How Online College Classes Work
By Tim Arnold
It's no secret that more and more people
are looking to the internet for a convenient
way to further their education. Online classes
are a great way to obtain an accredited college
degree from home and continue to work a full
time job. Many times a student can attend
classes from their computer and schedule those
classes around their job. Some schools allow
the student to login to a class at their convenience.
Imagine taking a class from the comfort of
your own home and not having to deal with
parking problems, child care, lunch, or transportation
expenses.
You can also get an online degree from
top, accredited online colleges and online
schools that may not be available in your
local area. An online education is also
a great option for non-traditional students,
the handicapped, people in remote areas,
and people with a full-time job or a schedule
that doesn't allow for a traditional education.
Distance education can be delivered in
several ways. We will examine two of the
many ways education can be delivered via
the internet.
One of the most common is through live
media. In this type of online classroom,
students typically login to a chat room
type environment that allows not only
for text chat but also live audio chat,
similar to many of the popular "instant
messaging" programs that are widely used
today. The lecture can be heard through
the computer speakers or through a set
of headphones. The students communicate
with the teacher and other students by
text chat or simply by talking into a
PC microphone. The teacher can also allow
students to view him/her in a smaller
window on the monitor via a webcam. The
lecture can also be recorded and posted
to the school website to allow students
to listen to the lecture and review the
material at a later time according to
their schedule, and as many times as necessary.
This type of online class makes it necessary
to be at the computer at a scheduled time
each day.
One advantage to this type of online
college classroom environment is the student
receives live instruction with structured
classes. It is well known that students
working within in a structured setting
have a higher probability of success of
finishing their degree. An obvious disadvantage
would be lack of scheduling flexibility.
Another variation of the online classroom
setting involves text messages such as
email and message boards. Each class may
share a group mailbox or a message board
system, which becomes the "electronic
classroom". The instructor generally
posts lectures on the topic of study,
posts the assignments, and provides discussion
questions related to the topic. The student
can view lectures, notes from the instructor
and other students, and assigned projects.
The student can also post messages or
questions to the instructor and other
students.
One advantage of this system is 24 hour
access to course materials and the ability
to work at one's own pace without regard
to scheduling. A disadvantage would be
lack of direct contact with the instructor.
In both scenarios students are expected
to logon to the class site a certain number
of days per week. Students also can contact
the instructor via e-mail to ask questions
or receive answers. When assignments are
due, students send them to the instructor
online, where they are graded and returned.
Students may also have access to their
individual performance reports by logging
in to a website where that information
is posted. Test may also be taken online.
Typically, online classes last five to
six weeks.
Although the degree of difficulty is
the same for the online classroom as in
a traditional setting, the internet has
broken down many barriers for people wanting
to obtain higher education.
About The Author
Timothy D. Arnold has recruited college
students for http://www.acit.com
and also recruits students via his
online college portal at http://www.all-college-degrees.com
