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Online vs. traditional classes
Similarities online vs traditional education
Online vs. traditional classes
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In today’s society, with all of the new technological advances and new electronic devices, traditional brick and mortar classrooms could be considered obsolete within a decade. Public and private universities are offering online education options, with classes students can take from anywhere in the country and world for that matter, without being restricted to a college campus. Some professors are applauding the online education system as a way towards educating our individuals, while others believe that online courses do not adequately keep a level of education needed for jobs in the workforce. I believe online college classes are effective enough to keep higher education at a level that meets our country’s needs for qualified employees and …show more content…
Some professors assert that online courses would be beneficial to students and that the technology should be integrated into the learning environment. For students who live a busy life, with a job, being a part of student government, Greek organizations, and utilizing advanced technology in their daily life, online courses would best fit into their learning style as they would not have time for regular classroom instruction. Some students may also choose to take general education courses online as a way to complete the requirements for their degree, and take regular classroom courses that are harder and designed for one’s major. According to research performed by the Community College Research Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College, “The students who were interviewed for the study said they prefer taking one type of course online: easy ones.” (Fain, Paul. "Online Courses Are Second Choice For Community College Students In Some Subject Areas." Online Courses Are Second Choice for Community College Students in Some Subject Areas, Inside Higher Ed, 26 Apr. 2013.) Furthermore, the students who were interviewed told the researchers, “For more difficult courses, they felt that stronger instructor guidance was necessary.” (Fain, Paul. "Online Courses Are Second Choice For Community College Students In Some Subject Areas." Online Courses Are Second Choice for Community College Students in Some Subject Areas, Inside Higher Ed, 26 Apr. 2013.) According to the article from the Center for Digital Education, “What College Students Really Think About Online Courses”, students want quality academic options that match their learning style. The article states, “Aside from offering quality courses, colleges should offer choices that match student learning styles and schedules. Online options help students who have busy schedules because of their student
However, when a student takes an online class the student and professor are at a disadvantage of building an interpersonal relationship. For example, a professor is unable to read the nonverbal cues of a struggling student through a computer screen or is unable to tell if a student is experiencing a true emergency. Just as, a student is unable to read their professors nonverbal cues that a particular chapter or assignment is vital to passing the course. I have taken classes on campus and online classes for three semesters now and have learned that regardless of class format a student needs to be dedicated, structured, self-motivated and not afraid to ask questions. A disadvantage of taking an online class is if a web portal is not working properly.
Most online colleges allow students to create their own schedules and take courses at their own pace. This has huge implications for students who work full time, are parents and caregivers, or have other obligations. Being able to decide how many courses they will take within one semester and creating a less demanding schedule creates the flexibility that most busy students need in order to be able to successfully juggle multiple responsibilities. Traditional schools have more rigorous academic schedules and more permanent timelines of how many courses should be taken each semester, thus making online colleges more flexible.
Today, many students graduating from high school see college as an important stage in their future, although many studies suggest not all students are ready for college. Author Charles Murray argues in his essay “Are Too Many People Going to College?” that too many students decide to go to college, even though they would be better served through online education. Charles Murray also argues in his essay that, “The two-year community college and online courses offer more flexible options for tailoring course work to the real needs of the job.”(242) An example of this would be myself, I am currently taking my Economics 2 class as a “hybrid” course this semester. A “hybrid” course is an 8 week course that requires both in-class and online coursework,
With technology continuously dominating society, it is with no surprise that students are using technology to earn their degree online. An increasing number of colleges and universities are offering degrees that can be earned entirely online. One study (http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED541571.pdf)page 17 indicated a total enrollment of 16,611,710 students in the Fall of 2002 and increasing to 20,994,113 in Fall 2011, with the trend in online enrollment continuing to rise.
“The rate at which enrollments for online classes and education programs is expanding much faster in both the developed and developing worlds than at traditional universities,” claims Reed Karaim. He also states that “Online courses offer the benefits of greater convenience and also a lower total cost. (Karaim, “Expanding Higher Education”). With more online courses being offered on sites such as Udemy and Lynda as well as top universities such as Harvard and MIT, there is less incentive for students to seek education from universities
Online school is better for students and more efficient. According to a 2013 report by the Babson Survey Research Group, over 6.7 million students were enrolled in at least one online class in 2011, and higher-education institutions continue to refine and enhance their online studying. Public school is troublesome as it has many issues regarding with students. Bullying is a serious problem in traditional schools. Parents believe their children are protected and when that's not the case they choose online schooling as a permanent academic home. Online high schools let teens work at their own pace, students can speed ahead when they are ready too and can take longer in courses that are more confusing. When students fall behind in traditional schools they turn to online schooling to make up missed credits. Parents can also be the ones that make their children's decision for education and choose online instead of traditional school.
