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ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING

Article · March 2018

DOI: 10.23956/ijarcsse.v8i2.549

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International Journals of Advanced Research in
Computer Science and Software Engineering Research Article February
ISSN: 2277-128X (Volume-8, Issue-2) a 2018

Online Teaching and Learning

Matthew N. O. Sadiku, Philip O. Adebo, and Sarhan M. Musa
Roy G. Perry College of Engineering, Prairie View A & M University, Prairie View, TX77446, United States
Email: sadiku@ieee.org; philip.adebo@gmail.com; smmusa @pvamu.edu

Abstract: Online teaching and learning refers to education that takes place over the Internet. A significant number of
colleges in the US and abroad are moving from the traditional face-to-face classes into fully online, web-based
courses. Online education, often called distance education orweb-based education, is currently the latest, most
popular form of distance education. It has recently become an integral part of many university programs. This paper
provides a brief introduction to online teaching and learning.

Key words: online teaching, online learning, electronic/digital learning, web-based learning, distance learning, online
education,

I. INTRODUCTION
Education is the process of transferring knowledge, values, methods, skills, and beliefs from one individual to another.
Distance education originated in the United States in the 1800’s when teachers and learners at the University of Chicago
were at different locations and tried to connect through correspondence courses. In the mid-1980s, the first online college
courses were initiated by several universities and schools. The advent of the Internet was a catalyst for moving distance
online education to the next level [1]. The Internet is now playing a bigger role in our lives and dictating how we live,
socialize, teach, and learn. As the Internet is developing into a maineducational tool, online education offers the educator
and the learner access to numerous resources. During the last decade online education of various kinds, often called
distance education orweb-based education, has become a normal part of many university programs.
Online teaching and learning is designed to reach and engage the modern learner on one-to-one basis anywhere,
anytime. A popular one involves Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), which have grown involving many researchers
and research institutions [2]. The reasons for offering online course include easy and convenient access for students,
higher degree completion rates, and the appeal of such courses to nontraditional students. In a similar vein, barriers to the
adoption of online courses include lack of faculty commitment and high costs of implementation and delivery of the
courses [3].
The key to a successful implementation of online teaching and learning is taking student characteristics into
account. Strategies that work for conventional fulltimestudents may not be effective for adult learnerswith full-time jobs
and family responsibilities. These students are mostly practically-oriented with keen interest in tools and technologies [4].

II. ONLINE TEACHING

Online teaching offers exciting opportunities to expand the learning environment for diverse student populations. As the
demand for online teaching increases, college professors may be asked to consider teaching their classes’ online. Online
teaching shares much with face-to-face teaching, but it also has aunique set of skills and requirements. Both approaches
are similar in content, except in pace and delivery. Rather that developing the courses from scratch, a company has
emerged to take care of the courses. Professors just need to use Course Management System (CMS) software to prepare
and deliver their courses. Using the software allows instructors to get it right from the beginning.
For online teaching to be successful, it is recommend that the instructor should follow the following seven
principles [5]: (1)encourage student participation, (2) encourage student cooperation, (3) encourage active learning, (4)
give prompt feedback, (5) emphasize time on task, (5) communicate high expectations, (7) Respect diverse talents and
ways of learning. To these principles one may add seven more [6]: (1) address individual differences, (2) motivatethe
student, (3) avoid information overload, (4) create a real-lifecontext, (5) encourage social interaction, (6) provide hands-
onactivities, and (7) encourage student reflection

III. ONLINE LEARNING

The process of learning is complex and it involves the auditory, visual, and tactile senses. The traditional way of learning
at a campus university is not for everyone. Online learningis for those who wish to study for a degree alongside work or

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 Sadiku et al., International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering 8(2)
ISSN(E): 2277-128X, ISSN(P): 2277-6451, pp. 73-75
other commitments. Online learning has been referred to as a form of distance education and as web-based learning, e-
learning, and digital learning. It is offered over the Internet and uses web-based materials and activities.
Student sneed to be technologically savvy to use technology tools that may be required. Students of the digital
age appear to be independent, more technology disciplined, and technology savvy, well suited for online environment.
Online learning at your own pace is beneficial for a high-quality college degree.
Whether offered on campus or delivered online, each course offering must meet the same rigorous criteria and
the strict academic standards. The only difference is in the way the course is delivered. Generally, students are required
to have access to a computer system with high-speed Internet connections. They may also expect electronic academic
support services such as registration, financial aid, libraries, tutoring, and advisement.

