The past two decades have seen an almost exponential rise in the availability and popularity of online college classes and degree programs. Their pervasiveness begs the question as to the difference in a credit or degree earned in an online setting versus that of the traditional classroom. These two educational delivery systems will be compared from the perspectives of flexibility, the student experience, the impact of technology, and the issue of acceptability of online classes and degree programs. One of the major advantages of an online degree program is the flexibility it provides to someone working a demanding job, living geographically removed from a college campus, or that simply finds it most convenient for a host of other reasons. These challenges of the modern workforce have in fact been the big driver behind the exponential rise in online degree programs over the past decade. Furthermore, the flexibility provided by an online degree program enables tailoring a program matched to personal learning style and pace. An area of great contrast between the two forms of education regards the student experience. For example, students may enjoy taking tests or listening to lectures in the comfort of their own home. However, this poses a major disadvantage of not being able to ask questions as they naturally arise. An online student may have to wait around for their instructor to respond to an email, whereas being present in a classroom permits questions to be asked and answered on the spot. Another advantage of attending a brick-and-mortar college is having access to classmates for study groups or help with homework. After reading several students opinions on their online classes, I have come to realize the overall expe... ... middle of paper ... ...edible Credential.” Global Education Journals. 2013.3 (2013): 67-95. Education Research Complete. Web. 2 April 2014. Haynie, Devon. “What Employers Really Think About Your Online Bachelor’s Degree.” Daily News. U.S. News and World Report, July 31, 2013. Web. 2 April 2014. LaPairie, Kimberly and Janice M. Hinson. “Trading Spaces: Transferring Face-to-Face courses to the Online Environment.” Journal of Interactive Instruction Development 18.1 (2005): 3-8. Education Research Complete. Web. 2 April 2014. Phillips, Vicky. “5 Things Real Students Hate About Online Learning Degrees.” Get Educated. Word Press, August 6, 2012. Web. 2 April 2014. Pearcy, Mark. “Student, Teacher, Professor: Three Perspectives on Online Education.” History Teacher 27.2 (2014): 169-185. Education Research Complete. Web. 2 April 2014. Sambenedetto, Megan. Personal Interview. 3 April 2014.
Over the years, these nontraditionals have chosen either slower or faster options to proceed through their chosen curricula. They could work incrementally, taking a few courses per year while taking advantage of workplace tuition reimbursement programs or similar specialized programs to fund their college education. Recently, online education has allowed accelerated progress toward earning degrees. Traditional institutions developed these formats to serve working adults, and the emergence of nontraditional institutions such as the University of Phoenix delivered accelerated education in a variety of flexible formats such as asynchronous learning.
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).”
The twenty-first century the exponential increase in technology has allowed people to have unprecedented access to seemingly limitless information unlike any other time in human history. Today people from all corners of the globe now have the ability to harness a vast sea of resources at their very fingertips. One of the byproducts of the technological revolution has been the dramatic increase in online, or distance learning, from perspective students looking for a more flexible option to pursue higher education. And although online learning does present a tremendous opportunity for students who may not otherwise
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.
Online education has increased significantly due to flexibility that’s offered to students. Online education is beneficial to students because “course material can be accessed 24 hours a day.”...
Robertson, E. (2012). The History of Distance Learning and Online Education. Edudemic. Retrieved from http://www.edudemic.com/the-history-of-distance-learning-and-online-education/
“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 education has emerged in all levels of school environment. K-12, vocational institutions and colleges are incorporating online classes at an increasing rate. With advances in technology, clearly we should use the internet as a supplemental tool but with the level of education necessary for us to compete in the world economy, we must conduct due diligence to determine which classes are to be offered at what level to whom in order for online learning to be credible.
When it comes to online learning, students are taking risk to complete degree requirements online without being on the college/university campus. Some challenges online students faces which impact
Taking classes online has become very popular lately. Although popular, these classes have their advantages and disadvantages. I will examine the issues of online-based classes to give a better insight as to which one would prefer: online classes or face-to-face classes. Whereas before, formal academic qualifications could only be gained by participating in a full-time course on site, the internet has allowed institutions to expand their reach and offer recognized courses on a contact-partial, or virtual basis.
Technology has taken many things to new soaring levels: medicine, long distance communication, and education, just to name a few. The internet has revolutionized the way we access, receive, and disseminate information to the point that we are able to earn degrees online in as little as a year. With these type of conveniences there are always opportunities for challenges. In-person classrooms provide the opportunity to network and connect with fellow students, engage in dialogue, and get your questions answered on the spot. Online classrooms have the potential of being static and leave room for passive learning. For the working professionals, online classes are convenient and offer a degree of flexibility that in-person classes don’t.
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.
People have a lot of options in educating themselves online in today’s time and technology. Online education has improved a lot in the past twenty years. Even though it has had its setbacks, it continues to show promising results. Online education has many benefits with little to no disadvantages. It provides flexibility in scheduling and offers various options in educational online programs. In the past decade, education has evolved into a more technological-driven world.
Online learning, also known as distance learning or online learning, has become a new and successful means of receiving an education in a highly technologically enhanced environment (Regan, Evmenova, Baker, Jerome, Spencer, Lawson, & Werner, 2012). Kaymak and Horzum (2013) defined online learning as using Internet technology to gain knowledge and skills through the use of synchronous and asynchronous learning tools. Allen and Seaman (2013) stated that about 6.7 million students attending colleges and universities across the United States were successfully enrolled in at least one online course in 2011. There is an increased interest in online learning that continues to grow as a result of the amplified demands from the work place and the escalating availability of nontraditional educational options and providers (Allen & Seaman, 2008).
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.