Online vs on campus classes
The decision to take an online class or a class on campus can be a hard one. There are many pros and cons to both.
Personally, I think classes taken on campus are much better. I like the interaction and extra help you can get in person. I have a hard time learning something when I just look at a computer screen. Besides that, I tend to forget a lot.
Another problem I’ve experienced with online classes is the unreliability of technology. There have been so many times where I was in the middle of submitting a test or essay and my wifi cuts out or my laptop runs out of battery.
Another problem, according to a gradschools.com article, is that online classes are best for those who can learn and understand material completely on their own.
Getting help on homework can only go so far through an email.
However, while online classes don’t suit me, they can be the perfect thing for others.
I got the chance to interview Professor Patty Wallin of the mathematics department at Saddleback. She currently teaches both online and on campus classes.
For one of my questions, I asked whether she thought students learned better with online classes or on campus classes. She replied, “I will tell you it depends on the student… I think you learn the same depending on who you are. Online is definitely needed. It’s harder in my opinion because they have to be self-motivated… I have some students who say they have ADD and can’t sit still in class.”
I also asked what she would suggest students to take. “In order to succeed in online you have to ask yourself, can you sit in front of your computer three to four times a week and get work done without actual class time having to be there? …If you’re a motivated and disciplined person, you can do great in online but if you’re not… If you’re a procrastinator… I don’t think online is good for you because you have to self-schedule… For people who like the interaction…online is not for you.”
Meaghan Quintero, 24, health and beauty major says, “I think online classes are better than live because you can make them fit your schedule and you get more time to work on things.”
Krista Josephsen, 26, business major says, “I like being in campus classes better because you have more interactions with the teachers.”
For me, on campus classes are much better. I do not have to deal with my computer crashing or my wifi cutting out, I can ask my professor questions right then and there without having to wait for an emailed response, and I have a schedule that I have to stick to.
Gradschools.com article:
http://www.gradschools.com/article-detail/online-masters-or-campus-masters-1859