Thanks to COVID-19 we have all experienced remote teaching and learning. But is remote and online teaching the same?
Remote teaching is the replacement of face-to-face classroom instruction when meeting on campus is not possible. This could be a scheduled absence while attending a conference or an emergency like inclement weather or the coronavirus. Teaching remotely provides flexibility for students and faculty. It can be done synchronously using tools like Zoom or asynchronous using more traditional online formats.
Online courses have been purposefully designed for online teaching. Instruction and student engagement activities are designed using best practices and standards like Quality Matters. Online teaching is a research-based pedagogy that guides and supports student learning in the online environment.
Remote Teaching = transitioning the delivery of a face-to-face class to online.
Online Teaching = intentional design for online delivery using online learning design standards.
Both remote and online teaching can be effective, but it is important to remember that online courses are the product of much planning and development time and that transitioning to remote delivery is often done last-minute as a response to something out of our control (e.g., delayed flight, snow day, or COVID-19).
Nilson and Goodson (2021) identify some of the challenges in remote teaching as:
- “Zoom Fatigue” and low student engagement,
- Lack of community,
- Technology and Wi-Fi limitations,
- Limited experience with online pedagogy,
- Inadequate training and support (pp. 213-214).
The distinction between remote and online teaching should be considered as each have benefits and challenges. There is a learning curve for both as well as moving from teaching remotely to teaching a fully online course.
Contact the FCTL for assistance with remote teaching and designing and teaching fully online courses.
References:
Hodges, C., Moore, S., Lockee, B., Trust, T., and Bond, A. (2020). The difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning. Educause. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online-learning
Manfuso, L. G. (2020). From emergency remote teaching to rigorous online learning. Ed Tech. https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2020/05/emergency-remote-teaching-rigorous-online-learning-perfcon
Nilson, L. B. and Goodson, L. A. (2021). Online teaching at its best: Merging instructional design with teaching and learning research (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.