The Metamorphosis of

Running head: THE METAMORPHOSIS OF

The Metamorphosis of
the Traditional Student to the Online Student
In APA Style
Laura Carpenter
National University

The Metamorphosis of

Abstract
This paper analyzes some of the changes that occur for the traditional students when they
move to an online environment. First there are some perceptions of how the traditional student
begins, therefore, what their expectations might be upon entering the virtual school environment.
Then to understand the pros and cons for online students and how the teachers or facilitators can
have a positive impact and create an environment that mirrors the positive elements of the
traditional classroom.
Traditional Classroom Students
Traditional students of many ages, kindergarten through college, come to school prepared
to sit in their favorite seat in class and be taught or entertained (Bach, 2006, p. 125). Most
teachers run the show in a traditional classroom. They must prepare all the materials, such as
the syllabus, assignments, and they must prepare the lecture and in a high school or junior
college spend a good one to two hours speaking. If the lecture allows, some students may interact
with the teacher and ask questions, or some students will think about their social plans, doodle,
text friends, or daydream. A lot of this seemingly juvenile behavior is understandable when
considering that the average students attention span is 20 minutes (Bach, 2006, p. 125).
Some traditional students have some interaction with their classmates; interactions can be
more of a social contact or some will mainly discuss class material. According to Carol
Weinstein, Nowhere else [but in schools] are large groups of individuals packed so closely
together for so many hours, yet expected to perform at peak efficiency on difficult learning tasks
and to interact harmoniously (Armstrong, 2000, p. 67). When the students are focused learners

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they must navigate through the web of competing learners in the classroom that may have
different interpersonal skills, or visual learning needs that might impede their learning process. If
the teachers are savvy they might design their classroom environment to fit the needs of the
multiple intelligences (MI) (Armstrong, 2000, p. 2), such as logical-mathematical students who
function better processing logical patterns and spatial students who are responsive to visual
stimuli, such as art. If multiple intelligences are an issue and the teacher does not manage them,
the students must somehow survive.
While the traditional students have many advantages in acquiring their degrees with a
traditional approach, what would happen if some of them went through a metamorphosis into
online students?
Metamorphosis of the Traditional Student
First and foremost, the online students (as well as parents) must educate themselves on how
to choose a virtual school. How will they know they are receiving a quality and valid education?
Aside from looking for accreditation, there are other guidelines when choosing an e-school.
According to Bach (2006, p. 64) the e term has less to do with electronics and more to do with
the following:

Engagement of the learner

Enhancement of the learning

Experience of exploration

Ease of use

Empowerment of the learner to control the learning schedule

Execution of the learning programme

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Where it was once easy for the traditional students to choose a school based primarily on
location and reputation, now the online students have such a large market to choose from and
must become experts at weeding out less virtuous e-schools which may be for profit only.
One of the concerns in the new online environment is whether the entering students are
suitably ready (Maor, 2007). Technical skills are a prerequisite to an online class, specific
technology depending on the nature of the course. It is probable that some technological
challenges will present themselves and that mere fact can be disruptive and discouraging to the
learning process. Being very different from traditional learning through face-to-face
communication, misunderstanding and miscommunication are more likely to happen and are also
less detectable in an online environment (Figueiredo, 2005, p. 99). In order to prepare students
for these eventualities the online school can provide training based on the students competencies
(Maor, 2007), which can advise them on areas such as proper ways to submit documents online.
Students must have the ability to be self-directed learners due to the online class
dynamics. The student cannot sit and relax their mind, because a majority of the time, the teacher
will not be doing the lecturing. Online teachers take the role of the facilitator of learning
(Hollerbach, 2004, p. ). The student must read the lecture via PowerPoint or a video, and just as
in the traditional class read the required textbook. The teacher in essence is an artist who
illustrates the meaning of the class with the syllabus, PowerPoint lecture, class discussions,
reference material, and assignments. The students must stand back, look at the picture, and
determine what key messages to look for. The traditional student must do this to some degree,
but even more responsibility weighs on the online student to be insightful.
Testing in the Internet schools may seem questionable as to what is actually being tested
in the students minds when they are able to test with the textbook wide open. There are many

