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 Will Erstad compares online learning to
traditional education in his article, "Online vs. Traditional
Education: What You Need to Know." Erstad says, "The word “college”
might make you think of students hanging out in dorm rooms or
gathering for classes in enormous lecture halls. But that depiction
is becoming increasingly out-of-date as technology provides for more
and more ways to learn."
Erstad says learning online "has steadily grown in popularity among
college students" and says you should compare it with traditional
learning to decide whether it is right for you.
Some benefits of online learning
One benefit of online learning is its flexibility as you can log in
to classes at times that fit in with your schedule.
As an article on the open education database says, “Online courses
give students the opportunity to plan their study time around the
rest of their day, instead of the other way around. Students can
study and work when they are at their peak energy, whether that’s
early morning or late at night. Course material is always accessible
online, so there’s no need to schedule special trips to a library
either. All of this makes online learning a good option for students
who need to balance their work and family commitments.”
Another benefit of online learning is the convenience of being able
to access the information anywhere and anytime. In online courses,
you can pause lessons to come back to later and review discussions
and lectures as needed, giving you more time to absorb information.
The courses tend to be more cost effective. Though the tuition may
be same as that of a traditional course, you will save money on
transportation and other expenses over that of students who live on
campus.
Factors to consider
Though online courses allow for more flexibility, motivation and
self-discipline are factors students need to consider. Students in
these courses must make sure to schedule enough time to work on
required readings and assignments. That can be a challenge when you
are trying to fit everything in on your own schedule, so time
management is essential. Listing due dates on a calendar and even a
planner can help keep you on track.
Though you are not in a classroom, having a specific study space
that is quiet, organized, and free from distractions is important.
Lack of face-to-face interaction is another factor to consider. If
the lack of interaction is a concern, though, it is important to
note that you have interaction in online courses through other
means.
Virtual orientation sessions, group discussion posting, feedback
from the instructor, web conferences, and chat rooms - all provide
some form of interaction. In addition, some courses have video feeds
and use skype to communicate.
With so many different resources for interaction, even the usually
shy or introverted student who feels intimidated in a classroom
setting may be more likely to engage in discussions.
Course design is another consideration. A well-designed course may
include several things. It accommodates various learning styles and
needs. It is relatively easy to navigate from topic to topic. It may
have PowerPoints as well as video clips.
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The content must be appropriate for an online course.
Certain courses may work better when taught in the classroom. For
instance, courses such as math may not work as well online since
students are used to seeing a professor do math problems on the
board and then being able to ask questions about the problems.
Though students can watch videos showing someone work out math
problems, students who struggle with math may not be able to get the
help they need.
In any type of online course, it is important to ask for help when
you need it. Contact your instructor when you need to ask a question
about something you do not understand. If you do not ask for help,
the instructor will not know anything is wrong.
For those who may wonder how well students do in online courses,
many studies have examined how taking online classes affects
performance in courses and found that scores for online learners
were often just as high and sometimes even higher than those in
traditional courses.
As Kristin DeAngelis and J. Garvey Pyke say in their article, Online
Learning: Is it Effective?, "The data and research show that
students learn just as effectively in an online environment as in a
traditional classroom. Various studies have shown that online
students not only match the performance of traditional students, but
surpass them."
Once you know the advantages and disadvantages of online learning,
it is up to you to decided whether it fits your needs.
Erstad, Will. “Online vs.
Traditional Education: What You Need to Know." Rasmussen
College. August 16, 2017.
http://www.rasmussen.edu/student-life/blogs/college-life/online-vs-traditional-education-answer-never-expected/
DeAngelis,
Kristin, and J. Garvey Pike. “Online Learning: Is it Effective?”
University of North Carolina at CharlotteCenter for Teaching and
Learning. 2006.
https://teaching.uncc.edu/learning-resources/articles-books/tip-sheets/it-effective
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