All of this means that students, from working professionals to recent high school graduates, find many reasons to take all or some of their courses online.
Reasons students take online classes
You may want to take an online class during the semester to lighten your actual physical class load. You’ll still have to do the work but you’ll do it at your convenience. Web based classes will be structured and assignments and exams will have deadlines, you may be expected to join a group chat during certain times, but generally you’ll be able to schedule most of the work around your life and not your professor’s hours.
The second cause is that you don’t have to leave your home. You can just wake up get out of bed and go in your living room and work at your own pace. It does not have to interfere with your everyday work schedule and if you have kids you can take care of them and do school work at the same time. Taking web classes during the winter and summer sessions are a smart way to earn extra credit and give you a competitive edge. If your college isn’t offering the class you need, every major college offers online classes so look elsewhere. You may want take an online course at your local community college or state university. Or you can look to a traditional online based college all of their courses are internet based.
Another option is taking a course at an uppertier college. You can take courses at an Ivy League or top college without applying as a traditional degree seeking student. Although taking this route may cost you more it presents a great opportunity, especially if you didn’t get into your college of choice. In fact, taking online courses can sometimes be a way to transfer into that college. If you’ve already earned a certain amount of credits check with your college of choice, your college G.P.A. is high and you’ve earned credits at that particular school; this may be the secret code and certainly nontraditional way to transition in and become a student.
The third reason students in online classes tend to communicate more thoughtfully. Most commonly cited reason why students take online classes involves the intimidation factor, or the fear many people feel when talking in front of a large group of strangers. Since interaction with online school instructors and classmates is accomplished by using message boards, chat rooms or teleconferencing technologies like Skype, students often find that they are more eager to contribute to classroom discussions without feeling inhibited by knowing there are over 100 pairs of eyes staring at you and 100 pairs of ears listening for you to make a mistake or say something obtuse. Some students find it difficult to speak in class.
Posting to an online discussion forum allows students to take their time and formulate their thoughts in ways that the face to face classroom environment may not allow. The disadvantage is the lack of structure and discipline in an online environment compared to having to face the professor so unmotivated students may be more likely to drop out. As long as you know you can be the driving force behind your momentum in college and not rely on the professors to make you show up in class and take active interest, then you can succeed in an online atmosphere. A student who does not have Internet skills cannot expect to do well with an online course.
The result of taking online classes is that students who take them become more proficient and comfortable with using computers. Students can learn to connect with one another online and with information in meaningful and useful ways. With that said more and more students are taking online classes because it’s the best way to save money work at your own pace and not have to be stressed about going to class.
The Benefits of Online Learning for Students and Teachers
Technology has had a profound effect on almost all facets of our lives, and education is no different. Over the last few years, online courses have expanded speedily thanks to its many benefits for both the students and instructors.
Online learning gives students access to education regardless of where they are compared to traditional learning. Furthermore, online learning offers the promise of providing the optimal course pacing to fit every student’s needs. While this form of education is beneficial to students and instructors, it has a few pitfalls and so it is not right for everyone. We have listed some of the benefits of online learning for students and teacher
Convenience
One of the benefits of learning online you will hear is convenience. Rather than having to be in the same room with the teacher, learning can be done at home and if the student possesses a portable device like a tablet or a laptop, then learning can take place almost anywhere. This will save time on committing, which can be spent on other productive activities. Furthermore, online learning is convenient as it can allow student to only focus on one thing – learning. Some online courses allow students to choose the material they wish to work on, while hopping those that they are familiar with.
Flexible
Online learning holds appeal for those trying to strike a balance between family, work and education. With online learning, they don’t have to worry about being in class, which is ideal for students, especially those whose work or family responsibilities limits their opportunities to further their education. For them, flexibility is an important factor, which is why this form of learning is their best option. Online learning offers students a chance to study whenever they deem fit—whether it is at 3 A.M when the kids are asleep, in the evening after work, or after dinner.
