Comparison of Class-Room-Based to Web-Based Instruction

Updated 11/6/03


 
Instructional Context or Activity 
Class-Room Based 
Web-Based
Student Engagement in Course 
Presence in Class (seat-time)
Access to text and other items on site (hits/duration of linkage)
Student Participation 
Level of Attention; Questions and Comments (instructor observation of level of attention and frequency/quality of comments and questions) 
Responses to instructor initiated questions or discussion items (number, length and quality of 
text-based responses)
Accessibility to Learning Activity 
Restricted to specific times each week andcalendar periods for terms of varying lengths 
24/7 access for terms of varying lengths 
Instructor/Student Interaction 
Restricted to class meetings and instructor office hours 
24/7 access although “real” time response may be restricted to certain periods 
Nature of Communications
Restricted to instructor presentations in “real” time and to text-based tests and papers 
Virtual text-based interchanges 24/7, including ability to review and modify and to build on previous iterations 
Learning Environment 
Face-to-face dynamics impede some from participating, allowing others to dominate; group-think likely
Virtual environment allows full opportunity for each individual to express views without duress 
Student/Instructor Knowledge/Awareness of Other 
Limited by need for instructor conveyance of information to group and by class and office time and nature of classroom activity
Richer by virtue of one-to-one nature of student interaction with instructor 
Student/Student Interaction
Normally unstructured and not required; limited by lack of access outside of class
Usually required and enabled easily by virtual linkages among students 
Access to text-based Learning Resources 
Limited to suggestions by instructor orally or in course materials and by time limitations on access to library 
Encouraged by 24/7 virtual (“click on this”) access to webliographical or web-based materials 
Access to Multi Media 
Limited by equipment available for loan or installed in classroom 
Potentially rich but limited by “connectivity”capacity of university and student user 
Ability to “Read” Body Language and other “non-verbal” Cues 
Limited only by number of individuals
Requires ability to discern
nuances in use of language