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alternatives to the standard multiple-choice test, such as essay exams or there is the self-test tool
found in WebCT (Howell, 2003, p. 3), which is an online learning system. This empowers
students by creating their own tests where they can test themselves and it seems to create a type
of self-competition, and possibly less desire to cheat. In some online schools the self-test
results are not recorded resulting in more incentive to be confident and rely on ones own
memory. However, at Portland State University, Dr. Robert Sanders uses and grades the self-test
for his Spanish course to build language skills (Howell, 2003, p. 3).
Online Student Flashbacks
The former traditional students may finally establish a routine within the virtual
classroom, however, depending on the intended learning outcomes the students may have a
flashback realizing the need for that teacher-student interaction. For example, as many
corporations adopt online courses to train their employees they must investigate the abilities of
their employees learning needs to ensure they are able to benefit from virtual training.
According to a study of vocational learners (Maor, 2007), they desired a more trainer-directed
learning environment. This may indicate that employees want to be certain they are performing
job duties accurately considering they do not want to suffer consequences for making errors. If it
is not possible for the class to be facilitated by a live trainer then possibly the opportunity to have
online discussions will suffice, contingent on the trainer following up with adequate feedback.
Also, Maor (2007) suggests that arranging for employees to have some type of interaction would
be beneficial for their learning needs, which could give them an opportunity to support each
other in learning the proper job skills.
Regardless of the sophistication of the technology, online learners do not wish to do
without their human supporters (Howard, 2003, p. 56). Many learners thrive off the inspiration

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of their instructors and the former traditional student may feel they are robbed of this benefit.
According to Howard (2003, p. 56) the e-moderators, or online teachers, can provide an
environment, which offers plenty of online discussions, rich in knowledge. This is the key to the
supportive role that students are looking for in their virtual education.
The Metamorphosis of the Traditional Students with Special Needs
Students with disabilities now have the advantage of attending virtual school; especially
if finding transportation is challenging, this can be a major benefit. Many adaptations are being
developed to accommodate these students. The United States Communications Act stipulates
that the need for providers to make services compatible with specialist resources that are used
by people with a disability (Bach, 2006, p. 121). For example, students that are sight-impaired
can use text-based buttons and links (Bach, 2006, p. 120) which will be translated by software,
which is then transferred to an audible translation (Bach, 2006, p. 120). Advancements such as
this empower students with a disability to be able to have more access to educational tools and
possibly more interactions with other students, whereas in the traditional school environment
these students may feel more intimidated.
One area that remains untapped, is that of remedial students. $150 billion that has
been spent on.. remedial programs since 1965 has not resulted favorably (Maeroff, 2003, p.
218). The online class can provide them with the learning environment that they may need to
have control of and feel empowered over their challenges. Hopefully with numerous resources
available, the remedial students will soon have an opportunity to be transformed into the learners
they seek to be.

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The Former Student May Still Long for the Traditional Class
Students that are coming from the traditional class environment, although they may crave
some autonomy, may begin to realize the change in structure and perhaps miss the direction that
was given to them in traditional classrooms. An assistant professor at Michigan State University,
Anagnostopoulos, realized in traditional class discussions where the students are the only
participants in the discussion, that they still maintain eye contact with her, although she is not a
participant (Anagnostopoulos, 2005). Its amazing even when there is no right answer how the
students still want some affirmation of correctness from the teacher (Anagnostopoulos, 2005, p.
1714).
This can be remedied if the online class facilitator establishes a basic structure. Some ideals
established called the Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education (Palloff, 2001, p.
19) may provide the direction which some students feel they are missing from the traditional
class. These principals are as follows:

Encourage contact between students and faculty

Develop reciprocity and cooperation among students

Use active learning techniques

Give prompt feedback

Emphasize time-on-task

Communicate high expectations

Respect diverse talents and ways of learning

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According to Palloff (2001, p. 19) these principles establish the desired presence of the
teacher, however, the student still controls the learning process.
The Online Student Affects the Traditional Students
Due to the newness of the online environment skepticism lurks, however, many positive
online styles are beginning to emerge. According to Hollerbach (2004, p. ), the use of
collaborative learning processes in the online class has had an effect in the tradition class to
use more of participatory style of learning.
Conclusion
The metamorphosis of the traditional student into the online student can be successful
with the right tools. Becoming an online student means becoming prepared to be a self-directed
learner and to learn all the necessary technologies. Also, lifestyle should be considered. The
students with a special need now have options to increase their learning potential. The only
drawbacks for transforming to an online student is if a poor choice was made in the type of
school and the student is not provided with the right resources to excel in the virtual learning
environment. Online school should not be a replacement for traditional school, but an alternative
and one that is equally as viable.

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