IV. BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES

Online education provides great opportunities and great challenges. It has benefits for the students and instructors. It
offers the convenience of time and space, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility. Online learning allows student to pursue an
internationally recognized degree without the need to attend classes on campus. Online education is preferred by students
who cannot participate in traditional classroom settings. It is convenient since it allows one to study anywhere that has
an Internet access. Online courses are available 24/7.Over the past decade, the number of online courses have also grown
rapidly. Although online education may work for everyone, some less-developed countries see the online education as
cost effective. It is needless to say that online teaching and learning (in either synchronous or asynchronous manner) is
applied in all disciplines such as engineering, computer science, medicine, nursing, business, music, and social sciences.
Online teaching and learning is becoming common even in business organizations.
Issues facing an online instructor include being effective in delivering the course, responding to student emails,
getting used to the online tools and infrastructure. Critics of online teaching and learning question its value, effectiveness,
and quality. Since online teaching and learning systems have not been able to convey interactions between the instructor
and students; its educational effectiveness is lower than the traditional face-to-face lecture. Responding to student email
messages in a timely manner can be challenging since it requires significant amount of instructor’s time. It takes a lot of
time to prepare and teach anonline course. The challenge of online education largely depends on online instructors. There
is also the issue of intellectual property and ownership of materials placed on the web [7].
Issues facing online students include the requirement of self-directed learning and self-discipline which may
influence the success or failure of online learners. They may be tempted to procrastinate in working on their assignments.
The issue of quality in online learning has been raised and it is as complex as the reality of online learning itself. The
Quality Matters Program based in the US (www.qmprogram.org) has established national benchmarks for online courses
and has become internationally recognized [8].

V. CONCLUSION
Online teaching and learning is relatively new. It is exploding in recent years as an option in colleges anduniversities
both within the US and abroad. Most universities and colleges agree that online education is critical to their long-term
strategy. Online courses are best taught when they are engineered to take advantage of the learning opportunities afforded
by the online technologies. As the demand for online education by those who have jobs and require lifelong education
increases, there are more and more expectations on the implementation of on teaching and learning system.
For more information about online teaching and learning, one should consult [8-11] and the journal devoted
exclusively to distance learning: Distance Education.

REFERENCES
[1] A. Sun and X. Chen, “Online education and its effective practice: a research review,” Journal of Information
Technology Education: Research, vol. 15 2016, pp. 157-190.
[2] M. N.O. Sadiku, S.M. Musa, and S. R. Nelatury, ”Massive open online courses,” International Journal of
Engineering Research and Allied Sciences, vol. 2, no. 5, May 2017, pp. 1-3.
[3] D. U. Bollger and O. Wasilik, “Factors influencing faculty satisfaction with online teaching and learning in
higher education,” Distance Education, vol. 30, no.1, 2009, pp. 103-116.
[4] V. N. Gudivada, R. Agrawal, and C.Chu, “Online teaching and learning strategies for programming-intensive
courses,”Proceeding of the 10thInternationalConferenceon InformationTechnology:New Generations, 2013, pp.
781-782.
[5] J. Stern, “Introduction to online teaching and learning,” http://www.wlac.edu/online/documents/otl.pdf
[6] H. Zsohar and J. A. Smith, “Transition from the classroom to the web: successful strategies of teaching online,”
http://northeast.edu/CTC/Pdf/Successful-strategies-for-teaching-online.pdf

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 Sadiku et al., International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering 8(2)
ISSN(E): 2277-128X, ISSN(P): 2277-6451, pp. 73-75
[7] S. Suryanarayananand E. Kyriakides, “An online portal for collaborative learning and teaching for power
engineering education,” IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, vol. 19, no.1, February 2004, pp. 73-80
[8] N. Butcher and M. Wilson-Strydom, A Guide to Quality in Online Learning. Academic Partnerships, 2013.
[9] B. E. Crane, Online Teaching and Learning: a Practical Guide for Librarians. Lanham, MD: Rowman &
Littlefield, 2017.
[10] G. Salmon, E-moderating: The Key to Online Teaching and Learning. New York: Rouledge, 3rd edition, 2011.
[11] J. Stephenson (ed.), Teaching & Learning Online: Pedagogies for New Technologies.Kogan Page, 2001.

AUTHORS

Matthew N.O. Sadiku is a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Prairie View A&M
University, Prairie View, Texas. He is the author of several books and papers. His areas of research interest include
computational electromagnetics and computer networks. He is a fellow of IEEE.

Philip O. Adebo is an instructor at Texas Southern University. He is currently working towards a PhD in Electrical and
Computer Engineering, Prairie View A&M University with emphasis on power systems. His research interests include
power systems, renewable energy, microgrids, smart-grid systems, restructuring power system, and optimization of
power systems.

Sarhan M. Musa is a professor in the Department of Engineering Technology at Prairie View A&M University, Texas.
He has been the director of Prairie View Networking Academy, Texas, since 2004. He is an LTD Sprint and Boeing
Welliver Fellow.

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