A-T model

At a first glance, I was fairly impressed with the novelty and creativity of this method. This approach is obviously one that is meant for college level courses. It would be impractical to have an elementary school full of students who wandered about all day with no structure, with hopes that they may pace themselves. On the surface, this approach is very similar to the online courses we have now. However, there are some benefits this approach has over online courses. One benefit is that the students do, from time to time, meet face to face with an instructor or TA. This allows for questions/answers and immediate feedback (perhaps even tutoring or reinforcement) that one cannot often achieve online. The second benefit is the use of manipulatives and hands-on experimentation. Although multi-media can mimic such activities, I am a firm believer in that there is nothing that comes close to a hands-on experience.


 Though it seems to me that this approach could only work at the college level and cannot be easily molded to fit the typical classroom experience. Another draw back is the time for preparation and the cost of materials. It's impractical to use this method today because it is much cheaper to develop an online course. But I do think that, for it's time, it was an approach that was both effective and creative.

If I were to find myself teaching an online course at some point, I am certain that I would modify or borrow certain aspects of this method to enhance the learning experience of my own students. It goes without saying that most students who take online courses do so in order to avoid a rigid schedule of meeting times or coming to campus altogether. However, its reasonable to think that I could convince the students to make one or two trips on a scheduled date (if possible) for a face-face meeting and some sort of hands on activity here and there. Though this model is not one I could likely use in the future, it is great food for thought and something I could use to build upon or develop more ideas for my bank of instructional methods.

Week 1 Reflection

Though some would disagree with me, I believe that an asynchronous model is a great model (given the right circumstances). As an educator, and I think most other teachers will agree, there are few methods that can compete with learning in a classroom setting. Nothing can compensate for interaction with an instructor who can answer questions and give prompt, and hopefully useful, feedback. I do think that online and distant education courses are very effective, they are not for everyone. I think it takes a certain kind of student (one who can pace his/her self and has the drive to lean on their own) to succeed in this type of course. Whereas, in the classroom setting, the instructor is there to motivate the student and offer additional help if needed.

However, I do feel that asynchronous learning is a great model for those who cannot become a full-time student. The asynchronous learning model allows busy students to learn at their own pace so that the class does not become a hassle of inconvenience. Given that all learners do learn at a different pace, learning at one's own pace allows them to devote ample time and attention to subject matter and assignments in order to truly absorb a given unit before having to move on to the next one. To reiterate; I think this is a good method, under certain circumstances, but it should not be a complete replacement for the semester calender that university systems currently use.