Yang Lan Yang Kristen Foster CO150.

400 23 October 2013 Online Teaching of Higher Education in United States

An Annotated Bibliography

In the history of mankind, possibly no century witnessed more progress in technology than the 21st century did. Not surprisingly, the way people live their lives has been revolutionized by the recent development of technology. Online learning is becoming more predominant and heavily debated in the field of education, as it expands out of the traditional classroom and towards anyone with access to the internet around the world.When considering whether to take online classes in the future, I decide to study the issue of online teaching of higher education in U.S. The following questions were brought forth during my research: what are benefits and detriments of online courses? What do different stakeholders think about online courses? This research was conducted between October 5th and October 20th. It includes four sources, two of which are academic articles published in peer-reviewed journals, while the other two are articles from newspapers. Brooks, Margaret. "The Excellent Inevitability of Online Courses." Chronicle of Higher Education 55.38 (2009): A64. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. This periodical article was written for educators who are concerned about distance teaching. The author attempts to promote online teaching by presenting eight reasons why colleges should proudly -- and without apology -- offer online courses(Brooks A64). The author argues that online courses not only enrich students' learning

Yang experiences, but also are the intellectual equivalent of traditional courses (Brooks A64). She also claims that online classes will benefit both parents and students using her own teaching experience as her main source of evidence.

I consider this source as credible, because Brooks, first of all, has a professional background. According to this source, Margaret Brooks is a professor of economics and chair of the economics department at Bridgewater State College, and president of the Massachusetts Council on Economic Education (Brooks A64), this appeals to the audiences ethos successfully. The statistic and report she cited also contributes to the credibility of this article. However, the evidence she provided relies on her own experiences, which make the article less convincing.

The source helps me answer my research question by providing views and interests of different stakeholder groups, which includes teachers, administrators of university, parents and students. Friedman, Thomas L. "Revolution Hits the Universities." New York Times. New York Times, 27 Jan. 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. In this op-ed essay written for those who are concerned about higher education, the author intends to encourage people to participate in online teaching process, because it is a revolution for global education. Friedman illuminates the benefits by presenting response from both students and teachers who have experiences about online classes. The evidence used in this article is mainly relying on statistics and survey feedback. He states that online teaching can improve U.S international aid, provide educational opportunities

Yang for students who are suffering from mental disabilities such as autism, and increase interactions with students from different cultures. Overall, Friedman believes that online classes will change teaching, learning and the pathway to employment (Friedman).

This source is credible since it was recently published on January 27, 2013; it contains current information that makes it very persuasive. Furthermore, the evidence of this essay relies on statistics and feedback from interviews and research, thus making the source more reliable to readers. One limitation of this essay is that the author does not present any negative feedbacks of online courses which may make him appear to be unfair in the readers eyes, which undermining his ethical appeal to the audience.

This resource gave me some special perspective about advantages of online courses such as international aid. It also illustrates opinions about online course of both students and teachers, which will help me in reaching my intended audience for my academic argument essay. It also clarifies perspectives of two stakeholder groups: teachers and students. Khodamoradi, Sharareh, and Mohammad Abedi. Online Classes VS Traditional Classes: Comparison between the Two Methods. World Rural Observation 4.4 (2012): 93-99. 25 Dec. 2012. Web. 10 Oct. 2013. Written for other academics and researchers who are interested in the field of distance teaching, the authors of this peer-reviewed journal article analyzes the differences between online teaching and traditional classes. The evidence relies on previous studies and other pre-established research into the area. It contains four sections: introduction of

Yang distance education, explanation of pros and cons of online classes, explanations of whom suit online classes best, comparison between online classes and traditional classes. The authors conclude, No technology can overcome poor teaching (Khodamoradi, Mohammad 95), because the key to success in online education is the teacher.

This source is relatively more credible because it is published in a peer-reviewed journal, which indicates the information included is reliable. Additionally, it analyzes from both online teaching and traditional teaching, displaying a fair mind that appeals to the audiences ethos. Nevertheless, failing to use some scientific surveys and statistics to support some of their views might show less credibility in this article.

This source helps answer my research question by presenting both advantages and disadvantages of online courses. Additionally, the optimal characteristics for students wanting to take online classes are stated. This source is particularly aimed towards the stakeholder group of students. Nielsen, Sarah M. Half Bricks and Half Clicks: Is Blended Onsite and Online Teaching and Learning the Best of Both Worlds? The Seventh Annual College of Education Research Conference (2008): 105-110. The Cornerstones of the College of Education: Honoring Inquiry, Promoting Mentoring, and Fostering Scholarship, 26 Apr. 2008. Web. 10 Oct. 2013. The intended audience of this peer-reviewed journal is those who are concerned about higher education. The author attempts to show that online learning is equal to or better than traditional learning in different aspects. She investigates the effectiveness of online

Yang class compare to on-campus teaching with statistical data as evidence. Moreover, with retention and achievement, interaction and satisfaction (Nielsen105), online learning will be more effective.

One of the factors that contribute to the credibility of this source is that it was published in January of 2013, which makes it quite recent and contains current information. Additionally, the emphasized use of statistics is a very convincing logic appeal to the audience. However, this heavy reliance on logos opens up the lack of pathos preventing the readers from better familiarizing themselves with the subject thus alienating the audience.

This resource explains how online learning will be more effective than traditional learning, and gives me some significant views about detriments of online courses when conducting them. It also clarifies perspectives of one stakeholder group: teachers.

Work Cited

Yang Brooks, Margaret. "The Excellent Inevitability of Online Courses." Chronicle of Higher Education 55.38 (2009): A64. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. Friedman, Thomas L. "Revolution Hits the Universities." New York Times. New York Times, 27 Jan. 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. Khodamoradi, Sharareh, and Mohammad Abedi. Online Classes VS Traditional Classes: Comparison between the Two Methods. World Rural Observation 4.4 (2012): 93-99. 25 Dec. 2012. Web. 10 Oct. 2013. Nielsen, Sarah M. Half Bricks and Half Clicks: Is Blended Onsite and Online Teaching and Learning the Best of Both Worlds? The Seventh Annual College of Education Research Conference (2008): 105-110. The Cornerstones of the College of Education: Honoring Inquiry, Promoting Mentoring, and Fostering Scholarship, 26 Apr. 2008. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.