This guest post from Dr. Sheri McKillop, the University of Fredericton’s Vice President of Academics and Provost, focuses on the differences between emergency remote learning/virtual classes and intentional online learning. She reviews both forms of remote education and discusses how students can uniquely benefit from a program that is designed to be online, on purpose.

Virtual classes, online learning not one and the same

In these challenging times which have forced bricks and mortar schools to close down, it is wonderful that teachers and professors can use technology to interact with students. This is an opportunity to stay in touch, deliver some curriculum and oversee some learning outcomes.

However, this is not the same as moving to an online learning environment.

Developing and delivering an online course takes a great amount of preparation, planning, structure, and support including utilizing a Learning Management System (LMS).

While many schools use an online LMS to record data and assessments, they are often not mandatory so many faculty do not receive formal training on its usage. There is a lack of consistency from teacher to teacher in properly utilizing the school’s LMS.

Some schools are using conferencing software such as Zoom or Skype to conduct classes. Classroom management is difficult at the best of times let alone trying to manage 30 video windows and a productive classroom discussion. Video conferencing and virtual classroom management require training and practice. Additionally, security on these platforms has its challenges and students may be subjected to privacy breaches. Many well-designed online programs incorporate asynchronous class that allows students and facilitators to have robust discussions and debates. They are rarely used to just disseminate information. Training on the ability to engage students in these virtual classes and ensure everyone is participating and learning is essential to a successful online classroom.

Collecting and grading assignments can become a challenge in a video setting. One of the past criticisms of online was that people thought it was easier to cheat in an online class. In a well-designed online class, drop boxes and plagiarism trackers can be implemented to ensure academic integrity. The feedback on assignments is critical to online learning as it often takes the place of teacher-student interaction.  If an assignment is returned to a student with merely a grade, the opportunity to learn from the teacher is minimized.

Learning in an online environment is often a choice, not a mandated study method. If a student has limited internet access they may be at a disadvantage to other students. Video content and video conferencing can eat up bandwidth, and those with poorer internet access cannot use the provided learning opportunities.

When we think of school and education, it is not simply the dissemination of knowledge; there are many aspects of the student experience that need to be considered.  Their support systems that are critical to learning that are not available when schools quickly morph into online delivery.  One example of this is the provision of student services. Even if the teams can be accessed remotely by students, the providers may not have proper training to deliver the services in a virtual environment. Student advisement for the selection of courses is another example. The systems to register and assign classes may not be available or accessible for students when a bricks and mortar school moves to online delivery. Last, but certainly not least, is the technical support required to run an online class. Online schools have technical support available to students at the beginning of their studies to conduct an online orientation and to introduce the systems and processes of the online environment. Once the student has started, there is ongoing technical support available to students for any issues that may arise. Bricks and mortar schools do not have the support staff to adapt quickly to their entire student body moving to an online delivery model in a matter of weeks.

While I am excited that many people are getting an opportunity to study and learn online, I fear that the efforts made by bricks and mortar schools to move online so quickly will not truly represent the advantages and value of online learning.  Those forced to study these rapidly provided courses may have a less than stellar learning experience. The reputation of schools that have dedicated resources to design, develop and conduct high-quality online courses may be hurt more than helped during these challenging times.

This post originally appeared on LinkedIn in 2020 and can be viewed here.