking rates, much
more content can be included in an online course within the same amount of
time.
2. Classroom
teaching has not proven to be superior.
Thomas
Russell, Director Emeritus of Instructional Telecommunications at North Carolina State University,
analyzed 355 studies on distant learning that span 70 years. In his book, The No Significant Difference Phenomenon,
he wrote: “For those charged with
creating programs, the good news is that a wealth of evidence supports the
position that distance education programs match conventional, on-campus,
face-to-face courses in both rigor and quality of outcomes.” He observes, however, that “…it is abundantly
clear that faculty and administration tend to feel that the quality of the
instruction for the distance student is inferior to that given to the
on-campus, face-to-face student.”
3. Administrators
can easily manage the content and quality of online courses.
Other
than approving lesson plans and outlines, administrators of classroom schools
have limited control over the quality, content and delivery of classroom
lectures. With online courses, however, every word, image, and activity can be
scrutinized, researched, tested, and edited before being presented to
students. Moreover, instruction can be
standardized. Real estate regulators do
not have worry about whether online instructors will deliver required
information consistently and professionally.
4. There are no
student disruptions while taking online courses.
In
a classroom, it is possible for students to monopolize discussions or create.
Confused or ill-prepared students can paralyze a classroom with questions. To
capture attention, instructors can be tempted to entertain students with
humorous stories that digress from substantive content. With online learning,
the learner controls his or her learning experience without distractions,
digressions, or interruptions. Instructors are able to engage students with
content and activities that focus on learning objectives.
5. A self-paced
format lets the learner control the information flow.
During
periods when students ponder, take notes, or are confused by the teacher’s
lecture or class discussion, they miss meaningful information. With online
learning, the student controls the flow of information. Online courses allow students to disengage
from instruction and return when they are ready. Online courses stop and wait for students to
take some action. They must interact with the course to move it forward. In contrast, a classroom lecture continues on
even if the student is answering emails, reading magazines, or falls
asleep. Also, if a student is tired,
distressed or preoccupied, little learning takes place. With online courses,
students can take classes when they are most ready to learn.
6. Online course
content can be saved and reviewed by the student.
The
online student can move back and forth through a course or return to any part
of a course that has been taken. In many
cases, online schools allow students to download or print every word of a
course for future reference. Traditional
classroom instructors often provide outlines, expecting the student to take
notes.
7. Online courses
are self-contained.
When
classroom instructors reference websites or reading material, they expect the
student to read them outside of the class experience. With online learning, all
websites and supportive text are immediately available to the student.
Instructors can be assured that students will benefit from these outside
resources because they can be made part of the course.
8. Online learning
can be less expensive.
Quality
online learning can be delivered less expensively than classroom instruction.
There is no cost for classroom space. Registration and scheduling is managed by
the student. Administrative and support staff requirements are minimal. Because
delivery is asynchronous, instructors do not have be repeatedly scheduled or
required to travel. There are no costs for printed outlines, property
insurance, custodial services, parking, and so on—all overhead that must be
passed on to students. With online learning, students share the benefit of overhead
economies.
9. Online class
size is unlimited.
When
classroom enrollment is at its limit, students are often forced to choose courses
that are less interesting or less relevant to their needs. Online classes,
however, are accessible to all students all the time. Students who live far
from schools do not have travel expenses. Individuals with disabilities also
find special benefits to online education since they do not have to be
concerned with physical classroom limitations.
10. Online students
can schedule classes around productive work time.
Because
online students choose when to participate in learning, they can avoid
conflicts with productive work time—an expense for both licensees and their
companies. Online learning, in contrast, allows students to balance their
continuing education needs with income opportunities, as well as time with
friends and family.
Students are
learning the advantages of online education.
A
Pew Internet Project report shows that 45% of Americans on the Internet– 60
million – say the Internet has played an important role in helping them make at
least one critical decision affecting their lives, with career training the
leading life element. According to the
Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) Web site, over 4 million
students are currently enrolled in their certified distance learning
institutions, in over 500 fields of study ranging from accounting to yacht
design. Educational institutions now offer instruction from kindergarten to doctoral
degrees.
Educators are
learning, too. Instructors
can also enjoy benefits from online education, including a greater audience
reach, more lifestyle freedom, and ongoing royalties. School owners can gain
additional revenue and long-term student loyalty by offering quality online continuing
education courses through an affiliate program.
My
friend, like many classroom instructors, is struggling with the efficacy of
online learning. But he recognizes its growing popularity, and he intends to
better understand why. To me, his curiosity and open-mindedness are marks of an
outstanding educator who is weighing the possibilities of a new era.
# # #
RESOURCES:
Williams,
J. R. (1998). Guidelines for the use of multimedia in instruction, Proceedings
of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 42nd Annual Meeting, 1447–1451
(Suggesting books-on-tape speaking rates.)
Aaronsn,
D. and Colet, E., Behavior Research Methods, Instruments and Computers, 29 (2),
250-255 (1997).
The
Pew Research Center,
Real Estate Intelligence Report
1/30/06.
Russell,
Tomas L., The No Significant Difference
Phenomenon. The International
Distance Education
Certification Center
(IDECC): 2001.
The
Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) History: Over Eight Decades of
Service (http://www.detc.org/theassociation.html)
Jim Luger is an instructor for ContinuingEdExpress.com,
which is owned by his daughter, Liz Luger Anderson. Jim has taught agents at
his own real estate brokerage since 1976, and was a certified trainer for an
international real estate franchiser for three years. He has also owned a
mortgage brokerage and title insurance agency. Jim can be reached at jim@continuingedexpress.com
Aloha,
Carol
