Traditional and online courses share important similarities. In both situations, instructors and colleges establish learning outcomes, and students complete tasks and assignments to show that they have achieved those outcomes. The primary difference between online and traditional courses is how information is communicated.
While students and instructors in most traditional classes interact with both spoken and written communication, students and instructors in online courses interact mostly through written communication: Instructors post lectures and downloadable presentations, and students type discussion posts or respond to peers’ work in electronic documents, for example.
The chart describes some of the activities that are common to both traditional and online writing courses. Notice their similarities as well as their differences.
While an online format can make your course more convenient and accessible, it won’t necessarily make your course easier. In fact, because students are responsible for reading, digesting, and reviewing course content on their own time and for typing thoughtful messages instead of listening and talking in class, the total time spent completing an online course might actually be greater than the total time spent completing a traditional, on-campus course. With the chart as a guide, check your own assumptions against the realities of online learning. You might need to think about adjusting your schedule and thinking about whether your typical approach is suited to online learning. You might also want to seek advice or feedback from a student who has completed an online course.
Typical activities in traditional and online writing courses
Faulty assumptions versus the realities of online learning
Related topics:
Checking your readiness for online learning
Asynchronous versus synchronous communication