Lab+7

virtual classroom vs physical. your thoughts on e-learning.

Personally, i think going to a physical classroom is better for learning than a virtual classroom. Even though it takes me almost 2 hours to travel to UTM, it is worth it because in a physical lecture, i will better remember things the professor mentions than if i was watching them speak through a video stream. When the professor is physically in front of you, then you pay attention to what their saying with little effort, whereas if you listen to them through the computer, you have to put more effort into understanding what they are talking about. Not to mention all the distractions you face while you're online. You might feel the urge to start going on MSN or just browsing another site. Of course, you could argue that its the same in a physical classroom because people bring their laptops to class, but i think you're less likely to do it in class than at school. Another big advantage to a physical class is that you can speak and ask questions to the professor and your classmates. If you send an email to your professor or post in a class forum, it is asynchronous, and if you wish to have a conversation, then that would take several emails back and forth.

Currently, i am in a class that uses virtual learning. In this class, we use an online portal (neither Blackboard or Slate, it's a different one). This portal has a section where the professor posts videos of his lectures and their are different sections for students to post and comment to each others' responses. We have only physically met in class twice so far. I think having an online component to a course, where students post responses and comment on each others posts, is a good thing. But as for having the actually lectures online is not. In said class of mine, i have only bothered to watch two of the lecture videos, and that is only because i needed them to do the response for that week. If i don't need to see the lecture video for the response, i wouldn't bother with it. However, one could argue that this is due to a lack of discipline rather than the method the course is taught.