Online vs. Traditional Classes

Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash

There are many factors that go into the decision of whether to take a college course online or to go the more traditional route and take them in a classroom. Things like class availability, family responsibilities, work scheduling, hybrid classes and technical requirements can all play a part in the decision to take online classes or not.

With everything that students face in today’s society it is becoming more common to utilize the online classes in order to get the requirements needed for certificates, or degrees. But before a student jumps into an online learning environment, they may need to ask themselves a few questions about their personal learning style.

Are you a self-disciplined learner? Does the student understand that they have to check their online classes almost daily in order to keep up with the assignments and requirements of each course?

Many students believe that taking an online course will be easier than the classroom version but in reality they are usually harder and have more assignments to make up for the missed face-to face time.

Do you need outside motivation? Will the student be alright not being on campus and will they be able to come in for any additional help or tutoring that they may need in order to pass the course?

Getting additional help with some classes is almost unavoidable for most students. This is something that all students need to consider before jumping into an online class with the belief that they will never have to step foot on campus.

Will you go into class for texts and Exams? Is the class a hybrid or completely online? Also something that needs to be thought about is the type of online class that is being offered. Many colleges do not offer completely online classes. They offer what is called a hybrid class that consists of the majority of your work being done on your own and quizzes, tests or just exams being held at specific dates and times. This helps the professors to rule out any cheating or misunderstanding that could occur. This helps the student and the professor in the long run. But these specific dates and times need to be planned before you register for the classes.

Do you have a learning disability? Sometimes taking an online class is harder for individuals that have learning disabilities and need the extra one on one help or maybe some extra time during tests or quizzes. For instance, if the student has a hearing disability and the class is taught using pre-recorded video’s. If the volume was recorded at a lower rate than what the student needs, then it would be harder for the student to pass the class. This puts them at a disadvantage. Also the professor may not be available as easily if that student had taken the classroom course. That is just one example of many different types of scenarios that could happen when dealing with a learning disability and online courses.

Many of these factors are important to consider when deciding how you want to proceed with scheduling college classes. As stated, it is very important to understand your learning style and how each class is offered. Understanding these points will help the student to make good decisions when choosing the correct type of classes that will help them further their education.