Can virtual classrooms beat face-to-face interaction?

Can virtual classrooms beat face-to-face interaction?

As degree level education becomes more important for employment opportunities, more people at different stages of life are going to study, and for them, distance learning is the preferable option. If choosing virtual study, a person will more than likely have other commitments: work, children, other caring responsibilities, or may be studying for purely academic reasons. The benefits of flexible study can compensate for the disadvantage of not meeting people in real life. However, being part of an online community when studying at a distance is important, says Richard Reece, president for teaching, learning and students at the University of Manchester. He says: "Academically, support from other learners is as important inside university as it is outside university. 

We encourage students who are studying traditional courses to form peer-assisted study schemes. We do the same for distance learning students as well." Online forums, Facebook groups and email lists with the contact details for other students can help online learners connect with their peers and ask

questions about their studies. Reece adds that "It really benefits the learners if they have a sense of community rather than feeling like an isolated person working alone at a computer."

In the virtual classroom, instead of tutorials or lectures, support from lecturers comes through electronic forums, email exchanges, phone conversations and Skype. Tony Priest is course director for a foundation degree at the University of Leicester and says his course uses "e-tutors" to support students. He says: "Each has a certain number of students who they follow through their comments on the discussion boards and answer their questions. They'll also contact them if they don't appear for a while and ask if they have problems and how they can help." 

It might seem a little impersonal not meeting your teacher in real life, but distance learning students can sometimes have even more support than traditional students. Priest states "I would say that there are some things that you do need face-to-face interaction for, but our distance learning students do have significant access to teaching staff." Amy Woodgate, coordinator of distance education initiative at the University of Edinburgh, agrees. She says: "People tend to think that online learning is very disconnected and less of a community. But actually with online learning, students have something in common so build up good relationships."

Distance learning students can use online forums as a chance to meet their peers socially, but it can be difficult to replicate real life interactions. "One of the biggest challenges for distance learning students is engagement with other peers," says Steve Mills, student president for education welfare

at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. He says: "A big part of the student experience is meeting new people, making friends, joining societies and having social events, but distance learning students don't get to experience that, so it is very academic for them."

Need a Professional Writer to Work on this Paper? Click Here and Get this Essay Done ………