As we enter the realm of online education, I have a mixture of feelings. My teaching style is heavily skewed toward nurturing and hands-on learning, which causes me (as an instructor) to have some strong hesitation towards online teaching. I feel that it would be difficult to cultivate a relationship with your students without a face-to-face meeting time. As a student, I also have some misgivings about online classes; for me, the direct contact with a real human is an integral part of my learning.
On the flip side, I realize that online education is the only viable option for many people who are balancing full-time jobs, families and other responsibilities. My father-in-law just recently completed his bachelors degree using an online program. This was a much better fit than a traditional classroom setting because he was able to work at his own pace, on this own timeline. He finished an equivalent of three years of classes in 13 months. When he was younger, he had tried traditional college classes but it didn't match his learning style. I'm sure there are more people out there who didn't mesh with "traditional" learning but who take quickly to online education.
I'm looking forward to our time online and learning more about the capabilities of Wimba and ways to cultivate a relationship with students in an online environment.
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