Online Education
Education is an important part of people’s lives; it will either make them or break them in the future depending on the careers they choose. Education is greatly diverse today in comparison to the 1950s because of advancements in teaching and other great inventions that provide easier techniques of teaching. One major issue that has been raised is distant learning courses and online education.
Distant learning could be any format from VHS videos, DVDs, or internet courses online. Online education has been legal since 1993 and is a new way of teaching students of all ages. Online education has been gaining popularity through out the years because of the ease of the internet. The internet has made it easier for people to stay connected and has provided people with unlimited resources on the World Wide Web. Many educators have mixed feelings about online educating because there are so many pros and cons to the issue.
Mary Kassop, author of “Ten Ways Online Education Matches, or Surpasses, Face-to-Face Learning,” writes, “Can students learn as much and as well online as they do in F2F courses? Not only is the answer to these questions a resounding ‘yes, ’ but there are many ways that online courses may actually surpass traditional F2F classes in quality and rigor”(357). Kassop is a pro advocate of online education and she is correct on the issue because it can provide a good education to many people. Online courses provide a good teaching environment where the individual is on his or her own all in the comfort of their room. The convenience of online courses provide busy individuals a chance to get the equal amount of education as a student going to class and all that is needed to get started is a computer with internet access. One computer can open the gates to a whole new world of learning and excitement.
To stimulate the experience there are many classes offered online by city and university colleges. Long Beach City College has a few to offer such as Psychology and Sociology which are equal to or even better then face to face classes. One example of a class that is better online rather than face to face is Sociology because they let the students observe human communication at public spaces without the teacher being there.
The work that is done in the classes is also expected from someone who signs up for an online ...
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...uals will become office workers and they usually work in a cubical providing the same atmosphere that the online class provides. Also by the students doing everything by themselves in an online class they become more independent, teaching them that there is not always a person there to guide them in a problem, just like in life.
As for the issue of the computer cost that some students can not afford they can use public resources to access the internet such as the library and so on. There are also loans, grants, and other forms of financial help they can get to provide them with the tools they need to get started in an online class and with the computer training they must learn in an online class it can provide a leg up in the competitive job market.
Online education could be the tool of the future to provide the young and the old with schooling and instruction. It provides a cheaper way of teaching while still giving the student the material necessary for the class. Students learn responsibility through online education and will give them a reason to work hard during the class. All in all online classes will help provide many students with the education they require.
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.
In his article, “Can You Be Education from a Distance?”, James Barszcz effectively weighs the pros and cons of online education compared to the traditional method, while effectively supporting his position with factual information and statistics. While distance education proves to be convenient for students, Barszcz asserts that it eliminates valuable experiences necessary in order to get the most out of the material being learned.
In the world of education, modern society and technology have revamped our ideas of what might be considered a traditional way of gaining education. Face-to-face courses and online courses are both similar and different in relation to the content of courses, student-professor and peer relationships, class participation/interaction and effective methods of both teaching and learning. Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” This still is, and always will be an accurate statement because it does not matter how your education is obtained; in the end, knowledge is power.
One of the reasons for online courses to be offered in colleges is level of comfort. In this case, students get less intimidated by some students around them in classrooms. Because there are students who smell bad and have rude personality, some students are likely to be uncomfortable around them and lose focus in class discussions. Additionally, students, especially ESL students who have a hard time speaking and writing in English can think longer than usual about what they want to say before saying it to avoid the usage of wrong grammar. Moreover, with online classes, students get more involved in discussions. Those students who are shy, quiet, and hesitant are likely to participate. As a result, they become more open, less shy, and more comfortable in discussions. According to Sara Cordell, a professor of English at the University of Illinois-Springfield, students attend and listen in her online class; furthermore, because students enjoy speaking with each other, and typing to each other, they get to engross actual time with other students as much as with her which fascinates her (Abramson). In brief, the major reason for more online courses to be offered in colleges is the comfort level of students because not all students are comfortable with other students around them in classrooms.
