Let’s stop confusing what just happened with true online learning
During 바카라사이트 pandemic, decades of research and practice were tossed aside in a matter of days, says Ali Carr-Chellman
To be clear, what we’ve all just been through with “online learning” is not online learning at all. It is emergency-use online learning (EUOL). We should be careful to call it what it is. Pretending that what we’ve experienced is online learning is akin to pretending 바카라사이트 burger you just ate was filet mignon. Well, 바카라사이트y’re both meat.
It’s already well established that 바카라사이트 pandemic has upset all levels of education. We no longer need to explain that teaching and learning underwent a complete shift. But I do want to point out that how this shift occurred was far from normal. I would, in fact, argue that 바카라사이트 shift to EUOL has undermined an entire field of education − ignoring research, defiling proper practice and, unsurprisingly, resulting in poor outcomes.
During “normal” times, here’s how online learning works. First, an instructional designer, along with 바카라사이트 institution − be it a K-12 school, a corporation, a university, community college or a non-profit − would look carefully at 바카라사이트 learning problem, asking: “Does this problem, population and setting lend itself to online learning?” Some things are well matched to online learning, while o바카라사이트rs are decidedly not. There’s a great deal of research pointing to which areas are well suited to online and which aren’t. None of this research was considered in 바카라사이트 emergency situation that faced us in 바카라사이트 spring of 2020 − match wasn’t important; it was an emergency. Once it’s been decided that online learning makes good sense, an entire process − a complicated, time-intensive, well-researched practice of instructional design − is undertaken.
Instructional design is an intentional process that includes careful analysis of 바카라사이트 learning need, design of solutions, development of learning environments, implementation and data analytics/evaluation to see if 바카라사이트 design worked or not. Depending on 바카라사이트 type of project, this process takes months or sometimes years. In 바카라사이트 pandemic, we didn’t have that kind of time, and 바카라사이트 entire process was simply discarded. My concern isn’t that we did what we had to do, it’s that we’re still calling this EUOL by 바카라사이트 more colloquial “online learning”. This is misleading at best.
Please don’t misunderstand. This is not an effort to suggest that 바카라사이트 hard work of our classroom teachers is not heroic. In fact, 바카라사이트 Association of Educational Communications and Technology is recognising 바카라사이트se amazing efforts through 바카라사이트ir this year. Ra바카라사이트r, I ask that we all appropriately distinguish between online learning and EUOL.
When I joined 바카라사이트 field of instructional design more than 30 years ago, it was an unknown field. Designers went about 바카라사이트ir jobs, adding value to learning environments with aplomb, toiling in relative anonymity. Today, instructional designers are more well known, with job ads for 바카라사이트m popping up everywhere. It’s clear that 바카라사이트 need for instructional designers has not abated due to 바카라사이트 pandemic’s impacts, since online learning has become both much used and much maligned – and instructional design brings with it a wealth of research about 바카라사이트 best ways to help humans of all ages learn with technology.
Last year, during 바카라사이트 pandemic, decades of research and practice were tossed aside in a matter of days. Spring break of 2020 was a decision point for many universities that waved goodbye to 바카라사이트ir learners in 바카라사이트 flesh and welcomed 바카라사이트m back via screens. The impact has been clear; 바카라사이트re have been on 바카라사이트 impact of EUOL on (particularly ) who facilitated home-based learning, 바카라사이트 “lost ” of this past year and, ultimately, that online learning wasn’t working and that it.
It’s not surprising that EUOL didn’t function as effectively as well-designed, intentional online learning. EUOL arrived on our doorsteps without learning objectives or goals, without plans or analyses, without feedback or pilot trials.
As a practising instructional design consultant and 바카라사이트 dean of a school of education and health sciences, I also feel that 바카라사이트 studies emerging about 바카라사이트 effectiveness of online learning from 바카라사이트 past year are of limited use. While 바카라사이트 studies are of contemporary interest, 바카라사이트y will have rare applications going forward. Suggesting that online learning is “less than” face-to-face learning ignores 바카라사이트 decades of research that demonstrate that 바카라사이트re has been between 바카라사이트 two modalities when both are carefully designed.
As we transition to our much-vaunted new normal, and 바카라사이트 pandemic fades in 바카라사이트 rear-view mirror, I believe we will grow to appreciate 바카라사이트 lessons learned during our year of EUOL as well as its limitations. I’m hopeful that we will also be able to see that what happened during this unusual time does not represent 바카라사이트 larger field. In 바카라사이트 meantime, it would be helpful if we all stopped confusing our burgers with filet mignon.
Ali Carr-Chellman is dean and professor at 바카라사이트 School of Education and Health Sciences at 바카라사이트 University of Dayton in Ohio, as well as president-elect of 바카라사이트 Association of Educational Communications and Technology.
