My blog post this week is to talk about my own beliefs regarding online learning courses. My views may be different that others in this regard. I have taken online courses for the last three and a half years with between 12-17 credits each semester. I love online courses and would not have been able to pursue my education without them.
I do find online courses much easier than traditional classroom courses. This is both due to the ability to schedule my own class time, as well as the fact that online courses tend to have less wasted time with interaction with classmates. One of my huge pet peeves with traditional classrooms is how much time is wasted by questions from people either not understanding material or simply asking questions to try to earn points with the teacher. I also read much faster than the average person so I do not find the need to devote the hours recommended for each course per week. I definitely do not spend 5-6 hours per class each week. Also many tests are effectively open book when taking online courses. Some profs try to greatly restrict the amount of time available to take the exams, but for somebody who reads quickly it is still possible to check almost every answer during a test.
One myth that I do not agree with is that the quality of online courses is less than a face to face course. I find the online courses allow for the instructor to provide a lot more material and supplemental material than in a traditional course. I would say a well designed online course is a better quality educational experience than in a regular classroom. I have seen a huge range of technologies used in my courses so far. Audio and video files, message boards, chat rooms, pictures, videos, links, etc.. Online courses enable you to go beyond what you get in a traditional classroom and really enhance your education if you so desire.
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Yessir, it's not necessarily the delivery but what is being delivered.
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