Can Online Learning Replace a Classroom?

COVID abruptly forced educators to adopt online learning. With that adoption, academia was forced to learn not only new technology, but a new vocabulary. Change is hard. Change on the fly with no knowledge of who to turn to is even harder. 

Many people think that if you are not learning in a traditional classroom, with the structure implied by it, then you are not learning. Although the corporate-world is much farther ahead than the academic world in using technology to deliver learning, resistance and lack of understanding still exists.  A computer cannot replace a live instructor, but I can also argue that a live instructor cannot replace a computer. That is the beauty of blended learning. So let’s continue down the rabbit hole we dove into last week, and explore the different methods of instruction. I’ll start by defining synchronous learning versus asynchronous learning.

Synchronous Learning
Synchronous learning is learning delivered in real time. It can be classroom-based or delivered through live online chat or videoconferencing, often known as webinars. In the world of instructional design, this is called instructor-led training (ILT). Information is exchanged live.

Asynchronous Learning

Conversely, asynchronous learning is on demand. I like to think of it as just-in-time learning: when you need it, where you need it. Often called web-based training, courses are delivered on demand from a variety of platforms. Asynchronous learning can be documentation, videos, or elearning.

eLearning

Although nothing can replace the value a teacher brings through personal experience and examples, like it or not, there is tons of content that can be delivered easily online. Content like terminology, theories, procedures, and software are perfect for elearning. These can be easily self-paced in manageable chunks. The tedium of some of these types of materials can be alleviated by creating games and challenges that engage the user.Software simulations allow users to watch how it’s done and then try it themselves. Have you ever sat through a software demonstration done by the instructor on a screen while you watched? Were you able to replicate it later? You can take these lessons over and over if you need to, or if you find it easy, complete them very quickly.Scenario-based training is also something that works well in elearning, and it can be fun. This is popular in safety or human resource management training. Learners are given a scenario where they must make a decision. It gives the learner opportunities to see the potential consequences of their actions without actually being blown up or fired for harassment. They can be fun, and sometimes learners retake them just to see all the different paths.

Classroom

Classroom training is ideal for collaborative activities and hands-on experience such as art, music, vocations, and other practical experience.

Blended Learning

A well-designed blended learning program uses a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning, balancing the most effective instructional method for the content with the best administration and deployment of that content.