Online Education - Research Paper Example

Recent findings that compare classroom and web based learning experiences have found that online teaching was superior to the traditional classroom instructive methods, with regards to declarative knowledge outcomes and was equivalent with regards to procedural learning outcomes (Bender, 2008). On average, students involved in online-teaching conditions are more likely to perform better than students who receive face-to-face instructions. These differences, however, are not necessarily rooted in the utilized media.

Generally, advantages of online instruction reflect the differences in learning time, pedagogy, and content (Karacapilidis et al, 2012). Direct comparisons between blended and online learning conditions did not find any significant difference regarding student level of learning. Effectiveness or efficacy of pure and blended, online education processes is dependent on the instructive elements of the two methods. Usually, blended delivery instruction, or face-to-face instruction, provides more opportunity for collaborative learning not received by students who are ion control situations (Karacapilidis et al, 2012).

Online readers that spend more time on the activity compared to face-to-face conditions find a greater benefit in learning. It is vital to note, however, that the research done so far on blended vs. online instructional methods is not very conclusive. However, there is an argument that the medium of learning is simply a bearer of content that has minimal effect on the process of learning per se. As a matter of fact, gender and SAT scores are stronger predictors of college student performance on the post-test with procedural and conceptual items than was the form of online unit to which the student was exposed (Weller, 2012). In. This report talks that on average, students involved in online-teaching conditions are more likely to perform better than students who receive face-to-face instructions.

These differences, however, are not necessarily rooted in the utilized media. Generally, advantages of online instruction reflect the differences in learning time, pedagogy, and content. In order for online learning to become more acceptable as a mode of teaching, a few best practices need to be carried out. Online quizzes or videos have minimal influence on what students are able to learn in class. Additionally, there should be a course moderator to instruct the discussion groups when the students need to respond to a given scenario.

Finally, there should be social scripts that structure the modes of interactions between students. This paper approves that 21st century higher education certainly has taken to online education, with US President Obama talking about expansion of access to higher education. The evidence shows that, for those who want to learn and demonstrate their academic knowledge, online education is an affordable and workable alternative to the more traditional methods of getting a post-secondary education.

Online learning will allow students from all classes of the economy to take advantage of opportunities, which might have been otherwise out of their reach. Best of all, students will no longer need to take, on unmanageable and excessive debt to study. Online education will level the playfield somewhat in the higher education sector.