Online Courses vs. Traditional Courses Essay -- Higher Education, Inter

Today, more and more colleges are offering courses to students that are entirely online. Students who are drawn to online courses include students working full-time jobs, students who would prefer a private study environment, or students who find that online courses are easier than traditional (campus-based) courses. Advertisements geared to encourage students to register for online classes have the tendency to portray them as being easier and requiring less work than its campus counterpart. For instance, some television advertisements show students wearing night clothes working in a relaxed environment within their home - free of the pressures caused by deadlines and testing. Despite the fact that online courses and traditional courses generally cover the same material on a given subject—the two are markedly different with regards to technical requirements, social interaction, testing, and practice. Possessing strong computer skills is one of the fundamental requirements for a student taking an online course. In contrast, traditional courses seldom require the use of computers; instead, online courses are conducted entirely on a computer via the internet. Students must know how to navigate the internet, use email to communicate and submit assignments, and use word processing and other programs required for the specific course. Students who are novice computer users will be at a great disadvantage and likely will not complete the course with a satisfactory grade. Students who possess these skills will be able to excel through online courses with greater ease, and more flexibility than courses taught on campus. Lack of social interaction is another factor that a student should consider when registering to take an online course. A... ...es, than courses taken on campus. Students absolutely must possess great self-discipline in order to successfully complete an online course. All things considered, besides a private study environment, the single most advantage of an online course over a traditional course is the flexibility they offer in scheduling, especially for students with fluctuating schedules. Nevertheless, despite advertisements, online courses require students to work as hard as courses taught on campus—if not harder. Students who lack computer skills, students who require strong social interaction, and students who are not strongly disciplined should take courses that are offered on campus. Students must carefully evaluate all of these points and any course literature available in order to select the type of course that best fits their learning style, as this has been most helpful for me.