Traditional classroom setting better for students than online classes
Computer Information Science Professor Gregory Chapman teaches his algorithm design class in the Learning Resource Center on Feb. 24. Some students perform better in the traditional classroom setting than in an online course.
March 3, 2014
Imagine lying in bed in the morning with your pajamas on and not having to get up and rush to get ready so you are on time for your first class.
Taking classes online is a great way to make this scenario come true.
Online classes have become increasingly popular in the last few years, but is their convenience a good thing for students or does it present new obstacles that we have to overcome?
Being able to sit in your pajamas is one of few perks that online classes offer.
However, only 29 percent of people said that online classes offer equal educational value to regular classes, according to a study from EdTech, a company dedicated to bettering e-learning.
Still, any responsible college student should be able to successfully complete an online class with flying colors, right?
Only 50 percent of students are successful in taking online classes compared to a 70 to 75 percent success rate of traditional classes, according to an article from The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Sometimes having to go sit in a classroom feels like a hassle with all of the other responsibilities on students’s minds.
Listening to a professor ramble on for an hour and 20 minutes regurgitating exactly what is written in the textbook can be a real test of one’s patience.
Participating in an online course seems like a terrific solution at first. You can do your work from literally anywhere in the world, as long as you are connected to the Internet.
Personally, when I took an online class I felt very disconnected and missed the social aspect of a traditional classroom. There was no feeling of community like there is in a classroom.
I felt like the class was just going through the motions and there was no personalization.
Perhaps it was just my class, but it seemed like there was a lack of help, which made doing things correctly difficult.
Being left on your own to sit in front of a computer and pay attention while you try and learn is a difficult task.
The temptation of opening another Internet window and browsing the web instead of being attentive to your .class can be irresistible at times.
After a few weeks of neglecting your virtual classroom, you realize you have fallen behind.
In general, online classes do not seem like the best option for students. However, if you are independent and self sufficient you may prevail.
