Lost in translation? Can a taught Masters course be equally successful online? A personal experience

I developed and taught a successful face-to-face (f2f) Masters course for three years, before being asked to transform it into an online course. Initially I struggled pedagogically with going online without losing key course elements of value to me and students (as indicated in course evaluations). I had to work very hard to convince my colleagues I cannot simply put online what I do f2f, rather I must put time and effort into ensuring the online course delivers appropriately and nothing is lost. A literature review indicates there is a divide between those who believe new and often different skills are needed to deliver an online course successfully versus those who argue f2f practices can be transferred (Twomey, 2004). There is also debate as to whether the delivery of an online course requires more effort than a f2f course.