Because of increased technology access and convenience, as well as potentially lower costs, distance education and internet courses are becoming more commonplace in higher education. As the popularity of these remote modes of instruction increases, it is important to carefully consider to what extent pre-service teachers can be adequately prepared for their role as educators via the internet compared with pre-service teachers that complete their degrees traditionally. An examination of the science education literature demonstrates serious research gaps regarding the long-term preparation of educators through online courses. The purpose of this paper was to provide a critical perspective on the teaching of undergraduate science methods courses online from the viewpoint of the students' opinions provided through course evaluations. Areas of interest included the dichotomy theory vs. practice, the role of field experiences, students' perceived satisfaction with online courses, inquiry, and the difficulties of valid assessment.
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Journal of the Kentucky Academy of Science
Vol. 70 • No. 1
Spring 2009
Vol. 70 • No. 1
Spring 2009
Distance education
online courses
science
science methods
teacher preparation