Online schooling is one of those things that I could only dream of when I went to FIDM in the early 2000s. I had a wicked 2-hour-each-way-commute, and aside from pattern classes, there was no reason for me to make that commute. I wanted online or at least hybrid courses, to save not only my wallet from gas prices, but my car from its inevitable early demise (joke's on me, that car was a tank and lasted 10 whole years).
Also, online classes would have saved my sanity. There's something to be said about losing 4 hours a day to just getting somewhere...time I would never get back.
However, the world has evolved since then, and the online world has become fully integrated with the "real world." When I went to my JC this time around, I took a few online-only classes only because all the other classes were full, and as a person with a high credit count, I had no registration priority so these classes were the scrapings at the bottom of the registration barrel. I wasn't very fond of the online classes I took at my JC...we were tested on minuscule details in the readings and had to turn in papers that took way too much time...at least in comparison to the ones from regular classes.
So when I transferred to an Online Only school, I was a little wary, especially as it was an "advanced," fast-paced college, or so I was told. I soon found that while condensed (a semester was supposedly condensed into 8-week classes), they were not advanced at all. I found that the classes from the JC were much harder than the ones at the Online Only school.
I wanted to compare and contrast the differences between online and class meeting type classes.
Traditional Class Meetings
Pros:
- More face to face interaction with your professors, which helps them to know who you are. Also, you can get questions answered right then and there.
- If you are the type of learner that needs to focus on auditory information, or PowerPoints that are being explained in the moment, this is the best class type for you.
- You can interact with other students, which helps if you are very social, or like to discuss information in the moment.
- Often you do not have to read all the books in the class, and can get away with just going off the lectures.
- Sometimes these classes come with aides or tutors that can help you - for free - and you can go to these people for help.
- Registration is often a free-for-all, especially if you transfer in or are a returning student and have credits left over. You often do not have registration priority, and if you have work or children to take care of, it is often hard to find classes that fit your schedule.
- You have to be on time, and attend the class physically...which sucks if you are "not feeling it" one day or another. Skipping class can often set you behind.
- You have to learn at the pace of the class, which means if it is too slow for you, you will be bored. If it is too fast-paced, you are continuously playing catch up, and are anxious.
- Not all of these classes come with aides or tutors, and you may have to compete for space and time to see tutors at school centers.
- Being of a physical format type of school, if you want to see any sort of administration, you need to schedule way ahead of time and cannot just call to get quick answers.
Online Only Class Types
Pros:
- You can move at the pace you want, which means if you need extra time, you can take it. If you are a faster learner, you can get everything done as fast as you want.
- You can even work ahead of time and turn things in when you want.
- Teachers, administration, and advisors are a phone call or email away.
- You can craft your own learning style into your class. I am a visual learner, so I was able to work better with this format. I also love to read, so the reading wasn't too big a deal for me.
- Powerpoints and lectures are available at any time, so you can revisit them whenever you want.
- There is usually an online tutoring system that you can access at any time, at any day, whenever you want.
- Professors usually respond to your emails with a well written and detailed response, and seem happy to answer your questions. They seem eager to help.
- Classes are registered for you so that you always get classes you need, when you need them, and you do not have to fight for space in classes.
- The library is usually all online, and you can access things without having to go to the physical library.
- You can work on stuff literally everywhere. On your lunch breaks, while commuting to work (as long as you aren't driving, of course), from your phone, you name it.
- Discussion boards, which are designed to have you connect to the content of the class, the professor, and the other students, are often usually just busy-work. Other students will give form responses that are generic and do not create discussion. Professors respond to you maybe 10% of the time.
- You have to read all the material, and will get tested on it.
- No face-to-face interaction.
- Sometimes professors take a while to respond to your emails.
- This type of school costs a lot of money in comparison to JCs.
- Not all your credits may transfer, and you may have to retake a few classes to meet the online-only school's credit minimum.
- If you go to a Christian school like me, you will often have Christian classes thrown in that you must take. If you go to a specialty school like that, you may have to take some extra classes that aren't related to your major that you weren't prepared to take.
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