- Students can choose from a wide variety of courses that might not have been offered in their school
- Allows for flexibility in scheduling
- Allows for networking opportunities with people across the nation
- Students can work at their own pace
- Often costs less than traditional schools
- Save gas money
- Students can choose the learning/evaluation system that works best for them
- Studies show that it is effective, and that online students outperform traditional students
- Can provide a more equal education for everyone
Cons
- Require more time than on-campus classes (communication has to be typed, reading lecture materials can take more time than listening...)
- Easier to procrastinate
- Can create sense of isolation
- They can provide more freedom than the student can handle
- Doesn't promote face-to-face social skills
- Limited instructor interaction
- Technology isn't always 100% reliable
- In low-income districts, some students don't have required technology
What causes the controversy?
- Change
- There are clear arguments on both sides
- Some people have the perspective that there is more to education than knowledge
- Some people believe those "extra" things can be acquired elsewhere and don't need to be taught in schools
- Some people are more traditional, trying to avoid being consumed by technology
- Some people are progressive, wanting to move towards a more technology encompassing future
Citations
Littlefield, Jamie. "10 Reasons to Choose Online Education." About.com Distance Learning. About.com, n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
Chamberlin, Sean. "Ten Disadvantages of Online Courses." Montgomerycollege.edu. Montgomery College, n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
How do you feel about online classes? Have you ever taken one? I've never enrolled in one because I know that I'm a huge procrastinator when I can be, and it probably wouldn't go well for me. It would be nice to get some opinions from people who have actually taken one before I completely shut out the idea though!
ReplyDeleteThe only online class I've ever taken was for boaters safety. I totally blew it off because I wasn't really interested in getting my boating liscence, it was something my mom made me do. I also knew, that all I had to do was pass the test at the end and I would get it. I skimmed all of the information right before going into the test and ended up passing.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling that if I was in a real online class that I cared about, I would put a little more effort in, but for me I think there is something really motivating about a teacher. That motivation can go one way or the other. I am not sure how that would work with an online teacher. Hopefully they would be smart enough to make mini deadlines, but if not, I feel like I would still do alright because it really stresses me out to not have my work done well in advance.
I am a freshman this year. Actually, I used to plan to take an online course during this summer vacation. However, after I went meet with an advisor, she told me that she did not suggest freshmen to take online courses because we were still in the process of adapting the university curricular models. Online courses are different from regular classes. Without enough attention, we may easily fail the online class. What my advisor said made me reconsider my plan.Therefore, I think I will probably give up taking online courses this summer.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I have to take online courses over the summer this year, so I'm curious to know more about why your adviser said they were not such a good idea. I don't know what "adapting the university curricular models" means. Could you explain that a little more?
ReplyDelete