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
Cathy N. Davidson suggests an innovative education system, providing an emphasis in today’s digital era, and claiming that the existing education system needs to be renewed according to the new expectations of the digital era. Davidson states that,” In the last half century, many changes have occurred in the technology field, however, classrooms and educational methods have remained fairly steady for the past years as well in consequence students are not being prepared for the future advances of society.” That being said, it is important to improve and to give a change to the current educational methods, adjusting them to the existing demands of the era that we are living and taking advantage of the resources that it provides. “What if we continued to the lesson of internet itself,
Technology has many attributes and applications that improve livelihoods. As a student myself, one of the most obvious advancements is in the field of education. Educational technology has slowly been integrated into classrooms over the last decade. Today, the basis of technology, digital literacy, is a crucial skill for academics. “Students who are digitally literate know how to effectively use technology to collaborate, create original content, and conduct in-depth research for academic purposes” (Dotterer, “Fostering Digital Citizenship In The Classroom”). Some worry that the use of technology will encourage people to “cease to exercise their memory and become forgetful” (qtd. In Carr, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”).
In his 2011 article, “Reliance on Online Materials Hinders Learning Potential for Students,” David Smith attempts to build upon student’s obligated online interaction to make a case against online classes. Smith first shows how much today’s learners must use online materials by using the example of his own Alma Mater. By referencing his own experience at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln, with MyRED and EBSCO search engine, Smith lays the grounds for the focus of his argument. He then attempts to use what seem to be personal examples of experience with online coursework while begging the question through repeated examples. By failing to establish the credibility of his facts, attempting to force his own
With all the publicity over online courses, great professors alike have been determined to find out whether online courses are just as effective as face-to-face classes. There have been some controversies over the situation; therefore, several studies have been made. One study by Adam Driscoll, Karl Jicha, Andrea Hunt, Lisa Tichavsky, and Greatchen Thompson shows that given the appropriate pedagogy or instruction, online courses is just as an effective teaching format as face-to-face classes (Driscoll, Jicha, Hunt, Tichavsky, & Thompson, 2012). The study showed that when comparing online courses against face-to-face courses, the midterm scores for both teaching platforms are the same. Given that the GPA of the students is taken into consideration, the test grades do not improve or become worse when the class is taken online. The same study showed that when comparing online courses to face-to-face courses, the student satisfaction does not increase or decrease when
Online education as “easy” as instructors or adults like to put it, it is very stressful. Your “flexible” schedule isn’t really flexible. Depending on the class and how many assignments are required to be turn in a week you sometimes would have to give up doing what you would normally do in your normal schedule just to avoid not failing. Smith states “They must attend class on a regular basis or suffer the consequences, typically complete regular homework assignments for points, and are constantly reminded of the work that has to be done by the ever-present figure of the professor” (Par 10). There are test, quizzes, and exams taken through the online courses and if there are only certain time frames for either one and a student misses it, it hurts the student’s grade and could cause he or she to start failing and get
The tools used for mainstream education in America are, at an ever increasing rate, shifting from physical to digital. Schools across the nation have spent the last decade integrating technology into education in an attempt to make learning more engaging for students. As schools join the charge for digital instruction they must heavily evaluate their motives, the realistic applications of new technology, and the consequences it may have on their students.
This is a necessity for staying relevant in an increasingly internet-dependent society. Those in higher education must not cling to the traditional classroom. Traditional classes may still have their place, but they are becoming increasingly less preferable to hybrid and completely online alternatives. Unlike its traditional counterpart, online education is better suited towards handling a varied demographic of students. Its advantages lie in the flexibility of its schedule. A student who would be working around the usual time a traditional class would be taking place would have a much easier time fitting an online class into their schedule (Britt 31). For those who feel they need the physical interaction with their instructor, many classes are being offered with varying degrees of hybridity between the traditional class and an online class (Britt 33). As education continues to evolve, more options for digital schooling should become
In today’s society, so many people are continuing their education beyond high school. We realize that in order to make a decent living, a degree is most likely a requirement. In some cases even a bachelor’s degree is not enough to qualify for many positions. Nevertheless, thanks to technology, we now have the option to learn online or in a traditional classroom setting. There are very few differences between the two, and students need to understand that as much time and energy will need to be devoted to the online courses as on a campus. “A 2010 meta-analysis and review of online-learning studies concluded that online learning was as good as or slightly more effective than traditional face-to-face instruction” (Mendenhall, 2011).
