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May 07, 2001

Online Course Assessment

by Brandi Ratcliff

In today's society, online courses are widely used in colleges providing easy access to
course materials, classroom discussions, and feedback to instructors. The course
materials and activities may be accessed from any computer, whether it is from the
University or from the comfort of your own home. I've taken two online courses since
I've been in college and have benefited from those classes. There are a few reasons to
why I'm drawn to an online education course as opposed to taking courses in a
traditional classroom setting. First of all, I have a full-time job, which limits my
opportunities to attend classes scheduled during normal school hours. Also online
classes allow me to work on my own and move at my own pace. Finally, these classes
offer more of a one-on-one teacher-student relationship rather than a teacher having to
spread their focus amongst thirty other students.

Having a full time job makes it very difficult to schedule your classes. The hours I
have scheduled at my job conflict with the times that most classes are offered. The
use of online courses has made life at work easier, since my manager refuses to work
around school schedules. Since I don't have to meet on a regularly basis, I don't have
to leave my job to meet on campus. It is very convenient for me not having to meet on
a regular basis. When a person has to work full time, it is hard for that person to
successfully juggle their job responsibilities along with homework and study. A
person can always take an online course to deal with the time constraints that a job
will put on you. The use of online courses allows you to cover the material needed in
school while maintaining your workload.

I've learned that to be a successful distance learner, you have to be self-disciplined

and able to work well on your own. Since you won't be physically going to class each
week, you can take part in class from the comfort of your own home. You must be
self-disciplined because the instructor won�t constantly be there to remind you of
assignments or of project deadlines. Other obligations may mean that you are not able
to do the work as regularly as if you were physically attending class, it will be up to
you to make sure that you are keeping up with all the work for the course. Also, one
of the main objectives of college is to become a well-rounded individual, with the
skills needed to successfully manage a busy agenda.

The first online course I took, I just thought that the work for the course could be put
off until I had time to do the work. In doing this, I got very far behind. It took me
awhile to catch back up with the assignments and I promised myself that I would
never let that happen again. The students who procrastinate about their assignments,
usually either wind up withdrawing from the course late in the semester because they
have fallen far behind or receiving an "F" in the course because they have not
completed the required class-work by the time the course is over. A student should
leave time in their schedule in order to complete the online courses successfully.
Although online classes are more convenient, than traditional college classes, they
should be looked at as typical college classes and not taken lightly.

Being able to communicate with instructors and other students, that are taking these
courses, has made me be a more active participant during the courses. With the two
online courses I�ve taken, I have never felt it difficult to communicate with my
instructor to ask for help or clarification of an assignment. All of these instructors and
the students taking these classes have been very helpful to me. The online courses
offer a discussion board to send posts to your fellow students. You get a chance to
read and critique each other�s work and respond to the comments of your
classmates. I�ve learned that by discussing each other�s ideas we are in turn
challenging each other to examine our own thoughts and feelings. This makes class
work more interesting as we get a chance to share personal experiences in the
discussion while improving on our writing style.

Any student that is interested in taking an online course should do research on the
class and speak with the instructor before enrolling. Personally, I would recommend
online courses to anyone that has a busy schedule, such as having a full time job or
having family responsibilities. Also, you are able to learn well by doing the required
work on your own, without depending solely on interaction with other students as a
means of learning. Online courses are a great alternative to the student who must hold
a full-time job while enrolled in college. Online courses are not only convenient but
they teach you how to become a more disciplined scholar.

My Experience as an Online Student

by Debra Sicard

    My online classes are a convenience for me. They allow me to take additional
classes that would not have fit into my schedule otherwise. I am not a traditional
student, so I have non-traditional needs. Internet classes allow me to remain at home
with my family. Taking Internet classes has many advantages for a non-traditional,
and traditional student, such as: saving money, saving time, and most of all the
convenience. Internet classes are the answer for many students with non-traditional
needs. However, the only downfall to my Internet class was a computer virus, which
was disastrous. I lost everything on my computer, but as for the important files I had
backup on floppies. I was lucky, my sister-in-law came within a few days and fixed
my computer, so I did not get too far behind. This situation should be considered
when taking an Internet class. 
   In my experience with Internet classes, the good far outweigh the bad. Taking
Internet classes has saved me money. If I were taking traditional classes,  I would be
spending about twenty dollars a week in gas alone, not to mention the wear and tear
on my car. The only expense that I incur with Internet classes is my server charge,
which is about twenty-five dollars a month. That means by taking Internet classes I
am saving over eighty dollars a month, and that does not include wear and tear on my
car. I could finance a new computer with the savings from taking online classes.
    Also, Internet classes save time, and saving time is important to me. The travel
time alone is time enough for me to complete my assignments. It would take me
forty-five minutes to travel to Hammond from Mandeville, and that is only one way.
The extra hour and a half makes a big difference when I am a wife, a mother of three
children, a full time student, and I work part time. For example, if I spend one hour a
day working on my assignments, that means that I still have an extra half hour of free
time each day; time that I would normally have to spend commuting to and from
school.
    Furthermore, I have learned just as much online as I would have in a traditional
class. I do not have the interactions with the instructor and the classmates, but I can
email my instructor or my classmates at anytime. Internet classes have the discussion
board where my classmates and I can exchange comments and ideas about our papers
online. I do not feel as though I am missing out on anything by taking online classes.
Actually, I am gaining much more that I am losing. For example, I involve my family
in my Internet assignments, and I get ideas from them on assignments. I make a list
like a survey, and question everyone on his or her ideas. This is a lot of fun, and it
gives me ideas for my assignments. This is a learning experience for my whole
family. And also, I am spending time with my family; which is difficult for a non-
traditional student.
    Finally, online classes fit my lifestyle, because I am not a traditional student. If
given a choice I would take all of my classes through the Internet. Online classes have
saved me money and time. Also, online classes allow me to work, to be a wife and
mother, and it allows me to be a full time student. The only drawback for me was
when my computer crashed. Other than that my experience with online classes has
been a rewarding, learning experience.

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