TICs

MYTHS AND REALITY: ONLINE COURSES AT UAM-A

Gabriela Cortés Sánchez *
Vida Valero Borrás **
UAM-Azcapotzalco

1. INTRODUCTION

In the year 2016 during Spring, CELEX of the UAM-Azcapotzalco, finished the piloting of three blended courses of basic English as a part of a research project “Reflexión teórica sobre la enseñanza-aprendizaje con base en las nuevas tecnologías (TIC) y propuesta de un modelo de aprendizaje” (Theoretical reflection about teaching and learning based on new technologies (ICT) and a proposal of a learning model). After analyzing the results of this part of our study, we decided that it was time to take risk and launch e-learning courses. Our expectations were not very high due to the different myths and experiences about these kinds of courses. These myths are not harmless as we can think, mainly if the teachers or the educational institutions take decisions about management and construction of a teaching and learning process of low quality under virtual environments. The goal of our research is to propose a learning and teaching model where virtual environments take a central place, but having in mind the individual and especial characteristics and needs of our University.

2. Myths about Online courses

For this paper we will review some of the most common myths of Online education based on the proposal of Minniti (2014) and Allen (2010):

1. Online learning is only for motivated and well-supported, techsavvy students.
2. Students don’t receive as much attention because online learning class sizes are larger.
3. Online learning is easier.
4. There is no evidence that online learning works.
5. Online courses are qualitatively inferior compared to traditional courses.
6. Teaching an On line course is easier than traditional teaching: and professors who chose to teach online are doing it because it is easier.
7. Since online classes are so flexible, it is okay if a student misses an entire week or two of class -- the assignments will still be there and available when the student returns.
8. In an Online class, there is no teacher or the teacher doesn’t really interact with the students.
9. Teachers must change their style of teaching.
10. You can commit fraud when you apply an exam, nobody checks who does the course.
11. Online courses are the solution to provide a greater number of places to the growing demand of students seeking admission in Language courses.
12. The use of ICT is a fad that will soon be forgotten.
13. In this digital time everything is immediacy.
14. In an Online class, there is no teacher or the teacher doesn’t really interact with the students.

3. Methodology

The research is based on the corpus obtained through the application of a questionnaire in the quarters 16–I (winter) and 16–P (spring). The interpretation of the results were done from the concept of “Hermeneutics” of Gadamer (1975) who argues that hermeneutics is not merely a method of determining the truth, but that it is an activity which intends to understand the conditions which make truth possible. Truth is not something which may be circumscribed by a particular technique or procedure of enquiry, but it is something which may transcend the limits of methodological interpretation.

Data Collection instrument

The instrument is a questionnaire with 12 items. Most of it was structured because the respondent’s choices are limited to a set of options provided. (Questions 1-11) Only one question is unstructured because it calls for a free response in the respondent’s own words. (Question 12) The questions were designed to elicit the reality about some of the myths using the students experience on courses online. In chart 1 we can observe the content and kind of item of the instrument used to collect data.

Chart 1

Multiple Choice

Subjects of the study

50 students participated in the study. They were students of the two first online basic courses of English. The average age of them were from 20 to 29 years old, and with an average age of 24.5 years old. 64% of the participants were women, and 36% were men. The majors of the subjects were:

Chart 2

Results

In the following part we describe the data obtained through the instrument designed to collect it. In relation to question 1, 50% of the students registered in an online course of English because it was easier for them. 36% considered they didn’t have a better option. Only a few (14%) have curiosity to experience this kind of learning.

Chart 3

About question 2, many of the respondents answered that a course online requires the same amount of time and effort than a traditional course. On the other hand, 36% of respondents thought they need less time of studying. Just a few believed that courses online are more difficult because you need to spend more time and effort on them.

Chart 4

Regarding to question 3, for the majority of the students, the most difficult aspect when they work on line is to establish a schedule to work, and some (38%) also considered a hard aspect not to have an immediate feedback.

Chart 5

With reference to question 4, several (34%) students considered they easily get absent minded and a few procrastinated (14%) the activities online all the time.

Chart 6

About question 5, many of the students expressed that the most difficult aspect to follow on their online course was they had a lot of work in the subjects of their majors, the second factor was they didn’t have enough time, and just a few considered it was their inexperience in this kind of course.

