Online Education
...ngs out and work by themselves. Being able to manage your time wisely is very important, because you will have to plot and follow a schedule for accomplishing your assignments. Before signing up for an online course, consider your time commitments. An online class takes as much time as an on-campus class. Many online students write that they spend more time working on their online classes than they do their on-campus classes. Most online instructors have due dates for assignments and tests. Many instructors will post weekly messages about due dates and assignments. If you do not logon at least twice a week, you may fall behind. Falling behind is very easy to do since you do not physically attend the class. Once you fall behind, it is very difficult to get back on track. You must also remember to have good netiquette while taking an online class. Students are expected to treat their instructor and fellow students with respect, email messages should be written carefully and you should avoid writing them in haste of anger. Always re-read your messages to make certain that your words do not sound disrespectful or rude. A must for good netiquette is to remember who you are in an online class is reflected by how you write your email messages to your instructor and classmates. Online classes also have advantages over the traditional on-campus classes. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, “during the 1990’s distance education availability, course offerings, and enrollments increased rapidly. The percentage of 2- and 4-year degree granting institutions offering distance education courses rose from 33 to 44 percent between 1995 and 1997, and the number of courses nearly doubled. In 1997, one-fifth of the nation’s 2- and 4- year degree granting institutions also planned to start offering distance education courses in the next 3 years.” (NCES) The greatest benefit of online education is the convenience that it offers. Online courses do not have the regular meetings, your schoolwork and studying is based around your own schedule. This is good for those that have jobs, a family to take care of, or both. Instead of trying to juggle classes around a 9 to 5 job, your son’s soccer practice or your daughter’s dance lesson, online classes gives you the flexibility to take classes when you can fit them it. Another benefit is the unlimited offerings at your fingertips. Someone living a city area like Dallas, Texas has more programs to choose from than someone living in Samnorwood, Texas does, but when you enroll in classes online this does not apply anymore. If a course or program is not offered in your area, you can usually find an online school that offers a comparable distance-learning program. You no longer have to be at a disadvantage because you live in a less-populated area because the Internet allows everyone everywhere to have the same opportunities readily available. Online classes are also beneficial to handicapped persons, having the want to, to advance further in education, without having to trouble themselves across a physical campus. The last major benefit that online classes have is greater communication. In an online class, you are not limited to asking questions during class or office hours, you have direct access to your instructor via email or message boards. This is especially helpful for students who are normally to shy in a traditional classroom setting. The majority of colleges and universities now offer some form of distance learning as part of their curriculum. In addition, with the benefits listed here and many others, it is easy to see why online classes have become so popular. However, as with everything, online classes have disadvantages too. One disadvantage to online classes is for the social learners. Those who enjoy seeing and hearing their fellow classmates and instructor miss the in-person interactions when taking online classes. When students are in a classroom they gain an education while interacting with other members of the class and instructors, and this develops their social skills. Being online means students do not meet other people face to face, and all the social interaction takes place through words typed onto the screen. Another disadvantage is some online classes require students to log onto their computers many hours each week to complete course work. By doing this, it takes away the flexibility of an online class. Another hurdle that students can face is t...