The document discusses online education, outlining both its challenges and benefits. It begins with definitions of online course types and an overview of data showing that academic leaders see online learning as critical to their long-term strategies and believe learning outcomes are comparable to or better than face-to-face instruction. Challenges discussed include technology issues, student and faculty abilities, and retaining students online. Benefits include flexibility, convenience, and developing technology skills. Student feedback provides mixed views, with some praising flexibility while others prefer face-to-face interaction. In conclusion, the author believes online education's benefits outweigh challenges for technical communication topics.

1. Online Education:
Where Benefits
Outweigh Challenges
Linda Oestreich, STC Fellow
Houston STC, 12 Feb 2019

2. What we’ll discuss
 Who am I?
 Definitions of terms
 Some data to set the stage
 Challenges
 Strengths
 Student feedback
 My take on it all
 Bottom line
 Resources
2

3. Linda Oestreich
 Semi-retired technical communicator
 Key roles: Technical writer, technical editor, doc manager,
strategic analyst, instructor, project manager, EEO/HR analyst
 Key skills: Analysis, problem solving, leadership, teaching,
creativity, public speaking, facilitation, writing, editing,
training
 Industries: Software development, government, property
management, geophysics, science and engineering, corporate
communications
 STC: Fellow, Society leader (President, VP, Director-Sponsor,
Annual Conference Program Manager), Chapter leader (President,
VP, Communications, Programs, Professional Development ), STC
Conference Presenter, Mentor
 Hobbies: dogs, cats, reading, movies, gardening, Facebook
3

4. 4

5. Definitions
How Much
Delivered
Online
Course
Classification
Typical Description
0% Traditional Course where no online technology used—content delivered
orally or by writing
1 – 29% Web-
facilitated
Course that uses web-based technology to facilitate what is
essentially a face-to-face course; may use a learning mgmt.
system or web to post syllabus and assignments
30 – 79% Blended/
Hybrid
Course that blends online and face-to-face delivery. Substantial
proportion of the content is delivered online, typically uses
online discussions and has a reduced number of face-to-face
meetings
80+% Online A course where most or all of the content is delivered online.
Typically has no face-to-face meetings
NA Distance Overlaps with online, but usually encompasses earlier
technology such as correspondence courses, educational
television, and videoconferencing.
5

6. Majority of data is collected
from
 Grade Level:
Tracking Online
Education in
the United
States,
I. Elaine Allen
and Jeff
Seaman,
February 2015
6

7. Does online learning
provide strategic value to
academe?
 Proportion of chief academic leaders that
says online learning is critical to their long-
term strategy has grown from 48.8% in
2002 to 70.8% this year.
 Proportion of institutions reporting that
online education is NOT critical to their
long-term strategy has dropped to 8.6%
7

8. Criticality of online education
to institution strategy
8

9. Are online learning outcomes
comparable to face-to-face?
 Academic leaders who rate the learning outcomes in online
education as the same or superior to those in face-to-face
instruction grew from 57.2% in 2003 to 74.1% in 2014.
 Proportion of academic leaders who believe learning outcomes
for online education are inferior to those of face-to-face
instruction remained constant from 2013 at 25.9%
 Fewer leaders rate learning outcomes in online courses as
superior or somewhat superior to face-to-face (20.0% to
16.3%), but greater numbers rate them as the same (54.1 to
57.9%).
 Academic leaders are far more positive about the learning
outcomes for blended/hybrid instruction than they are for
online.
9

10. Learning outcomes compared
to face-to-face
10

11. Barriers to online instruction
 Although the number of students taking distance/online courses has
grown by the millions over the past decade, it has come with concerns:
faculty acceptance has lagged, concerns about student retention linger,
and leaders continue to worry that online courses require more faculty
effort than face-to-face instruction.
 Rate of faculty members who accept “value and legitimacy of online
education” is 28.0%—a rate unchanged since 2003.
 Most academic leaders (68.3%) believe that “students need more
discipline to succeed in an online course than in a face-to-face course.
 Academic leaders have increased (44.6% in 2014 vs 27.2% in 2004)
their thoughts that retaining students is more difficult for online
courses than for face-to-face courses.
11

12. What institutions offer online
courses?
12

13. Thoughts about MOOC
 Only a small number of institutions either had or
were planning a Massive Open Online Course
(MOOC).
 The percent of higher education institutions that
currently have a MOOC increased from 2.6% in
2012 to 5.0% in 2013 and to 8.0 in 2014.
 Only 16.3% of academic leaders believe that
MOOCs represent a sustainable method of
offering online courses, down from 28.3% in 2012.
13

14. Total college students
enrolled in a distance
education course 2012-13
14

15. What will drive the future of
higher education?
15

16. 16

17. Challenges (1)
 Technology
 Equity and accessibility
 Computer literacy
 Limitations of technology—slow or intermittent internet access
 Student abilities
 Must be mature, self-disciplined—can be hard for student who needs structure
 Must be well-organized, self-motivated, and have good time management—
can get “lost” easily
 May feel isolated; miss camaraderie of fellow students
 Usually not appropriate for younger students
 Facilitator abilities
 Lack of essential online qualities
 Must create a supportive environment
 Be accessible
17

