Critique Essays
Introduction
Paul Levinson once said, “Online learning can be a lifeline to those who have obstacles, such as geographical distances or physical disabilities.” Chapter 8 of the book titled, Brave New Classrooms: Democratic Education & the Internet by Kate Keifer. Kate brings up a question: Do Students Lose More than They Gain in Online Writing Classes? The author talks of various challenges facing students taking online writing classes. The author’s arguments talks of the manner in which students are likely to lose from the various circumstances associated with online learning or writing classes. She indicates that as much as there are other important aspects of online learning, it has numerous challenges. Kiefer explains how ineffective online writing classes are, despite her beliefs online education tailors to the needs and interests of its students, making it effective way of learning. This paper seeks to summarize and critique the arguments of Keifer in the eighth chapter of the book, Brave New Classrooms: Democratic Education & the Internet. In the book, Brave New Classrooms: Democratic Education & the Internet; chapter eight Kate Keifer puts forth the question, Do students lose more than they gain in online writing classes? …show more content…
This is a complex question that the author seeks answers for and understands the complexity of the question. In chapter eight, the author presents the persistent and common argument that many of the people against and those supporting the traditional writing classes (Lockard, 2007). The traditional writing classes require student-student and student-teacher interaction and those that supportive of online writing teaching demand for certain issues to be addressed. According to Keifer, “In most instances, teaching usually takes place in small classes because of numerous factors associated with workload and classroom management. Some of the issues that the author discuses in this chapter are hypothetical factors and instructive factors since the author believe these are the issues determining students’ success or failure. The author indicates that such factors are associated to theoretical issues of language use and development. The author sets her attention on three deficit students’ time constraints, classroom support software, and market models of education. The author also focuses on contemporary, textual writing and learning theories that affect the learning process during online writing classes. According to the author of chapter 8, the above chapters are the foundation of why teachers who teach writing usually insist that the best learning has to happen in small groups of roughly between 15 and 25 students (Lockard, 2007). She believes that online classes barely benefits students since interaction is only through texts. This calls for students’ willingness to undertake on various issues to ensure that they achieve so much from …show more content…
From my past experience with online classes I’ve always been encouraged to have interactions with classmates. Every online class I have taken required me to interact with a classmate to earn a class participation grade. Although, it is interaction via internet, it still opens the doors to interact and get to know some classmates. Most students in a traditional classroom setting don’t socialize with their classmate until told to. She writes, “Students have no way of knowing how many other students are even enrolled in the same course”. Does this mean that all students in a traditional classroom setting know how many students are in their
Introduction
Paul Levinson once said, “Online learning can be a lifeline to those who have obstacles, such as geographical distances or physical disabilities.” Chapter 8 of the book titled, Brave New Classrooms: Democratic Education & the Internet by Kate Keifer. Kate brings up a question: Do Students Lose More than They Gain in Online Writing Classes? The author talks of various challenges facing students taking online writing classes. The author’s arguments talks of the manner in which students are likely to lose from the various circumstances associated with online learning or writing classes. She indicates that as much as there are other important aspects of online learning, it has numerous challenges. Kiefer explains how ineffective online writing classes are, despite her beliefs online education tailors to the needs and interests of its students, making it effective way of learning. This paper seeks to summarize and critique the arguments of Keifer in the eighth chapter of the book, Brave New Classrooms: Democratic Education & the Internet. In the book, Brave New Classrooms: Democratic Education & the Internet; chapter eight Kate Keifer puts forth the question, Do students lose more than they gain in online writing classes? …show more content…
This is a complex question that the author seeks answers for and understands the complexity of the question. In chapter eight, the author presents the persistent and common argument that many of the people against and those supporting the traditional writing classes (Lockard, 2007). The traditional writing classes require student-student and student-teacher interaction and those that supportive of online writing teaching demand for certain issues to be addressed. According to Keifer, “In most instances, teaching usually takes place in small classes because of numerous factors associated with workload and classroom management. Some of the issues that the author discuses in this chapter are hypothetical factors and instructive factors since the author believe these are the issues determining students’ success or failure. The author indicates that such factors are associated to theoretical issues of language use and development. The author sets her attention on three deficit students’ time constraints, classroom support software, and market models of education. The author also focuses on contemporary, textual writing and learning theories that affect the learning process during online writing classes. According to the author of chapter 8, the above chapters are the foundation of why teachers who teach writing usually insist that the best learning has to happen in small groups of roughly between 15 and 25 students (Lockard, 2007). She believes that online classes barely benefits students since interaction is only through texts. This calls for students’ willingness to undertake on various issues to ensure that they achieve so much from …show more content…
From my past experience with online classes I’ve always been encouraged to have interactions with classmates. Every online class I have taken required me to interact with a classmate to earn a class participation grade. Although, it is interaction via internet, it still opens the doors to interact and get to know some classmates. Most students in a traditional classroom setting don’t socialize with their classmate until told to. She writes, “Students have no way of knowing how many other students are even enrolled in the same course”. Does this mean that all students in a traditional classroom setting know how many students are in their