Chart 7

Concerning to question 6, the majority (68%) deemed that the use of the virtual room helped them to develop autonomy. None of the respondents chose as an option that it hasn’t helped them.

Chart 8

Relating to question 7, most of the students tried to solve their doubts or problems by themselves and a very few (2%) do nothing.

Chart 9

About question 8, if the respondents didn’t receive answer or feedback from the tutor, some of them experienced anger, and a very small number (18%) felt unmotivated.

Chart 10

In relation to question 9, more than two third of the students considered as fundamental the teacher or tutor. None of them believed the opposite.

Chart 11

About question 11, more than the half of the respondents answered that the virtual room permits a better communication between tutors and students than a traditional class. Only a 10% replied that never.

Chart 12

With respect to question 11, more than two third of the students responded they would take another course of English online, and just a very little percentage (10%) would never take one again.

Chart 13

Regarding to question 12, because it was not a structured question, there are a plenty of reasons the students gave to take or not an online course in the future. The reasons to choose “yes” are abundant as you can observe on chart 14, and they break some myths about the online learning.

Chart 14

4. CONCLUSIONS

After the analysis of results, and using the concept of Hermeneutics by Gadamer, we don’t have evidence to affirm that the following myths related to the teacher are false: Teaching an online course is easier than traditional teaching: and professors who chose to teach online are doing it because it is easier; Teacher must change their style of teaching, you can commit fraud when you apply an exam, nobody checks who does the course.

However, we found that some of them are false. One false myth is that is the Online learning is only for motivated and well-supported techssavy students, 36% of the students chose this modality of learning because they didn’t have a better option (See chart 3), and in the reasons given to take again an online course of English some accepted it was difficult to manage time, to deliver homework or do the activities, but after all, they liked it. (See chart 14). Others responded that their preference was based on their problems of schedule with other subjects of their majors.

Other false myths are: Online learning is easier and, they are qualitative inferior to traditional courses. Many of the respondents (50%) considered that online courses require the same period of time and effort than a traditional course. (See chart 4). We can also support this because some students expressed on their reasons to not take an On-line course the following: they were complicated and difficult; you need to spend more time on them; a traditional course is easier. (See Chart 14)

The myths which affirm that there is no teacher or tutor are also false since 56% of the respondents considered that the virtual room permits better communication between teachers and students than a traditional class (see chart 12). It’s also important to mention that 48% of the students thought that the tutor was fundamental on their course online. Many of them also gave as a reason to register in a future course online the teacher or tutor.

Online education, as a solution to provide a greater number of places to the growing demand of students seeking admission in Language courses, is not an absolute reality since 33% of the students answered they wouldn’t like to take one in the future (See chart 13). They prefer traditional courses.

We can expect that one third of students may drop out this kind of courses. “The use of ICT is a fad that soon will be forgotten”, and “There is no evidence that online learning works” are two more false myths, at least, for the CELEX of the UAM-A. The different results and evidence of our research allow us to confirm that online learning works, but it’s not for everybody. We cannot go against new ways of learning, but we believe this modality of Education must be offered as an option not as an only and determinant solution.

REFERENCES

ALLEN, I.E., & Seaman, J. (2010). Class differences: Online Education in the United States, 2010. Babson Park, MA. Babson Survey Research Group.

COHEN, D.E. (2011) The role of individual differences in the successful transition to online teaching. Journal of Instruction Delivery Systems. 15 (3), 30-34

GADAMER, H.G. (1996) Verdad y Método. Ediciones Sígueme, S: A. Madrid. pp.87-11

MINNITI , A. 10 mitos sobre educación a distancia en Learning Review [Disponible en Internet] http://www.learningreview.com/formacion-continua-20/2631-10-mitos-sobre-la-educacion-a-distancia. Consultado el 24-10-2014.

PALLOFF, R.M., & Pratt, K. (2001) Lessons from the cyberspace classroom:the realities of online teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

* Gabriela Cortés Sánchez: Licenciatura en Derecho y Maestría en Lingüística Aplicada. Profesora-Investigadora titular “C” tiempo completo en la UAM-A. Coordinadora académica de los cursos Sabatinos de COVI en la UAM-A.

** Vida Valero Borrás: Profesora investigadora titular “C” en la UAM-A. Actual Coordinadora de la CELEX de UAM-A. Licenciada en Letras Inglesas por la UNAM y maestría en Aprendizaje Humano de la Universidad de Brunel.