In praise of online teaching

Comment on "Shanghai schools invest in online teaching methods" (China Daily, Feb 24)

I'm glad to see more Chinese schools and educators accept online teaching methods and online learning spread from colleges to primary and middle school. Online teaching methods could be a great breakthrough in Chinese education, because they not only provide easier access to students, but also encourage them to learn by themselves.

As technology develops, educators should catch up with new trends and adopt new means and facilities to improve their teaching skills. The article quotes some experts as saying they are worried that many primary and middle school students lack the necessary independence in learning, which is what online learning requires.

But thinking from a different perspective, online teaching methods such as Massive Open Online Courses are an excellent way to cultivate independence among students. MOOCs include abundant knowledge and information that is now limited by class or exams. MOOCs teach more than what teachers do in schools without the need for students to take exams.

Interest becomes the main driver force for students to keep learning online, and interest is the best teacher. I hope online teaching methods help students enjoy the joys of learning.

Chris via email

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(China Daily 02/27/2014 page9)