Online College Courses
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Posted by Naomi Rockler-Gladen Nov 30, 2006 |
Thinking about taking an online college course? Here's a few articles for you to read:
- Advantages and disadvantages of taking a college course online.
- A satirical look at the move away from the traditional classroom to online learning.
What are my thoughts on online education? Generally, I am excited about this development. To me, the most exciting part of online education is its potential for making education more accessible. While money might still be an obstacle that limits educational accessibility, time no longer has to be. People in the workforce and busy parents can learn when they are able. How cool is that?
I am concerned, however, about the degree to which the classroom community experience will translate to the classroom. At their best, classroom communities are special places. I'm a proponent of critical teaching theories that propose that a classroom should be a place where students actively participate in their own learning and in critically challenging the world. Classroom communities are places where students have the opportunity to both explore new ideas and to develop their own voices.
Can this be replicated in a classroom? Maybe. I have personally been involved in a number of online communities, and based on my experience I know that a strong sense of community can develop in an online group. This makes me optimistic, although still wary.
It's important that we don't dismiss online education as all bad, or praise it as all good. Online classes work well for students with certain learning styles, and not so well with students who learn better in a more traditional environment. Just like traditional classes, the quality of online education will vary because of the quality of instruction, the attitudes of the particular students enrolled in the class, and lots of other factors. Not all classrooms successfully provide a sense of community, so it stands to reason that not all online classes will either.