Obtaining a college education in hectic times like these is more than being sure you don’t stay out too late partying so you aren’t late for an 8 am lecture; many students are balancing full-time lives on top of a full-time course load. When it’s no longer a wild night out hindering one from making it to the test on time, but a 7 month old baby demanding a diaper change at 3 am, alternatives start to become appealing. While traditional learning options alone have been successful for many years, these days, online courses offer the busy student additional flexibility and control over their education, at the same time sacrificing beneficial in-person communication and demanding a certain degree of self-discipline to succeed. If there were any …show more content…
One can certainly teach themselves the required subject matter to complete assignments and pass the exam by reading text lectures and watching study clips, but they would still miss out on valuable information that cannot be gained from such impersonal teaching methods. The discussions between students and the professor are one of the richest sources of new information, especially in courses where the instructor is a veteran of their field, such as a therapist teaching a behavioral psychology …show more content…
Compared to the traditional class, virtual classes require an immense amount of personal dedication and self-discipline. While many students thrive off of the freedom that online classes offer, some struggle with the lack of direct accountability that comes naturally from regularly seeing your professor, and being obligated to hand in (or not hand in) your assignments to them in person. These students are the ones rushing to complete an assignment in the moments before it is due, completing tests with less than the allotted amount of time because they started too late, and turning in unrevised papers simply because they didn’t have time to read it
There is no doubt that Web-based courses have distinct advantages over traditional face-to-face interactions. Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek (2003) maintain that Web-based courses are available at the learners’ convenience, are usually self paced, contain current information, accommodate a variety of learning styles, maintains equity for all learners, and can even save money in transportation and travel time. Another group of researchers, (Sunal, Sunal, Odell, & Sundberg, 2003) acquired data showing student satisfaction with the ability to communicate anonymously within their course.
College can be a particularly difficult period of time in any person’s life if they fail to properly prepare for the inevitable stress that result from it. Any person entering college for the first time must constantly strive to strike a balance it their life between the demands of school and the similar demands from work, family, church, etc. Today, colleges are providing students with more flexibility through night classes and a variety of classes offered through distance learning, including online courses. College students can similarly plan for these growing expectations by properly preparing for the challenges they must face in taking courses online, handling depression and incorporating a time for relaxation.
The past two decades have seen an almost exponential rise in the availability and popularity of online college classes and degree programs. Their pervasiveness begs the question as to the difference in a credit or degree earned in an online setting versus that of the traditional classroom. These two educational delivery systems will be compared from the perspectives of flexibility, the student experience, the impact of technology, and the issue of acceptability of online classes and degree programs.
There are likely going to be struggles when it comes to online school programs. There may be technical problems that might pop up at the beginning of a course or challenges related to a professor who doesn’t have a readily available office or office hours. This may stress some students
al. (2009) states that as more formal education courses are available online, quality and non-completion remain problems. Research shows that active participation online is necessary to a student's success in the online communities. When a student actively participates in discussions, interacts with peers while also interacting with an instructor has a higher rate of success and less likely to drop out of the course. Nagel et. al. (2009) explain that dropout rates for online classes range from “ 20 to 50%, often 10-20% higher than” for equivalent face-to-face course (pg. 38). Reasons like poor connectivity, high cost, personal matters have been reasons for dropouts and low participation in online classes.
There are also many conveniences and benefits to taking an online class over a traditional, face-to-face class. Many students benefit logistically, financially, and from the course structure itself. Online classes provide the student with more opportunities to be successful in their coursework. Online courses can be completed based on the student's own schedule, provide for faster and less nervous interactions with instructors, and in many cases, are more educationally beneficial setting alternatives to traditional, face-to-face classes. In fact, Sixty-seven percent of academic professionals evaluated online courses as equivalent to as or better than face-to-face courses (Lytle).
