Sometimes my ‘gator does weird things and offers up a nugget from the past. Like this one:
Teaching and Developing Online.: March 2006 Archives
Four Levels of Online Courses (Level One)
Online courses can be divided into four different levels, which are not determined by the LMS used. They are determined by the developer’s approach. Recognition of the approach will make it easier to determine the methodology of the study.
In this class, we’re as close to a Level 4 as you’re likely to find being offered for credit through a University. One of the challenges with the Level 4 is that, if you *really* drink the kool-aid, you can’t teach a course. That’s something different.
Read it and see what you think. (Note the date!)
November 6th, 2007 at 8:21 am
I read it and I agree, this course is close to level 4. I think face to face classes could follow the same progression (which was sort of stated in the post) Many times, we prefer the level one type class because it is so predictable. If the answer is right there in the text, there’s a certain comfort to that. And, as the post stated, there is a certain amount of success with that and students do learn, but I think the learning is more just facts and what other people think. More learning, I think, takes place the more a student has to think for himself, but that is difficult to achieve which is probably why the level 4 courses are fewer.
November 9th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
[...] phaedrus » Blog Archive » Four Levels of Online Courses phaedrus » Blog Archive » Four Levels of Online Courses I have to agree with Joe that this class is either a level four or very close. Although, as far as the level one classes, I think very little learning takes place students just go through the steps. They may memorize a few things but I think the success for real learning is not present. Same goes for the level two. I do feel that learnign would take place in level three and four, mainly because they are not relying on present answers but searching and finding them. I do feel grading and teaching would be more difficult. [...]
November 10th, 2007 at 11:31 pm
Wouldn’t you love to go into a public classroom and just ask the kids what they want to learn? I think it would be awesome to ask that question, I think it would be equally awesome if they actually answered in an appropriate way that exemplified an eagerness to learn. I know….I know……I’m dreaming.
November 11th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
[...] I appreciate the description of online courses provided in phaedrus’ Four Levels of Online Courses. This seems like a decent guide for evaluating courses. I agree with Barb, Cole’s Mom, Lee, Joe, and lpowell’s opinions on EDUC 685. If it’s not a solid 4, it is definitely more than a 3. [...]