Online education is often referred to as distant learning. In the mid-1900s there were children who lived on remote farms and ranches. At this time education studies were broadcasted via radio. In1953 the University of Houston began to offer televised courses for credit. In 1959 University of Chicago also began to produce Sunrise Semester a series of televised lectures. The 1960’s creation of interactive teaching programs were the beginning of using computer technology for this purpose. By the 1980s educators were investigating where education is today with network online learning. This paper will explain the benefits, challenges and concerns about online education.
Online Learning Students that study online learn by themselves in their own way. They have to complete the assignments and research on their own, forcing them to learn online. Learning may not be as satisfying as face-to-face learning but it has many pros than disadvantages. Online learning is better because you can have a better environment, it is also flexible, and the cost is less. One point in favor is that online education can offer us a good habitat to remain studying and upgrade our study.
School has been in our lives for the longest time and it has always been a positive experience. It sets students on a path to achieve their education goal and stepping stones to a career! Now with all the advancements in life, students have the opportunity to do online classes. This is useful if the pupil is not able to attend school or their school does not offer some classes that they would like to take. Experiencing both of these ways of schooling, I have an understanding of the differences between the two. The major differences between online school and traditional school are the flexibility opportunities, the communication with the teachers, and the time management/discipline from the learner.
Karl Lembke, who is on the Bismarck School Board said, ”It gave me more time to be flexible with my schedule”. I personally know many people that have taken online classes. They all say the same thing. It gave them more flexibility with their school schedule and other activities. Can you imagine being able to take a class whenever you want and, wherever you want?
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
Online learning is definitely one of the newest and fastest moving industries; more and more students are opting to getting their degree this way instead of going to a land college, mostly due to the convenience of the schedule, where before a full time employee, could not fit schooling into their schedule, but they are finding out now that they can do this through the online environment, so they are utilizing this alternative way of achieving their higher education. Yet, the online environment is unlike the land college, because there is no face to face contact, so the University of Phoenix tries to make the experience as realistic as it can by: 1) providing a rEsource for the students to go to for their writing projects; and 2) designing classes that simulate real life learning situations where students become part of a learning team, 3) and focus on problem based learning.
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.
As the economy has changed in the last ten years so has the schools budgets and they are looking for ways to keep costs down. There is much evidence that distance education can be more cost effective than traditional education. Everyone can save a substantial amount of money by going with an online education because schools would not need facilities and equipment. Schools would also save money by not needing to provide services and programs to students. Students would save by not needing to drive to and from school, buy school supplies, and they can earn a degree in half the time than a traditional school setting.
Those who disagree with me think that online learning allows a student to learn at their own pace. Students are able to take the time to understand and figure out problems with the resources that are provided. The convenience of learning in an environment that is conducive to that particular students learning is provided by the student. If the student feels comfortable they are more apt
There is a wide range of technological options for delivering information to the distance learner. There are many different forms of communication and media to contain course material and to overcome physical distance of the teacher and student. These methods include various types of voice, video, data, and print. Instructional audio tools include audio-conferencing, tapes, and radio. Instruction is delivered through lectures and discussions. Tapes and radio allow the student to listen to lectures one way, whereas audio-conferencing allows students to participate and interact with others. Audio tools allow access to the learner from their choice of location; however, with audio-conferencing there is usually a scheduled time for discussions. Another form of distance education is visual learning. This includes broadcast television and compressed video systems. “Broadcast television delivers distance education by sending analog or digital audio and video signals by microwave relay over short distances or by satellite over longer distances” (Ludlow and Duff 13). Television broadcasts can be used for one-way video and audio presentations. This can also be used in conjunction with by audio conferencing in which the stude...
There are many advantages to online learning, it affects the way people can learn. According to “Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students”, “students have a greater willingness to write or work on computational skills”. “They say student like the immediate results of having online learning.” Another advantage is that students can learn at their own pace. With learning at their own pace they will be able to actually know the information well. If, they are in a regular classroom setting they may no...