Are
online classes the wave of the
future? Although this seems relatively new to some, many colleges and
universities
have been offering online courses for well over 5 years now. The
software that
these teachers and professors are using to offer these online classes
is
getting better and is as varied as kinds of apples. The courses they
offer are
just as varied. High schools, too, are getting in on the act. But can
this be as
good an education as being in a classroom?
Many
colleges, universities,
teachers and students agree that it can be an even better learning
experience -
provided you have the right teacher. Just as in any classroom, having
the right
teacher can make all of the difference. Because this is a new field to
many of
the teachers, and only a basic, simplistic class is given to each
teacher on
how to use the particular classroom software, some classes can be very
chaotic
and unorganized. This leaves the student with a sense of loss and an
inability
to get much out of a class.
Having
an experienced teacher like
Dr. Robert Bomber, who teaches
courses in Western Civilization at Pikes Peak
Community College, makes
the experience not only pleasurable, but allows the students to learn
more than
they would in a traditional classroom. Teacher participation is really
the key
to a good class.
Online
classes are set up much the
way regular classes are structured. Unlike the myth that most people
have, believing
that online classes are self-paced, most are not. They have a very
similar, if
not identical, syllabus as those used for attending classes. Accredited
online
classes are expected to meet the same state, college and university
standards
and guidelines as any other accredited class.How they go about doing this is a little bit different.
In
most classes you are expected to
spend a certain number of hours physically in the classroom for each
unit. In
order to accomplish this, Internet classes have an online message area,
organized
much like the way the old bulletin board systems worked. You are
required to
participate in the current discussions, usually about the assigned
reading, on
a regular basis. How much you contribute and respond determines your
class
participation grade, just as if you were sitting in a classroom. This
is where
having a good teacher can make or break the class.
Having
well thought out questions
helps guide the students in making intelligent responses. It is also
important
to have a teacher who responds back to you. Your classmates also make a
difference in how exciting the class is, and how much you get out of
it, just
as it would in a regular classroom environment. The number of students
in the
class, their participation, and how often the teacher and other
students
respond, enhances the experience. You are not limited to the 1 to 5
hours a
week that you would spend in a classroom. You can find yourself online
more
hours, and learning a lot more than you would normally.
It
is a 24/7 situation. With the
right teachers, if they participate on a regular basis, this can be a
benefit.
You can participate at any time you have available in your schedule,
whether that
is before or after work, two in the morning, or after the kids have
gone to school
or to bed at night. Quizzes, whether weekly or quarterly, can be taken
when you
have time, so long as it fits into the time frame allotted. Most
teachers give
you from several days to a week to fit them into your schedule. Unlike
some
regular classes, you know in advance what work is expected, and when it
is due.
You can schedule reports, exams, and all required work accordingly.
This does
require a real commitment of time; like anything else, what you put
into it is
what you get out of it.
Online
classes can have no limit to
the number of students in each class. The number really depends on how
much
work each teacher wants to expend. In some cases, having larger numbers
of
students is even a benefit; it gives you more feedback and a better
chance to
learn differing opinions, or even things the teacher might not have
known. Internet
classes cost more than campus classes, ranging from $10 to $100 per
unit depending
on the class. This cost can be made up in traveling expenses, daycare
costs,
lost income, even the cost of having to eat out as opposed to eating at
home.
You
never again need to live near a
college to be able to attend. This is ideal for both students and
teachers.Those
living in remote countrysides
or mountains can now get a quality education, in many cases from some
of the
best teachers who may even live in another state. Many military
personnel,
based in places like Japan
or England,
are getting their degrees from universities here in the states. This
also means
that if I want to attend the University of New York
because it
has the best journalism department, I can do so without having to leave
my
little “backwater” town, population 5000.Your only
requirements are having a
computer and a high-speed connection.
Many
colleges and universities have
scholarships and grants to be able to allow the underprivileged to
attend. Pell
grants allow you to do so as long as you are registered to a home
college and
meet requirements. Whether you are stuck at home, bed bound, or working
two
jobs, this will allow anyone of any race, economic status, location, or
disability to receive the education they desire from some of the finest
educators.
This may be the new education revolution.
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