The number of online classes offered by the U is not as high as it is at some other in-state schools, but the amount the U offers currently meets students’ needs.
Many students complain about the lack of online courses at the U, claiming that there should be more to accommodate the needs of the various types of commuters on our campus.
On one hand, there need to be some online classes available to those students who simply can’t fit a regular class into their schedule. On the other hand, too many online classes dilute the quality of education that is available at the U.
The education gained in an online course is simply not of the same caliber as that gained in a regular class. True, how much a student learns in an online class is up to that individual student-and many students take their educations with an online class very seriously. Still, whether students keeps up with their assignments or whether they find answers on Google during their online tests is entirely up to them as individuals, and there is no way it can be tracked in an online class.
Most students will procrastinate their online assignments until the night before the final. Others will spend all semester learning on their own schedule, immersing themselves in the course curriculum.
But the fact is that no matter how diligent a student is, an online class is not as good as a real class. Posting comments on a discussion board is obviously not the same as actually interacting with a professor and fellow students. When problems arise in an online class, be they technical or with the curriculum itself, contacting a professor with questions and concerns is far more difficult.
At the same time, it should be acknowledged that while an online class is not as good as a real class, it is far better than no class at all. For students who genuinely cannot fit a traditional class into their schedule, an online class might be their only chance to further their education. For that reason alone, online classes should continued to be offered at the U-but not in greater number than they are now.
The individual student is ultimately the director of his or her educational destiny. One or two online courses taken for convenience’s sake will not seriously harm a student’s education-but entire semesters full of them very well might.
Regardless, that is the student’s choice. If students want to cheat themselves of a true college education and experience by loading up on online courses, that should be their prerogative.