Photo by Brittney Gibson / Photo Courtesy of Laurie Burruss
Long gone are the days where encyclopedias, textbooks and in-person teaching were the only ways in which individuals could acquire new knowledge. The internet has opened the gateways for a global exchange of ideas and information on a scale and at a speed we’ve never seen before and most information is just a click away.
In a world where technology is rapidly assimilating itself into all aspects of life, including education, many students and business professionals alike are beginning to ask the question, “Are online education resources just as valuable as in-person teaching?”
Online Resources Today
Sites like Lynda.com and Khan Academy are two examples of online education resources. Lynda.com and Khan Academy are similar in that they both provide video tutorials for students and business professionals seeking to develop certain skills outside of the classroom.
Lynda.com is a subscription based online learning company that focuses on helping users learn software, design and business skills. Khan Academy, on the other hand, is a non-profit educational site that provides users with educational video tutorials on topics ranging from math to humanities. Both sites have a similar purpose: to help students and business professionals learn the skills they need to achieve success.
Education Innovation Advisor at Lynda.com, Laurie Burruss, believes that Lynda.com and similar online education sites offer something valuable to all students and business professionals.
“The beauty of a site like this is that it gives students and faculty/professionals anytime, anywhere, access to an online video library for a variety of skills…. you can watch an entire course to support education, you can cross train, or you can just dive into things you personally care about,” Burruss said.
Marsha Ballard, a librarian of 17 years at Scottsdale Community College, has a similar outlook on online educational resources. As a frequent user of Lynda.com she said she believes it to be valuable because it gives students and other professionals access to a diverse group of instructors on a broad array of topics.
According to Ballard, perhaps the best thing about a site like this is that it allows for self-pacing.
“If you don’t fully understand something you can go back and view it again until mastery is achieved. For instructors, when some learning can be scheduled outside of regular class hours, it frees up class time to focus on application of knowledge and skills,” Ballard said.
Lynda.com and Khan Academy are both advocates of a new style of teaching called flipped learning — a fused form of learning where students initiate learning online before class begins by watching video lectures at home. Teachers then use class time to help with homework and to reinforce and delve into the content in person.
Steven Lesky, a junior education major at Pepperdine University, has experienced this type of learning first-hand as he student teaches at Oaks Christian High School. Rather than lecture for an hour and a half, Lesky has his students watch Khan Academy videos at home for ten or fifteen minutes.
“Khan Academy is a great example of flip learning” Lesky said. “The new modern educational trend is where homework is schoolwork and schoolwork is homework.”
“This is beneficial for all because now I don’t have to waste valuable in-class time, I can simply assign a video for them to watch and then reinforce information, help with homework and give time to those who are struggling the following day,” Lesky said.
Technology vs. In Person Teaching
In determining whether online education resources are as valuable as in-person teaching, educators weigh the pros and cons of both.
Ballard is an example of an educator who prefers the dynamic and energy that exists with in-person teaching. She explained that although online resources such as Lynda.com or Khan Academy are good for teaching certain types of information, students need a hybrid learning experience. The social and psychic components of in person teaching are something that Ballard said must be present to be most beneficial.
“There’s a different sense of connection and community with in person teaching. At my own college, we’ve found that students succeed and learn more when there is a combination of in face interactions and online learning,” Ballard said.
Burruss understands how a professor can impact students. Teachers have the ability do things that no form of technology ever could, she said. Teachers have the opportunity to mentor, teach the big ideas, communicate and collaborate, challenge students to think on their own and engage the learner with critical thinking. There is a certain personal aspect of in-person teaching that online education cannot provide in Burruss’ opinion.
But while in-person teaching is seen as invaluable, online education offers something that sometimes teachers cannot. Besides the obvious appeal of providing users the ability to set their own pace, go back and review and determine the time and location for the learning to take place, online education resources can help diminish users’ doubts in their abilities.
“Through sites like Lynda.com, students or learners have the opportunity to build confidence,” she said. “If you don’t know something you can learn it on your own. You can watch a video as many times as you need/want anonymously with no shame, no blame.”
The Future of Online Education Resources
Will all classrooms across America soon use the flip model? Will online education soon trump traditional in-person teaching? That is hard to determine, but educators like Burruss who are proponents of online education believe that technology and education can find harmony.
For Burruss, the future relies on the educators’ ability to find a “sweet spot” between face-to-face learning and on-your-own learning.
“Personal or informal is important for empowerment, self-motivation, and creating learning paths, but nothing can replace the Socratic discussions, the mentorship, feedback of fellow students and engagement that face-to-face learning encourages,” Burruss said.
So, although most information is just a click away, in the long term, people may begin to realize that online education sites are not a panacea and that they can’t replace in person teaching and learning.
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