Advantages of Face-to-Face Learning

So far everyone has written about their post based on either the pros or cons of online learning, but nobody has taken a stance for or against face-to-face learning. It is clear there are advantages of online learning (I wouldn't be taking this course if there weren't), but there are also key advantages of face-to-face learning which can not be simulated in an online course. The article neglects to mention how efficacy of online and face-to-face learning compares when the student is expected to apply the information taught in a "real world" setting or the level of familiarity a face-to-face instructor achieves with their students and how this effects the students learning experience.

I agree that in most cases pure textual information can be learned just as effectively online as face-to-face. However, in my experience, this information is rather useless until put into practical application. For example, my first M.A. is in speech-language pathology. I spent two years taking courses to learn the definitions and theories, but when I really LEARNED how to be a therapist in clinics and practicums. The practical application of theories is far more effectively taught in "real world" settings where the student can observe and interact with the instructor in verbally and physically in real time. This also allows the instructor to critique the functional performance of the student at a more practical level than an essay or online chat can.

Nuances in communication, such as body language and facial expression, also carry a good deal of information. In fact, some research suggest that 70% of information received during face to face communication is actually due to tone of voice, gestures, body language, facial expression, and contextual clues (Hoff 2001). It is very difficult, if not impossible, to replicate these elements of communication in online learning environments. This means the communication of nuanced information must be supplemented with other methods and takes more time.

Chapter 2 from out text give a lot of information about motivating students and the importance of building a trusting relationship in the classroom. It seems to me that it is also vastly easier to do this when the student and instructor are able to build a personal relationship, which is very hard to do in an online course format. We connect emotionally with people with our eyes, body language, and tone of voice. Yes, you can go through a series of introductions and become familiar with each other's "written voice", but this does not result in the same bond that face-to-face instructor can achieve with a student they see on a daily basis.

I am not writing all of this to say that I think online courses are less effective than face-to-face courses, but that there are some aspects of face-to-face instruction that can not be duplicated online. However, there are also other benefits of online courses that are not replicable in face-to-face courses. Perhaps in the end it depends on the individual student, their learning style, motivation, and desired outcome from the course.