preview

Non Traditional Classes

Decent Essays

Over the past several years in particular, technology has been increasingly implemented into education as both a resource and a medium. From e-books to online classes, these means of education are becoming common place in many colleges and provide many advantages to both traditional and nontraditional students; however, should internet and computer based schooling, in spite of the benefits, be considered a fully viable, or academically healthy substitute for physical materials, and classroom based classes? Could the rise of web classes challenge the validity of some courses? While we should utilize and get the most out of internet classes and technological resources as necessary, for the sake of permanence and reliability, physical classes …show more content…

One such convenience is the general flexibility that many online classes provide (Bird). This flexibility allows online classes to be more adaptive to those desiring a more personal pace; this makes online classes more convenient for non-traditional students with other obligations, such as work or family, molding more easily with their schedules (Bird). Online classes also work well with more independent students with enough self-discipline, who don’t want to be restricted by the pace of a classroom setting. Online classes can be a valuable alternative to both traditional and non-traditional students desiring a compliant class schedule. It is clear that technology has provided a number of benefits to modern education. From digital texts to digital classes, technologies advantages have been gladly accepted by students and schools alike. Nonetheless, to say these advantages make physical texts and classroom based courses obsolete is far from the truth. Though useful as an occasional alternative, and as a supplement, digital education has not surpassed the need for its tangible …show more content…

Near the beginning of his article, Jenkins cites the pass rate of online classes as fifty percent compared to the seventy to seventy-five percent rate in face-to-face classes (Jenkins). One of the reasons that Jenkins provides for this is the fact that some online classes are “only good enough” to replace their classroom counterparts, and some not at all; however, Jenkins writes that the greatest reason for this is the fact that online courses are typically more difficult than land-based classes, because they “require a tremendous amount of self-discipline and no small amount of academic ability and technical competence” (Jenkins). Perhaps more crucially, Jenkins asserts that some courses simply can’t be adequately learned

Get Access