TO THE EDITOR:
The article, "Online classes don't compare when it comes to quality learning," which appeared in the Miami Student on Oct. 20, overstates the disadvantages of online courses, suffers from some faulty assumptions and fails in considering other benefits.
It's misleading to assume students enrolled in an online course would all be "sitting at home watching a lecture online while simultaneously talking on the phone, blow-drying [their] hair and making [themselves] something to eat."
It is true that online classes generally require more of students, in that they'll need to be more dedicated, conscientious and proactive about their education since the format is less structured. However, far from being a negative, obtaining these skills and traits can be beneficial for students.
Naturally, online and brick-and-mortar courses are not the same. They have their own unique sets of pros and cons. It is true that brick-and-mortar courses have the potential to be more collaborative both in and outside of scheduled lectures, as face-to-face communication is the most effective way to interact compared to the alternatives in online classes. Likewise it's entirely possible a professor can enthusiastically captivate the minds of students through a recorded online lecture, as there is no reason to flatly assume all professors are disengaged when creating course content.
Nonetheless, to categorically say the online class format eliminates opportunities for having "quality interactions with peers" or developing "meaningful relationships with professors" is a hasty generalization. Even in traditional classes, it's not uncommon for students to collaborate together remotely, utilizing google documents and chatting with each other while working on a paper or an assignment.
Of course, there is the downside that students can't interact in real time with the professor while watching recorded lectures, but such a cost doesn't come without benefit. Recorded lectures offer an advantage in that they can be rewound or watched multiple times if the student finds something hard to understand, and in some cases slowed down or speed up if desired.
As for the idea of "knocking out" a requirement, wouldn't the students taking an online course as a perceived shortcut likely be the same ones that fail to apply themselves fully in a brick-and-mortar class, possibly also being on their phones or otherwise not paying attention in class? Are online classes actually any easier? Shouldn't we quantify empirically that before making such a claim? At the very least isn't it reasonable to assume they typically require more work on the part of the successful student, as they require a higher degree of dedication, conscientiousness, and proactiveness?
It would be a mistake to broadly discourage Miami University from increasing the number of online classes offered overall. Students should be presented with the choice between class formats as much as possible. Traditional students should have the ability to solve scheduling conflicts by taking an online class. How much a student gets out of their education, how much they learn, is likely largely a function of how motivated and interested they are in a subject. Online classes shouldn't be viewed as a mostly negative hindrance, but rather a tool that fits specific needs and can be sufficiently effective for the students motived to learn.
Matthew R. Spinelli
spinelmr@miamioh.edu