Many believe that by taking online classes students don’t have as much work. On the contrary, college students are generally expected to spend six to nine hours outside of each class reading, completing regular homework assignments and studying. Online students typically have to spend time doing the same type of school work; instructional PowerPoints and videos to cover what students gain from class lectures. Communicating with the teacher is typically easier and more common on campus, however, online and traditional classes both provide mechanisms through which students can interact and get help. On campus, students can talk informally with instructors before and after class, ask questions during class and stop by during office hours. Online students can call or email instructors, and sometimes use cellphones to text. Discussions and teamwork are common in classes regardless of the format. In traditional classes, students normally listen to lectures from instructors, but can also get a chance in many classes to offer ideas and discuss topics. Campus classes also usually include team activities or projects. Online classes include discussions as well, but they take place through online discussion forums. The conversation also tends to play out over time as students periodically check for new posts and reply. The structures of both online and traditional classes vary, but similar in a way. With technology, most of the school work is done through computer whether it’s in an online class or a traditional one. Classes are accessible wherever students go and are convenient and customizable for students depending on busy schedules and everyday life. Also, students can communicate with classmates or their professors through email or the school website. Connections with others can be made not only on a campus, but through
There is good reason for the growth in online learning in college environments. Student populations have diversified since the introduction of the personal computer and internet (O’Malley and McCraw). Students with geographic, job, or other constraints are now able to benefit from a college education because advances in technology have enabled learning for those for whom higher education was previously not within the realm of possibility.
Furthermore, some may suggest that online learning is benefiting our students in society. There has been a breakthrough in time and geographical limitations of education via online courses (Ho, 2009). Online education is cost-effective, efficient, and easily accessible (Schmeeckle, 2003). Online classes are used for individual and independent learning in which the student can learn at their own pace (Gonzalez, 2009). Not only is online education beneficial for breaking down barriers, online education has the potential to help students learn material more efficiently. Students are more likely to seek help from their instructors when the material is taught online (Whipp & Lorentz, 2009). Computer use in statistical classes could help decrease math anxiety (Gundy, Morton, Liu, & Kline, 2006). In a study that measured online students’ ability to achieve the same efficiency of course material as face-to-face students, at least 98% of students reported that they had, so one may be lead to believe that online learning is just as efficient as face-to-face courses (Liebowitz, 2003). With all of the positive aspects of online education, one may wonder why there is any debate as to whether or not online education is beneficial for
Because of the flexibility, the course load seems to be all the more intense. The course load is more rigorous being that work is graded on a stricter scale than traditional colleges, and also entails a greater work load. In the article, Study Looks at Online Learning vs. Traditional Instruction, Angiello states,” Many instructors and understudies of online colleges, while lauding the accessibility of online education, will typically recognize that the cost paid for this adaptability is investing extra effort (Angiello 2010).” So, although the convenience is there, according to the schedules of many, the overall grind is much more intense. This provides reasoning for why students taking online courses are perhaps more prepared and properly adequate candidates for employment positions, versus a traditional student with the same degree. In the same article previously listed, Angiello writes, “understudies who participated in online courses performed better than students receiving the same material through conventional lectures (Angiello 2010). It is evident through the article that, because of the more rigorous work load, students are adhering to the concepts further in an online environment than a traditional setting, thus presenting online learning beneficial in terms of knowledge and qualifications.
When students are deciding on where to go to college, they have the option of choosing between online classes and the traditional classroom classes. Today, some students are finding it much easier to maintain a job, family and start a college career, all by taking online classes. Although some students still prefer to stick with the traditional classroom classes, they still have the option to take online classes. Both online and the traditional classes will provide the educational requirements needed to obtain a college degree and opportunities in the work field. Although the online classes offer just as much as the traditional classes, they are completely different when it comes to teaching methods, course material and time.
Many people think online education can be more expensive than a traditional school setting. Previous generations did not have the option for online learning experience, so why should we start now? An interesting point about online education is that LeBaron (2010) states, “The largest school in the U.S. is the University of Phoenix Online, with a whopping 380,232 students. That’s over 5x more than the largest public school, Arizona State University, which has 68,064 students” (para. 7). Despite the cost effectiveness, distance education is becoming the educational model of the future.
Over the years it has been seen that education has taken up several forms. With the advent of technology, education has also been integrated with technology. Previously it was seen that education was achieved through written forms of paper with pen or pencil. The use of pen and pencil can be dated back to the Roman Empire. However, with the developing pace the traditional means of attaining education are changing. The introduction of information technology has brought forth a new way of learning through the internet. E-learning is the new form of education introduced by IT which helps people to attain knowledge through the use of their computers. A portal is introduced by the use of information technology which the students are able to access and to take tests. However, this new technology also brings with it other ethical issues of plagiarism and social contact. Online education is an inadequate alternative for traditional, classroom-based teaching for several reasons: there is no interactive communication between the student and the instructor, potential employers do not value online course work, class offerings are limited, instructor feedback to the student might be delayed for days, and group projects are nonexistent.
Is technology helping or hurting people learn? Technology is increasing every day, and is soon going to be a big part of everyday life. The change of teaching students on online class is way different to what they are used to, and will take awhile to get used to. There are disadvantages, advantages, opportunities, and challenges in the technology in education. The role that teachers play now will change in the future when the major demand for the use of technology hits. There is a big change in the way that students are learning with this new online learning. Technology is changing the learning of students in a big way. Some ways are positive, and some are negative but either way there is a big impact on the way students learn. Sometimes it just depends on the student’s way of learning. Those kind of students should have the choice of what they would rather use a book, or a computer. Students need to be able to decide the type of learning that they want to do to help them learn. Students need to know which way it is that they learn the best. Each person has to find out which way they learn the best to better themselves. Find out the best way that they learn so that it can benefit them in life.
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.