Students are required to learn massive amounts of course material. It is mandatory to learn at the instructor’s pace. Online courses give flexibility while scheduling to learn this material. Students are overwhelmed with homework throughout the duration of each class. Some have up to four classes of homework due weekly. It can be difficult for many to absorb all the material while scheduling work and home life. Trying to arrange the balance of each can be tiring for the body and mind. When taking online classes, there is an advantage to have the capability to learn the subject when the brain and body are ready to handle it. This flexibility can give the benefit of the full focus on schoolwork. On-campus classes give the benefit of help on the spot when needed, but students that take a
However, advocates of classroom learning believe the online method isolates the students from one another as well as their professor minimizing the overall value of taking the course. They also claim that students learn better when working together with their instructor and their fellow classmates. Students learn better when they are given the opportunity to ask questions, join in class discussions, and they move the process of learning forward through their participation. Face-to-face advocates firmly believe that this kind of interaction is not possible over the Internet; and for many types of education, e-learning will never meet the potential of live human interaction in the classroom. An article in the New York Times titled, “Second Thoughts on Online Education,” backs up the points made above. A recent research published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, comes to the conclusion; “A rush to online education
People can take online courses these days. It is a chance for most people to get online courses on their own place. Students have the capacity to look over many diverse programs that would help them with their needs. Nowadays, most of the programs are available online from each department like business, management, and information technology. Additionally, students can browse different sorts of degree. The online courses have lower costs since they do not buy textbooks; they can downloads all assignments and all different materials that are required for their classes. Another benefit of these online classes is saving time since students do not have to attend classes, so they might have more time to do their assignments and study. Online classes evacuate the anxiety by permitting learners to study when it is helpful for most learners would like to study at different time. Likewise, students at schools have to take their exams and quizzes on the day their instructor planned for , but
Technology is changing every aspect in our lives, even the way we learn. Online classes are a rapidly growing trend it today’s society. Online classes are a cost-effective substitute for traditional courses and more convenient for many, so more schools and universities are offering this option. Due to the increase in online course enrollment, people are questioning if students truly learn something from online classes because it’s not a traditional learning environment. Online classes are just, if not more, effective as traditional classes because grades have increased and online discussions provide students with the chance to interact through networking while earning a degree for less than what it would cost to enroll at the same university.
Online classes have boomed lately, but are they really worth all the work, or should we stick to traditional classrooms? More and more people, especially these days have been enrolling in online classes, due to the new technology being released. Online classes have been at lower quality because of 3 reasons: how easy it is to cheat on them, the amount of money being put into them is outrageous, and how small amount of control the professors have.
Across the U.S., technology used in education has been increasing exponentially. Every learning institution ranging from elementary school to college have incorporated technology into their teachings. Online textbooks, quizzes, notes, and classes are all examples of how education has been utilizing technology. While technology has a place in education, not everything in education needs to involve technology.
Andrew Simoncelli once said, “Students who take online classes must be motivated, independent learners.” This is relevant because independence and motivation is what it takes to succeed in an online course. Online learning will not only expand what students learn, but will also bring a number of positive changes in the way students are taught. Courses online have changed everyone’s look at learning all over the world. It allows more opportunities for observers to learn online rather than learning in class. Another affirmative of taking an online course is flexibility and convenience. Students who would like to experience some of these ideas should look into an online class!