Online education, while offering clear advantages such as supporting a self-paced learning experience by allowing learning on an on-demand basis rather than a strict class schedule, also has significant drawbacks. Students in an online only course may struggle with structure and content without hands-on instruction, which can help motivate students who otherwise may be distracted or have difficulty working independently. The traditional structure of classroom education is effective, but also comes with a set of obstacles, particularly for nontraditional students. The best way to bridge this gap is hybrid education, which combines technology and personal interaction to support efficiency and self-paced learning while keeping students motivated, social, and connected to their professors and their peers through face to face interactions. While this newer learning model is still under investigation, there is evidence to prove that hybrid courses can lead to academic success.
Today’s generation is like no other. The nation as a whole has completely evolved from past times, with technology being one of the greatest improvements. Traditionally, schooling takes place in a classroom setting, but, with the many modifications in our world’s system, we are able to assimilate more modern means of education, such as online learning. However, with many changes comes differences and requires adjustments. The online learning system has proven to be just as effective as traditional learning, with some minor differences, however, nothing of great significance. A few of those insignificant differences include online learning being convenient, especially for the non-traditional students,
A main concern that many students have while attending college is time. Trying to find the time to work, spend time with their family, and go to school can be very stressful for some students. Someone who does not work, or doesn’t have kids might not have an issue with fitting time into their schedule for traditional classes. For the students who do have a busy life might find it harder to attend a traditional classroom, so they have the option of taking online classes and making the classes fit around their time schedule.
Education plays a significant role in every one’s future and lives; therefore parents have to ensure that their kids receive proper education.There has always been controversy over which is better: online or traditional classes. While some of the differences between traditional school and online school are the academics, socialization, and structure, the similarities are still evident.
Many students say online courses are convenient. Online courses allow students to plan according to their schedule, and the time and location that best works for them. Although online education may seem more “easier,” students should look at the cons of online education. In the feature article "Face-Face or Online Instruction? Face-Face is Better," the author, Arleen R. Bejerano, claims online courses take the students away from the college community and confines them to their home. The students no longer have interaction with the college community, which may cause them to miss out on some important opportunities. This may affect their possibility of succeeding to achieve a degree. The author suggests some students may become discouraged from learning independently, from facing challenges in academics, and fall behind or
There are some students who find it easier to work in internet classrooms and some others that find it easier to stay with traditional classrooms. I think someone may choose internet classrooms if they have difficulty interacting with teachers and other students. Some people do not like being in the classroom because they do not feel at ease around certain people especially those who treat others with disrespect. It is hard for a student to concentrate and learn a lesson when they have that kind of pressure.
Online learning, also known as distance learning or online learning, has become a new and successful means of receiving an education in a highly technologically enhanced environment (Regan, Evmenova, Baker, Jerome, Spencer, Lawson, & Werner, 2012). Kaymak and Horzum (2013) defined online learning as using Internet technology to gain knowledge and skills through the use of synchronous and asynchronous learning tools. Allen and Seaman (2013) stated that about 6.7 million students attending colleges and universities across the United States were successfully enrolled in at least one online course in 2011. There is an increased interest in online learning that continues to grow as a result of the amplified demands from the work place and the escalating availability of nontraditional educational options and providers (Allen & Seaman, 2008).
In the undergraduate educational setting, student proficiency and comfort with technology are stressed, but the essential mission of most undergraduate institutions (especially, liberal arts institutions such as Dartmouth) is on the development of the individual. The nurturing and supportive environment of most undergraduate institutions helps students mature and develop. The rave and fad of online undergraduate learning causes students to miss out on too many intangibles of an on-campus education. Our current theory on education hasn’t adequately dealt with the intricacies of a web-based education, and therefore the effectiveness of such is highly questionable.
The object/goal of online courses is for students to learn independently in the virtual environment without the “on-the-spot” help of the teacher. The indications are that involvement is a powerful means in the improvement in most of the aspects of undergraduates’ cognitive and affective development. In theory, the author believes online pedagogy would address the problem of students retreating to self-gratifying internet sites where they spend a great deal of time shopping online, chatting on social networks and playing online games. The author states (paraphrasing) “Until now, little at...