Purpose

Purpose:

Within five years it is projected that majority of college students will be enrolled in at least one online course. (A Brief History of Online Learning, 2014) Today’s higher education learners have a variety  learning opportunities available including online, hybrid (blended) and collaborative learning to allow for flexibility in their schedules, institution locations and access to learning resources. This is especially beneficial to students living in rural areas, studying abroad or serving in the military. 

Online instruction is alternative to face to face instruction for students who prefer online learners flexibility and delivery style. Hybrid or blended learning brings the both the face to face and online classroom together. Hybrid/blended learning combine both online and face to face instruction by assigning reading, assessments, student collaboration and teacher office hours online outside of the classroom. With blended learning the face to face class is very much a flipped classroom allowing for a student driven versus an instructor driven classroom. The benefits of collaborative learning are vast, ranging from increased student retention, addressing multiple learning styles, increased higher order thinking and increased diversity awareness. With addition of Web 2.0 tools collaboration can now occur seemingly in online and blended classrooms.

The ABC news video below explores another advantage of online learning in higher education by piloting a program praised by President Obama, which allows students to complete competencies in their own time frame and receive college credit.