Tammie Essary

ETEC 424.01W
April 4, 2015
Discussion Weeks 12 & 13
Can Students Learn as well Online as Face-to-Face?
Students learn in both face-to face and online environments. The amount they learn in
either environment depends on the student. Some students learn better in face-to-face
classrooms while other students learn better in online environments. It depends on the needs of
the students and how motivated they are.
Some students are visual and hands-on learners. These students do better in face-to-face
classrooms. They need the one-on-one interactions that take place with the teacher and other
students. They need the sense of community that occurs during a face-to-face class as well as the
comradery with others that only occurs face-to-face. When students attend classes in physical
buildings they are experiencing life. They develop rapport with the teacher as well as with the
other students. They develop lifelong friendships. They feel ownership of their class which then
transfers to their quality of work.
Other students learn just as well if not better in online environments. In order to do
accomplish this, students must be highly self-motivated, highly self-disciplined, and highly
organized. Online classes are almost self-taught classes. Therefore, students must constantly be
checking e-mails, looking at the assignments, and checking assignment due dates in order to stay
on track with their online courses. Most students who participate in online classes do so out of
convenience. (For example, I work full-time at a local school district and have 3 children who
are very active in sports, academics, and church. Online classes are not my first choice;
however, these classes are extremely convenient for me because I do not have to drive over an
hour total to and from Commerce and then sit in a 2 hour class. This is time that I can spend
either doing my homework or taking my children somewhere.) With online courses, the
workload tends to be a bit heavier than a face-to-face course. However, if the students are
focused and determined enough, they will succeed in their online course. Online students need
to realize that they may not have the sense of community or the rapport with the teacher or the
other students that come out of face-to-face environments but that if they stay motivated and
determined, they will learn and succeed just as well as, if not better, than if they had taken the
face-to-face class.

Texas Technology Standards

Standard I: All teachers use technology-related terms, concepts, data input strategies, and
ethical practices to make informed decisions about current technologies and their
applications.
Teacher Knowledge: What All Teachers Know
1

The beginning teacher knows and understands:

1.1k the appropriate use of hardware components, software programs, and
their connections;
1.2k data input skills appropriate to the task;
Application: What All Teachers Can Do
The beginning teacher is able to:
1.1s demonstrate knowledge and appropriate use of operating systems,
software applications, and communication and networking components;
1.17s identify the impact of technology applications on society through
research, interviews, and personal observation; and
1.18s demonstrate knowledge of the importance of technology to future
careers, lifelong learning, and daily living for individuals of all ages.
Standard III: All teachers use task-appropriate tools to synthesize knowledge, create and
modify solutions, and evaluate results in a way that supports the work of individuals and
groups in problem-solving situations.
Teacher Knowledge: What All Teachers Know
The beginning teacher knows and understands:
3.1k how to use appropriate computer-based productivity tools to create
and modify solutions to problems;
3.2k how to use research skills and electronic communication to create
new knowledge;
Application: What All Teachers Can Do
The beginning teacher is able to:
3.1s plan, create, and edit word processing documents using readable
fonts, alignment, page setup, tabs, and ruler settings;
3.11s participate in electronic communities as a learner, initiator, and
contributor
3.12s complete task using technological collaborations such as sharing
information through on-line communications
3.14s use technology in self-directed activities to create products for and
share products with defined audiences
Standard IV: All teachers communicate information in different formats and for diverse
audiences.
Teacher Knowledge: What All Teachers Know
The beginning teacher knows and understands:
4.1k how to format digital information for appropriate and effective
communication
4.2k how to deliver a product electronically in a variety of media
Application: What All Teachers Can Do
The beginning teacher is able to:
4.1s use productivity tools, such as slide shows, posters, multimedia
presentations, newsletters, brochures, or reports, to create effective document files for defined
audiences;

4.4s demonstrate appropriate use of fonts, styles, and sizes, as well as

effective use of graphics and page design to communicate effectively;
4.8s use telecommunication tools, such as Internet browsers, video
conferencing, and distance learning, for publishing information