Affordable
Another benefit of online learning is cost. Online learning programs are more affordable than their traditional counterparts. No more fuel guzzling trips to and from college, childcare expenses or even convenience meals. Learning takes place in the comfort of your home without the financial hardships associated with attending college every day. You don't have to commute to school and students can have discussions without having to be in the same room. A computer and internet access is a pretty small price to pay compared with the reasons stated above.
Allows students to learn at their own pace
Students’ concentration levels vary widely, meaning some students are fast learners while others are not. These variations in speed can affect slow learners' motivation if the teacher does not take a leading role to help the student. Dealing with a slow learner calls for special efforts from an educator. Otherwise the student will fall behind in school. With online learning, students learn at their own speed, within the learning schedule set by their educator.
Fun and easy
The one thing teachers need more today is a flexible way to teach their students. With online learning, teachers can seamlessly achieve this. For instance, this form of learning allows educators to invite guests into their classes to help demonstrate key points. This, however, can only be archived through the use of the right platform. There are countless
online learning platforms today on the market but not all live up to their promise. Whatever your choice, make sure that it comes with features that meet your needs and the needs of your students.
Enhance interaction
Online learning gives students a chance to interact with their instructors compared to students in the classroom. This offers shy or introvert students a chance to participate in discussions with ease than in class sessions. Some shy students have reported that online courses are simpler to focus on as they’re not abstracted anyone. Online learning is also beneficial to teachers as it allows them to know more about each student or his or her learning patterns than they would in their classes.
There you have it, key benefits of online learning for teachers and students. While online learning offers a myriad of benefits, it has its drawbacks. In their current design, they are difficult, particularly for students who are ill prepared. These students’ learning outcomes are poor when they take online classes than they would in a classroom. But as you can see, the advantages of online learning far outweigh the disadvantages of online learning.
Disadvantages of online learning
Lack of accreditation and low quality
Before you enroll in any online course, check that the program is accredited and verify this information with the accrediting agency. Legitimate schools, from established universities to newer online colleges, are proud of their status with accrediting agencies, and agencies are happy to accredit good schools. Therefore, this information is readily available online for you to check.
If you earn a degree from a school with no accreditation, you can find yourself with a worthless degree that will leave you in debt and no better prepared for the workforce. Verifying an online program’s accreditation is a small step that can save you time, money and heartache in the long run.
Little or no face-to-face interaction
While this may seem obvious, students have a tendency to underestimate the impact of never meeting the instructor and other students in the class. Mark Edmundson, an English professor at the University of Virginia, argued in a Time opinion piece that online education creates a “monologue and not a real dialogue” in the learning environment. Building relationships with your instructor and classmates will require more effort in an online environment.
More work
Online courses typically require a greater amount of reading and assignments than traditional classes. Programs in general are improving the quality of their online courses, and this means that students will have to do more to prove that they’ve mastered the material. Expect to spend at least 10 hours per week on each online course. However, it is not uncommon for a single course to require 15 or 20 hours per week .
Intense requirement for self-discipline
Online courses usually have deadlines for assignments, tests, commenting on lectures, etc. That’s not the problem. The problem is the time management and organization skills necessary to stay on top of your work, allot an appropriate amount of time to complete each task and balance your coursework against other priorities in your life. If you tend toward procrastination, then you might need to strengthen your skill set before choosing an online course or program.
Even more intense requirement for self-direction
Traditional college programs typically offer or even require that students meet with advisors to help them plan their path in college. If you only need a course or two, this is not an issue. However, if you are pursuing an entire degree online, you will need to be proactive in finding the information you need to ensure that you are taking the right classes for your degree plan. Straying from this path could constitute failure to make academic progress, and you may have trouble securing financial aid.
Despite the potential pitfalls, the vast majority of people are satisfied with their online education and happy that they chose it over traditional classroom education. If you know the positives and negatives, you can make an informed decision whether online learning is right for you.
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