Challenges of Online Education
by: Jesse Whitehead Enrollment in online education is at an all time high, according to a recent contemplate by the Sloan Consortium. Based on responses from more than 2,200 colleges and universities across the U.S., the study reveals that 3.2 million students took at least one online plan in the fall of 2005, an increase of 850,000 more than the year inhabitfore. The report is available at www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/index.asp. With the rise in popularity of e-learning comes some unique challenges not extant with more long-established classrooms. Students need to be aware of the differences between online and traditional classes and be prepared to make the necessary adjustments. denoting challenges faced by online students include the following: - Technical problems. Computer hardware and peripheral devices such as printers, modems and routers are not indestructible; as with any spare man-made device, they can break down or malfunction at the most inopportune time. In addition to equipment failure, an older pc may be incompatible with some software required for the course. Viruses, trojans, spyware and other malware could infect a computer, causing it to run poorly or not at all. A slow internet connection efficiency cause problems logging into class, retrieving and submitting assignments, and posting to threaded discussions. Any of these problems could cause a great deal of frustration for the student hard to complete course assignments. Therefore, it is important for the student to have course to a backup computer to use in context of equipment malfunction. - Staying motivated. Going to school always requires a certain level of motivation from a student regardless of whether it’s a “bricks-and-mortar” investiture or online class. In a traditional classroom setting, a student has live, face-to-face interaction with the instructor and fellow students — a camaraderie that may help boost enthusiasm and motivation for the course. In an internet-based class however, there is no live contact with instructor and classmates — the student works alone in a virtual environment. This lack of live contact may lead to a touch apprehension of isolation, and make it difficult for a student without a high in-house commitment or personal drive to stay motivated during the course. - Self-discipline. As with motivation, a student needs good self-discipline to succeed online. The freedom and flexibility of e-learning is what’s so attractive to many people. There’s no obligation to login to class at any particular time or place — you can go to class and do your assignments whenever it’s convenient for you. However, this same freedom can lead to procrastination, and cause the unwary or undisciplined student to fall behind in his assignments. Once behind, it can be difficult to catch up. - It’s difficult to improve vocal communication skills. There are many classes such as speech, drama, debate, teacher education and so forth that require the student to make oral presentations in front of a group of people. With online courses this is not practical, as the classroom is virtual, and the students are not all gathered ad as a group at one time in one room. A student wishing to improve oral communication skills may need to take these classes in a traditional classroom course. - Classes with lab or hands-on requirements may not be available online. If a lab course cannot be simulated or practically offered online, a student will need to take the course at a local college campus or other location with the necessary facilities for completing the course work. Students considering taking online courses need to be aware of these and other challenges, and be prepared to meet them in order to be at the top of the tree online. If any challenge seems insurmountable, the student should reconsider the online option and perhaps take a traditional ground-based course instead. Article source: http://www.articlecity.com/