Online Classes: The Good and the Bad

Meredith College has done a great job of keeping up with the times and is gradually shedding that traditional 'old school' feel. It has had the opportunity to be a trendsetter in a few areas, but it never lags far behind when it comes to staying up-to-date. Online classes are quite a common place for many people and in many areas. I think it is definitely a natural option for Meredith to offer and I am proud that we are able to keep with and maintain such a structure.

There are several advantages and disadvantages to online courses.

ADVANTAGES:

1. It's convenient. You are given units and due dates for these units, but for the most part you decide when and where you complete the coursework. You don't have to travel to class and can save money on gas and travel time.
2. You learn about new online resources. I've been forced to step outside my comfort zone and try different Internet resources such as digital locker, Google docs, virtual classroom, Skype - just to name a few. It is a 21st century skill that we all should learn this day in age.

DISADVANTAGES:

1. Making a connection to the course is challenging. Assignments in online courses are just that, assignments. I've noticed that I don't internalize what I've read unless I have a chance to discuss it in person. Call me old fashioned, but it's hard for me to connect to a course if I don't know who's in it. It also helps me to get a 'feel' for teacher by meeting in person.

2. Out of sight, out of mind. The classes that I have on campus take a bit more priority than those that are online because I will never show up to class unprepared. Online classes are just as important, however, it is easy for to forget an assignment for my online courses. You would definitely have to enhance your time management skills to be successful :)

3. The text can become your teacher. You have to be willing to do a quite a bit of 'self teaching.' Meredith professors are easy to contact, so you can always email with questions or set up an appointment. But I've realized that I will often make my best guess about what to do because making an appointment isn't always convenient and/or I can't convey my question correctly in an email. If I know that have class with that teacher next week, I can mark in the text where the question is and will remember to ask during that time. I've recognized that I am more likely to ask questions in person.

4. Online collaboration is challenging because schedules are so different. If you have to meet in person, there is an understanding that you will need to be ready by a set time and day. Online collaboration makes it a bit of a challenge because days and times that are more convenient for one person may not be convenient for next. Plus, you want to make sure that everyone has an equal investment in the project, but that's hard to do online as well; someone has to take the initiative to start a working draft, but there maybe several 'drafts' behind the scenes. Also, there is a possibility that someone does little to no work at all.

Yes, there seems that I've discovered more cons that pros to fully online classes, so it may seem obvious that online classes don't work as well for me. I enjoy the traditional 'brick and mortar,' the in-person interaction with fellow students and my professor, and even just being in a classroom (maybe that's why I'm a teacher:) But, there is a compromise. I have felt great success with hybrid courses. It's like having the best of both worlds. I've taken two hybrid courses and have enjoyed and done well with them. You will have scheduled in-person meetings with your teacher (class sessions) but you will also have those weeks that are more flexible and do some self-pacing for a smaller chunk of time (as opposed to a fully online course). I do a much better job of planning ahead and it feeds my need to interact with my peers.

I think that freshmen and sophomores should be allowed to do hybrid courses, but not online courses. This gives them the opportunity to get the hang of being in college and the rigor of the courses. A hybrid will allow them to get a taste of what it's like to take course online without feeling completely left on her/his own. By junior year, a student has a better idea about what instructional formats work best and is able to make a decision about whether or not to try a fully online course. I think gen. ed. courses should be offered in all formats.

Honestly, I wonder how a professor feels about online courses? I can't imagine the amount of screen time that is spent grading assignments, blogs, discussion boards, emails - it makes my eyes hurt just thinking about it! As a teacher, I think I would also have a hard time getting to know my students which makes the courses less personable, but that could be because I'm used to being very 'hands on' at the elementary level :) I've never had to teach a course that way, and I imagine that it takes someone who is very tech savvy to manage a course online by providing assignments, instruction, and feedback online as well as the ability to find resources via the Internet.