Internet Classes: A Look at Online Education

Thinking of taking some college classes online? If you're considering Internet classes, this article might just be for you. Many people of all ages, from young adults still in high-school to the retired elderly, enroll in college classes, picking up the pen and paper for a few hours a week to learn everything from English to the proverbial underwater basket-weaving. They go before work, after work, at ungodly hours of the night and morning, whenever they can fit it into their schedule. Heck, even I, the writer of this article, find time to pursue an education at the local college just a few miles away! Globally, more and more people are seeking to supplement their education, to give their resume that edge it needs to catch the eye of an employer and get a leg up on the pile of similarly trained people, all fighting for that same little spot. But, with increasingly busy schedules overall, how can people with several jobs, families, and/or an SUV find the time to take classes? People’s lives change, and if your boss calls you in during class-time, little Jimmy needs a ride, or (god forbid!) you get a bad case of the flu, you’re forced to sacrifice that day, (and ultimately, a better grade) for the pressures of ordinary life. In a four-day a week class, this isn’t so bad, (as long as you’ve got an understanding teacher and it doesn’t happen too often,) but if you, like most working people, take one of those late-night, one day a week classes, it can be devastating. Miss two like that, and most instructors will drop you, unless you’ve already got an “A” in the class and plead with them to keep you on the class roster. But, luckily, there is an alternative!With the widespread availability of the Internet and an average of almost two computers per household in the United States alone, people all over the world have started enrolling in an entirely new breed of class– the Internet class! Despite the rumors that “It’s like school, only easier,” Internet classes have made the lives of working men and women seeking an education more flexible in the long run. Instead of having “that one class late on Friday that you dread for the whole week” (while you work your butt off, no less,) Internet classes can be done at any time of the week, day or night! Working a strange and unpredictable schedule that just might change unexpectedly in the next day or so? No problem! Just log in and read the lecture on Tuesday or Wednesday instead of Thursday, or vice-versa. There are still deadlines, of course, but the luxury of going on and handling your school work whenever you feel like it during the course of the week is liberating, at the very least. Don’t want to do homework on your birthday, anniversary, kid’s baseball game? With Internet classes, you’ve usually got all week to do your assignments (Sometimes longer, in the case of major essays and projects) so as long as you’ve set aside some time to do it, you can take that special time off without feeling guilty about not doing your homework.  But flexibility in your schedule isn’t the only merit Internet classes have. If you’ve ever had trouble remembering just what that important thing was that the teacher said (that you accidentally forgot to stick in your notes), then you’ll love this next part– all lectures are typed! That’s right, everything your teacher wants you to know is right there, for as long as you need it, in a form that can be highlighted, printed, accurately quoted, and is easily accessible in times of need. Even better than that (for instructors, at least,) is the ability to redirect students to links on the Internet, allowing them to discover the wonders of a museum or university website that they might otherwise miss. “But!” one might ask, “don’t all these newfangled techno-classes avoid the important concept of good old fashioned socialization?” Perhaps, but not as much as you would think– you see, Online classes generally feature a discussion board, or forum, which works by allowing students to post a concept, an idea, or a mini-lecture about the material being discussed. Other students then read those responses (in ideal situations, there are always exceptions) and make responses to their peers’ conclusions. Some also feature real-time chat rooms, which allow the whole class to interact with the instructor simultaneously, just like a real classroom. But, as we all know, the socialization at school generally happens when class isn’t in session, meaning that the freedom of not being tied to a college for a given number of hours on a specific day every week may actually yield more time for socialization than was otherwise possible.So then, you might be wondering, “what are the drawbacks?” The answer is simple– they are the same drawbacks you take the chance of facing in any offline class; difficult material, the need for all homework to be typed (which is a problem if your teacher wants a hard copy mailed in to him or her when you don’t have a printer!) And most importantly, a bad teacher. Now, that doesn’t mean the teacher is simply “too hard” or “has a monotone voice,” no– bad teachers are something entirely different. Bad teachers don’t care. To broaden that rather general statement, let me clarify by giving some examples of bad teaching– Teachers who don’t serve their required office hours, don’t safeguard their exams (in some fashion, at least) against cheaters, and/or ignore student questions about projects, exams, or essays, making excuses like “They don’t pay me enough to answer your questions.” True, the education system is starving, so naturally the colleges are going to be scraping the bottom of the proverbial barrel in some areas. (Math is a classic example!) I’ve actually had a teacher who declared, half-way through the semester, (during which he only held class for half the required time, showing us photocopies out of the textbook instead of truly lecturing) that he was so tired of teaching, so done with the semester, that you could “see right through him.” that he was “hardly there.” That’s a bad teacher. And, it’s something that you might run into online, (though I never have, but I’m sure those bad teachers are out there teaching online classes too!) In all, the ability to take college classes online is a wonderfully liberating feeling! Just think, you could work a number of jobs, support a family, and take –if you’re brave or determined enough– a full load of classes, while still having some time here and there to spend when and how you please, with the people you love, doing the things you want to do! ...And with gas prices the way they are, it’s the economical choice as well! So, if you feel compelled to get a few extra units under your belt, check into your local college and see what kind of online classes they’re offering! Fall semester is coming quick!