18. Challenges (2)
 School administration and faculty uncomfortable with
change—more interested in bottom line
 Academe moves slowly
 Poor response from MOOCs
 Online environment
 Level of synergy
 Some classes not appropriate for online teaching
 Appropriate curriculum
 Face-to-face methods do not always work in a virtual
medium
18

19. Strengths
 Exciting opportunities
 Convenient solutions to today’s busy learner
 Easier to schedule; flexible timing for study
 No commuting
 Variety of learning materials available
 Self-paced
 Can accommodate most learning styles
 Expand learning opportunities and provide quality education through
variety of formats
 Helps develop knowledge of technology
 Helps students take responsibility for their learning
 Can repeat lectures, readings, self-administered tests
 Both students and instructors believe online learning can foster more
interaction among students than large lecture hall classes
19

20. Student checklist for online
education
 Can you pay for it?
 Do you have the time?
 Will it fit your learning
style?
 Do you have the
motivation?
 Do you have the tech
skills to navigate the
learning management
system?
 Do you have support
from family and
employer?
20

21. Student feedback
 Online learning, in some respects, is a little like going to the
prom alone or with a good group of friends--one still gets to
experience the dance, but with a little less expense and a lot less
pressure. (+)
 There have been times when I've wished that I could knock on a
professor's door and brainstorm through problems or issues that
have arisen with assignments or material. (-)
 In the traditional class setting, I feel more like a receiver of
information. In an online class, most of what I do is really up to
me. The more organized I am, especially with respect to time
management, the more I am free to learn. (+)
 In some cases there is no replacement for the in-class discussion
in terms of tone and gesture. In-class and face-to-face
discussion allow a person to be more involved and passionate
about the subject. (-)
21

22. Student feedback (2)
 While I enjoy this course, my favorite was through another university
because we had mandatory webcam sessions once a week with the
instructor and other classmates. There's something to be said for
real-time interaction and seeing facial expressions, not to mention
the interesting coffee mugs students and instructors use for a 7:45
am web session. (=)
 Online classes also provide a platform for introverted students that is
beneficial to everyone. Introverts might feel more confident writing
responses and comments than offering them in a traditional
classroom. (+)
 I think there is an audience and a purpose for online learning, but I
worry that "deeper" knowledge may not be attained without that
occasional, face-to-face, class meeting such as a hybrid class
provides. (=)
 Online classes mimic today's global work environment. Today's
professionals depend on online communication and collaboration
with people around the globe. The online classroom mirrors this
setup more closely than a typical physical classroom with 50-500
students that meet twice per week to listen to a speaker. (+)
22

23. Student feedback (3)
 I believe there’s no substitute for classroom learning. We all differ in
our learning styles (e.g., auditory, visual, reading, etc.), but most of
us learn best in some combination of them and for me it’s easier to
get that variety in a classroom. (-)
 Online classes don’t foster organic discussion and learning. (-)
 My job can require me to follow an unpredictable schedule that
includes travel. If I were to take a traditional class I would most
certainly miss class. (+)
 For those of us often too intimidated to speak up in the traditional
setting, the online environment allows us some sense of security.
We can take our time developing our thoughts before confidently
presenting them to classmates and instructors on the discussion
board. (+)
23

24. My take on it all
 Challenges
 Setting it up and keeping
it fresh
 Lectures
 Missing face-to-face
connections
 Building relationships
through virtual world
 Writing reference letters!
 Being online and
accessible
 Benefits
 Flexibility
 Satisfaction
 Continued improvement
 Ability to stay current
 Connecting without
actual contact
 Global students!
24

25. 25

26. Bottom line: thumbs up!
 It works for technical communication
classes
 It works for busy professionals
 Its benefits outweigh the challenges for
our topics
 It helps us to keep learning and striving to
make it better
 It’s here to stay—embrace it!
26

27. Questions and contact info
Linda Oestreich
lloriter@cox.net
619-518-1186
27

28. Resources
 Evaluation of Evidence-based practices in Online Learning, US Department of
Education, September 2010
 Grade Level: Tracking Online Education in the United States, I. Elaine Allen and Jeff
Seaman, February 2015; http://onlinelearningconsortium.org/read/survey-reports-
2014/ and http://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/gradelevel.pdf
 Online Report Card: Tracking Online education in the United States, I. Elaine Allen and
Jeff Seaman w/R. Poulin and T. Straut, February 2016;
http://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/OnlineReportCard_embargo.pdf
 “Weaknesses of Online Learning,”
www.ion.uillinois.edu/rsources/tutorials/overview/weaknesses.asp
 What are advantages and challenges of online learning and teaching?
www.researchgate.net/post/What_are_the_advantages_and_challenges_of_online_learni
ng_and_teaching
 http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2013/01/14/5-tips-to-
succeed-in-an-online-course
 http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2015/06/02/infographic-
online-student-checklist?int=9e0f09
 http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnebersole/2012/09/24/online-learning-maturing-
perhaps-improving-always/
 https://news.elearninginside.com
28