Online Classes Vs. Traditional Classes Essay

As technology became more accessible, the diversification in student populations developed hand-in-hand with more diverse course delivery methods (O’Malley and McCraw). Today, online courses are offered at most colleges to fit the needs of their diverse study bodies, and students who otherwise, would not be able to take these courses. A study published in US News reported, more than six million students took at least one online course during the fall 2010 semester, which is an increase of over ten percent from the fall 2009 semester (Lytle).

Online degrees are becoming an ever more trendy method to receive a college education and many students are switching to online education due to the quality of material, ease, and the level of flexibility in distance education programs. Recently, the internet has developed into a reliable capital of information for college seekers. Everything from applying for financial assistance to taking a course can be done online. Now, a student can even obtain online degrees from one of many schools offering online education as a practical choice to a traditional classroom education. There’s a load of information regarding online education, and distance education is becoming increasingly popular for students everywhere.

With all the publicity over online courses, great professors alike have been determined to find out whether online courses are just as effective as face-to-face classes. There have been some controversies over the situation; therefore, several studies have been made. One study by Adam Driscoll, Karl Jicha, Andrea Hunt, Lisa Tichavsky, and Greatchen Thompson shows that given the appropriate pedagogy or instruction, online courses is just as an effective teaching format as face-to-face classes (Driscoll, Jicha, Hunt, Tichavsky, & Thompson, 2012). The study showed that when comparing online courses against face-to-face courses, the midterm scores for both teaching platforms are the same. Given that the GPA of the students is taken into consideration, the test grades do not improve or become worse when the class is taken online. The same study showed that when comparing online courses to face-to-face courses, the student satisfaction does not increase or decrease when

The Internet has also changed the way students learn. Online classes are more readily available compared to several years ago. By means of online classes more adult students pursuing higher education are able to make that dream become a reality. Students attending online classes offer different viewpoints with fellow students and are able to communicate without feeling that a correct answer needs to be given.

Writer Bill Maxwell, in his essay “No Short Cuts in Long-distance Learning,” explains the pros and cons of online learning. Maxwell stands heavily on traditional classroom settings rather than the new technological way of earning a degree. As the demand for education in the work field, America has been pushing online classes, even though the dropout rate is extremely higher. In this article, Maxwell uses quite a few statistics in order to inform the reader why he is not a big fan of online classes. One of his argumentative statements was that research shows that many students taking online classes do not graduate, or further their education to a university as often as community college students. This essay was an easy read, but if he had used

Online classes have turned out to be to a greater degree a pattern for different individuals. Adaptability and openness from anyplace makes online courses simpler for understudies

The number of students taking online classes and the number of colleges offering them nowadays, is staggering. Some experts reported in 2013, that “more than 6.7 million students – 32 percent of total higher ed enrollment,” (Sheehy, 2013) took at least one online class the previous academic year. That same report lists 62.4 percent of college campus offer fully online degrees, which is up from the 32.5 percent in 2002 (Sheehy, 2013). Another expert reported in 2013, “The number of college students taking at least one online course nearly doubled, from 23 percent to 45, over the last five years,” (Bolkan, 2013).

In the last twenty years, internet has become the driving force for the development of our society. It significantly changed our life in many ways, such as online education. In 2002, more than 1.6 million college students took online courses and unsurprisingly, this number almost tripled in 2008 (Allen and Seaman, 2010). Queen and Lewis found (2011), “74% of school districts with distance education programs planned to expand online offerings over the next 3 years.” However, although many students and instructors are using online education, the debate about the efficiency of online instruction comparing with that by traditional mode still going on as online education does not achieved universal acceptance. Thus, it is necessary to examine

The Ohio State University continues to change, adapting and integrating successful and new educational practices, to fit the needs of their students. One of the biggest changes taking place is the growing popularity of online education. Over the years, the Ohio State University has offered a number of online courses which continues to grow each year. Because of such growth, many play with the idea that Universities, such as Ohio State, could eventually offer a completely online education. I believe that the expanding variety and availability of these online courses will allow students to take many of their courses online. However, I also believe that while online courses successfully help a variety of students, not all students should seek this kind of education. Some students may challenge my view by saying the benefits of an online education outweigh the costs, while, other students are afraid to stray from tradition and, therefore, do not give online education thought. Even though online education is not suited for everyone it’s benefits such as convenience, price, and flexibility often overrides the importance of effectiveness and quality in the eyes of a student.

