Traditional Classroom Learning

This post is part of a series concerning the differences between traditional classroom learning and online training or “e-Learning” and the various aspects of each.

I’d like to take a look at the views of the traditional classroom teaching camp. Some of the things that I’m going to talk about relate directly to this article:
http://www.computeruser.com/articles/2407,5,88,1,0701,05.html

It’s a relatively old article by the CEO of a classroom-based IT training company, so the information is somewhat biased and should be taken with a grain of salt. However, I think that the ideas the article poses are legitimate. Note that this opinion reflects those who are almost completely against e-Learning – we’ll address the middle ground at a later date.

Essentially, the article’s argument is that despite the hype surrounding e-Learning, it is a subpar learning method compared to traditional classroom learning. The author references numerous studies and statistics (not cited) to show that a majority of learners find their e-Learning experiences to be less than amazing. One major premise that is brought up is that e-Learning eliminates or downgrades the social interaction that is vital to an enriching learning experience. The article acknowledges that some e-Learning programs are trying to blend classroom training with online training, but the author’s criticism of this is that these programs have “morphed into what [they are] trying to replace.”

I agree with some of what the author has to stay. Certainly the loss of face-to-face interaction has a negative impact on the quality of education a student receives. The ability to ask questions, talk with classmates, and get clarification on uncertain topics is lost. The author states that “humans, by nature, learn best through social interaction.” This claim is likely accurate: a collaborative environment fosters teamwork and the sharing of ideas. If an individual is unsure of a situation, it’s probable that the ideas of others will encourage the development of a solution.

However, I take issue with the assertion that online training that tries to blend its program with traditional classroom teaching is trying to “morph” into pure classroom training. The author is taking a stance that suggests that online training can in no way, ever, replace classroom training (note that he is referring to IT training specifically). I think that a blended approach could be just as successful as pure classroom training, given that the students are presented with effective online materials.

So what are these effective materials? What features make online training go from being a dull redundancy of classroom lecture notes into an interactive and engaging learning experience? We’ll talk about it in the next post.