According to the New York Times, more than 500,000 American children take online classes (1). Although online classes have been available for a few decades, the number of students taking them is increasing rapidly. This era that people are now living in has been nicknamed the “digital age.” Many people are modernizing the way that they live by incorporating more technology into their lives. Taking an online class is a remarkable way for a student to keep up with their studies. However some opposers say that online classes will take the place of teachers. That will never be factual because teachers are very valuable to students and an online classroom could never take the place of a real one. Also, only a handful of those half a million children get all of their schooling from only classes that are online. Taking at least one online class should become a requirement in all high schools so students can be better prepared for college, their career, and their future in a world where technology has a very prominent role. By taking an online class, students learn skills like being able to work and learn independently. Students usually work on their online class at home, where there is no teacher and no other students to help them. These skills will prepare them for college, where most of the learning is done outside of class. In college, during class, most Professors do not take the time to individually help each student. Therefore, students must be able to take initiative to figure out, on their own, what they are having trouble with. Many colleges offer courses online, some actually only offer a certain course online. So, if a student were to take more than one online course in college, they would already be prepared having taken one... ... middle of paper ... ...ing to guide them all the way. Instead, they have to learn a different way. By taking an online course students will become more erudite and better prepared for college and life by being able to learn and work independently. Works Cited Boher, Becky. “Partnership Could Help Improve Distance Education.” Anchorage Daily News. Anchorage Daily News, 11 September 2011. Web. 13 September 2011. Bonner, Jessie L. “Idaho Ed Board Votes to Require Online Classes.” Idaho Statesman. Idaho Statesman, 9 September 2011. Web. 13 September 2011. Dillon, Sam. “Online Schooling Grows, Setting Off a Debate.” New York Times. New York Times, 1 February 2008. Web. 17 September 2011. Wootton, Julie. “Teachers Already Toe Waters of Tech Changes.” Times-News. Times News, 18 September 2011. Web. 18 September 2011. 18 September 2011. < http://www.kff.org/entmedia/entmedia012010nr.cfm>
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.
Shown in the essay, they are worth nothing and teach nothing, ”online courses are perhaps one of the most complete expressions of the denigration of university education (Srigley),” there is no good side of online classes shown. There is nothing to show how online learning is making learning accessible,”work online with no direct support from a faculty member. Digital lectures for live classes with real students? Sounds expensive. How about no lectures, no students, and, best of all, no professor (Srigley).”
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.
There are many vast differences between online and traditional courses, first being flexibility in schedule. Traditional courses have a set time and day for the duration of the semester. Attending class is a portion of your grade. You have to make sure you have the time to attend class and not miss over the allotted amount of days. To help with the scheduling, the college usually offers day courses, night courses, and abbreviated summer classes. Traditional classes comes first on your priority list, work, and then lastly your family. Your free time is scheduled around your class schedule. Classes are 2-4 days a week depending on the schedule you choose. Even though it might be somewhat of an inconvenience, you have to keep in mind it is only for a short time and won’t last forever. All of your sacrifices will pay off in the long run; you will have a degree. The second area of contrast is discipline. Traditional classes, are more for the people who need structure to stay on course. Someone is there giving you daily assignments and s...
It is easy to let work, family, and other obligations take up all the students time and neglect their course work. • Amount of work involved Many online courses require about double the work. This is because these programs require much more written papers due in shorter time frames. • Time alone
In a busy world online education allows students to further their education to obtain more options. Online education allows students to have a job and obtain credits toward a degree. With concerns about the absence of teachers, technology assures students they can continue learning with teachers more accessible to the student. Attending college on the go is a common choice today with access to technology everywhere they go. Online education allows students to compete for higher pay jobs when graduated. This will maximize a higher educated population and this is necessary to keep America
Balancing the Penn Foster College Veterinary Technology curriculum with work and family is often challenging for me. Distance learning is so much different from a conventional classroom. There is no opportunity to exchange ideas with another classmate face-to-face, or have personal contact with a teacher to ask questions and get clarification on a given assignment. Yes, there is the student forum for posting questions, as well as e-mail and the telephone, but they are not the same.
As the world keeps relying more and more on technology, the possible question for the future is, will technology eventually replace classrooms and teachers? Slowly, more and more of college level classes are offered online now, instead of in the classroom. Will computers provide a better learning opportunity for students? Will students succeed more with online classes rather than traditional classes? Will this be cheaper in the long run for students? Since the world is being taken over with technology, will this be better to students so they are able to teach themselves with technology? Technology already has a huge role with classes right now, could that lead to technology completely taking over the regular classes? This topic is important because it could result in many jobless teachers, but it can also result in cheaper schooling for students. There are many questions up in the air about this happening in the future. There are many valid points for and against this topic coming from teachers, and departments that explore different areas to expand and advance learning environments.
Most of the time, a student cannot learn at their own pace of the subject because the teacher has a schedule and other students so that student can easily fall behind or not feel as if they are learning. Also, if a student misses a class due to an illness or some other sort of reason they will get behind in classes, while with online class the student can still work while sick or the class will not move on without them. Some schools do not offer some classes that students wish to take. For example, some schools may not present a language class that the pupil wishes to take but online they have a better chance of being able to take that
Some students within society need to have online learning to complete college degrees due to their lifestyles. While it
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,
...nditions. Students taking online classes might find it easier to attend family gatherings, traveling, and attended to personal needs. An online class allows the students to work on their own time, to whereas the traditional classes they have to stick with a schedule.
This article made some interesting evaluations; online learning was a big dilemma for me when I decided to go back to school. While I possessed the discipline to attend online, I did however lack the skills needed to maneuver within my course of study. After attending a classroom-based school with some online classes, I made a decision to continue my studies online. The teachers design and interaction meets my level of understanding and when I’m not sure of an assignment, I simply contact them via e-mail. I feel the author did a great job in addressing his chosen topic, showing both the strengths and the weaknesses of his study.
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
As time goes by, advances in technology will provide more and more avenues for learning by way of the computer. The Internet has opened the doors of the world and unleashed limitless possibilities in research and education. It may be only a matter of time when the classroom is brought online to all children and attending a school classroom outside the home is a thing of the past. Looking back over the last 20 years, I never would have imagined that computers would come this far and impact our lives so much. Just imagine where they will be 20 years from now.