Another important distinction between the two types of courses is the limited human interaction in online courses. While conventional classes afford real communication with the teacher, most online classes are done strictly over the Internet which means that in almost all cases the teacher and student will never actually meet or even really interact. These benefits go both ways, students and teachers alike have much to gain from human interaction, whether for a teacher to better asses a student’s understanding through facial expressions or tone of voice while asking questions, or students forming a connection with the teacher and thereby feeling comfortable asking those questions. This friendliness often generates wide ranging discussions, which contribute greatly to the learning experience.

Students in the virtual learning environment develop a challenge with rigorous and relevant assignments and assessments that are designed to meet today’s new standards of education. The online learning setting will allow the student to prepare for college readiness and career preparedness. In addition, online schooling is Internet based, and students have the capability to access their studies 24-7, which allows flexibility for the student for a precise and personalized education. The students are in the front row and have interaction with their instructors because they are responsible for every lesson. Online education opportunities are becoming more widespread because they give students a wider range of learning experiences than they might have in the traditional brick-and-mortar classroom.

In contemporary times, the technological advancement known as the Internet, has revolutionized the way in which society is educated. This tool greatly impacts not only the field of education, but every aspect of society. Indeed, Lewin documents, “those ages 8 to 18 spend more than seven and a half hours a day” (A1), connected to the Internet. This citation illustrates the extensive amount of time today’s youth are online. To that end, the Internet is prevalent in many homes throughout the world and continues to influence the way in which people are educated both in the classroom and even while performing homework. The impact of the Internet becomes evident when one begins to examine similarities and differences between the slew of

Taking a class online compared to taking a traditional, face-to-face class is diverse in their effectiveness of giving people education. An online class offers course information on a screen; whereas, traditional classes provide face-to-face interaction with the instructor. In “A Plea for ‘Close Learning’”, an essay written by Scott Newstok, affirms, “Computers can accelerate the exchange of information and facilitate ‘training,’ but not the development of knowledge, much less wisdom” (Newstok 452). As an associate professor at Rhodes College, Newstok has taught traditional classes and online classes. He explains that online courses have an equal amount of content as a traditional course; however, a traditional course is more effective in styles of learning: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Furthermore, in a traditional classroom setting, questions can be readily answered allowing for further understanding, while online classes take more time to ask and answer questions that can be complexing to students and instructors. There are varying degrees of effectiveness when comparing online versus traditional courses in terms of providing students with the maximum educational benefits. Newstok is correct when arguing the fact that online classes are not as effective as traditional learning with statistics showing that cheating is easier on online courses. Students find online courses more difficult than traditional

So, you have decided you want to go to college. Do you know what your options are? Read on to get a brief look at what these options have to offer and see what the pros and cons of each choice are. Every student is different and is looking for the type of college that fits them the best. Learning style and personal study preferences tend to assist in making the right choice. Attending college on a campus or online have similar outcomes but differ in how students attend class, complete class work, and interact with teachers and classmates. The decision is yours to make.

The Online Orientation to Successful Online course was implemented with a small group of 3 volunteer student support Advisors. Even though I originally had 5 volunteer, only three signed up and completed the course. The participants were two female and one male with similar technology and background educational experience. The course was conducted using the learner management system CourseSite. The course was conducted by two student support specialist and one enrollment specialist who agreed to participate in the pilot course and provide honest opinion on their experience. Each participant had the opportunity to collaborate and interact with each other inside the course after receiving their enrollment information via email. Although,