Online course delivery is becoming a dominant force in higher education at all levels – undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral. At first, there was a large amount of skepticism regarding college coursework online, particularly regarding a fully online degree program.
Part of this skepticism was raised due to several cases of unaccredited “degree mills” which allowed student to basically purchase a degree online. In the past few years, there has been better regulation and accreditation of online programs which has put the “degree mills” out of business.
Additionally, as many well-known institutions now offer online programs, an air of legitimacy has been somewhat established for online learning. The other, longer-lingering part of the skepticism toward online programs is the misconception that online coursework is less rigorous and inferior to face-to-face delivery, particularly at the graduate and doctoral levels.
There seems to be a sense of “not paying one’s dues” if one isn’t enrolled in a traditional, brick-and-mortar programs; the starving graduate/doctoral candidate paradigm simply isn’t fulfilled in an online program. Regardless of the rhetoric, there are definite advantages for the student learner that exists in the online format of course delivery.
- Flexibility regarding attendance times. For adult learners, one of the hardest parts of pursuing a college degree is time. Full-time, traditional students have greater ability to schedule their lives around their classes. Adult learners, however, have jobs and families and a host of other responsibilities that make their time a very limited and precious commodity. Online courses allow students to attend class when it is convenient for them. While there is a structure for “check ins” to a class website, they are set up in terms of days, not specific “class” hours.
- Ability to move relatively at one’s own pace. While online courses do have a syllabus that must be followed, many online learners feel that they have greater control over the pacing of their involvement with the material. Students know what assignments are due on what date, the expectations for assessments, and other critical pieces that are used to determine a final grade. Online learners feel more “allowed” to work on these assignments at their own pace and in their own way because of the ability to pace one’s self.
- A largely independent work structure. Students who work better alone, the intrapersonal, introverted learners, thrive in the online environment. They can decide how much involvement they want to have with their classmates beyond the mandatory participation standards of the syllabus. Intrapersonal and introverted learners tend to understand material best if they can process it on their own before discussing it with others either verbally or in writing. These learners are comfortable with and capable of handling course material on their own.
- Flexibility of location. Online courses allow learners to access their online “classroom” anywhere there is an internet connection. Therefore, online learners are able to be “in class” while on public transportation to work, on their lunch break, at home or while on a trip. Online students also enjoy the ability to work in the environment that is most conducive to doing their best work, which, for many people, isn’t in a classroom. Students can attend a college that is very far from their home that specializes in their field. Location and distance isn’t a factor with online learning — all eligible students have access to all colleges without the added expense of living on campus.
- Less time lost to busywork and classroom management issues. While not as prevalent in the college classroom as in lower grades, there are still classroom management issues when attending a face-to-face class. Sidebar conversations, cell phones, texting, and other distractions occur at the very least once per class in a face-to-face college classroom. There is also a propensity for instructors to add in activities and group work in order to stimulate conversation in a face-to-face classroom. In the online classroom, conversation, while staged on a bulletin board, actually become more effective because there is little time wasted on trying to get conversation started. One frustration many adult learners have is the use of activities and group readings of material during class. While the theory is valid, the practice ends up frustrating learners who already feel as if they are on a limited schedule. While online, the management issues don’t exist and discussions that are posted tend to be more directed and focused than usually happens in the face-to-face classroom.
There are many other benefits to online education; however, these represent those most cited by online learners. While online learning isn’t for everyone, it does provide an opportunity for those who don’t fit the typical student profile to earn their college degree. It also puts the opportunity for advanced degrees in the hands of those who cannot follow the “starving grad student” paradigm of the past due to work and family commitments. Technology has changed the face of education and the face of the student making the combined populations of online and traditional students one of the most diverse in history.
Barry Atkins is Managing Director of PASS Training, a provider of electrical training courses, or the City & Guilds 17th edition exam only for technicians in the UK. You can find Barry on Google+.
