Online Education

Online education is becoming a more popular way to get one’s degree today because it is more convenient to earn one’s degree from the comfort of his/her own home and at one’s own pace. The fast-paced lifestyle of today makes it more difficult for working adults, especially those with families, to take time out of their busy schedules and go to traditional classrooms on university campuses in order to obtain or upgrade their degrees.

However, online education is not the same as offline education in terms of how the classes are structured and how the material is taught.

There are many reasons why people fail online education:

1. The person is not used to working in an online classroom setting.

An online classroom is considerably different from a traditional classroom. There are rarely textbooks; most course material is presented online on web-pages, in downloadable reports, and in video and audio lectures.

In addition, you don’t sit in a traditional classroom with other people sitting next to you, behind you, or in front of you. Instead, they are on their computers at home or elsewhere, looking at the same course material you are, so you have no direct contact with them. You usually can “talk” to them via message boards or forums, making posts that anyone in the class can respond to, and vice versa.

In some rare instances, you might talk to them or your professor via the phone, but direct contact is not usually possible, and some students who are trying online education for the first time cannot overcome the lack of interaction and direct dialogue to complete the coursework and pass the course.

2. The person is not used to the rigorous expectations from a professor teaching an online course.

Online education is a new experience for professors as well, as this is a whole new medium for them to teach what they know. Some professors are more willing to embrace this new way of learning than others.

Some professors feel that they have to “make up” for the lack of interaction and direct dialogue that you would get in a traditional classroom setting, so they give you more assignments to complete than they would their traditional students, just to make sure that you are getting the education you should be getting because these professors are not confident or convinced that online education give you the same level of knowledge as traditional education does.

Some students cannot handle the extra workload and demands expected from some online professors, which is another reason why some students can’t complete online coursework.

3. The person is not able to deal with the extra distractions associated with online learning.

When you take an online course, you do so on your computer. Often, this is at home, where other distractions can affect some online students. This includes children and/or pets who are unruly and/or need constant care. Other worries regarding home life can also distract the online student from doing his/her very best, since he/she is still in the same environment even when he/she is “attending class.”

This can prove to be too much for some online students, resulting in them not completing online courses.

4. The person doesn’t have the computer skills necessary to complete the online courses.

For those who are trying to start a brand new career, especially one that is technically challenging, sometimes, the whole experience of working with computer software and programs that you have never used before can prevent students from doing well in their courses.

Not only do they have to try to learn the course material, but they also have to learn how to access the course material, how to ask for help when they need it via the message boards/forums, how to access the tests when they are ready to take them, etc.

For some online students, the experience is so overwhelming that they don’t succeed in completing their courses.

5. The person does not utilize good time management skills in order to keep up with the online coursework.

In order to be successful in the online classroom, you have to have good time management skills. After all, you’re the only one who decides when you “attend class,” when you take the tests (within reason; there is a time limit to complete the course, but you decide what days you take the tests, unlike the traditional classroom,) how much time you spend on the message board or in the forum, etc.

Some online students can’t designate their time between all the tasks required to complete online courses, as well as balance the rest of their lives.

It is suggested that online students stay current on their coursework as much as possible because once you fall behind, it’s very difficult to catch up, especially if you are not comfortable in an online classroom setting in the first place. Most experts suggest logging in at least once a day at least six days a week to give you the best chance of staying current on your coursework and giving you the best chance of completing your online courses.

By being aware of the reasons above, you can better prepare yourself to handle these challenges and give you a better chance of completing those online courses and your degree.

Statistics and facts for this article were found in “The Web’s Aspect on Student Learning” by Katrina Meyer, written for Technological Horizons in Education.

Online education is different from traditional education. When online education courses first evolved, they were close copies of traditional courses, delivered in much the same way, i.e.; via the reading of text. Now, however, online course designers have realized that online education is primarily a visual learning medium and are delivering course content through highly visual media, including pictures and video, which fits a visual learning style.

What Are The Types of Learning Styles? (Source: http://www.ldpride.net/learningstyles.MI.htm#Visual%20Learners:)

Visual learners learn through sight. They need to see the teacher’s body language and facial expression to fully understand a lesson. They prefer sitting at the front of the classroom to avoid visual obstructions (e.g. people’s heads). They think in pictures and learn best from visual displays including: diagrams, illustrated text books, overhead transparencies, videos, flipcharts and hand-outs. During a lecture or discussion, visual learners take detailed notes on the information.

New scientific studies have shown that if you learn through a visual learning style, online education courses may fit you better than a traditional program in a campus-based school. A typical online student will do well if he or she has certain skills and personality traits, such as:

* Learns visually,

* Is independent,

* Self-motivates,

* Has computer skills.

1. If you learn best by reading, studying diagrams, watching animations, pictures, and videos, or observing charts, you are a visual learner. Much of the information presented on the internet is presented visually, which is why it may be the ideal medium for you. In addition, your assignments and tests will be, for the most part, written, so that your visual learning style is the best for completing projects you will be assigned.

In recent years, the visual learning style classification has been modified somewhat and renamed the visual/verbal learning style. At www.metamath.com, it is explained. “The Visual/ Verbal Learning Style” You learn best when information is presented visually and in written format. In a classroom setting, you benefit from instructors who use a chalkboard (or overhead projector) to list the points of a lecture, or who give you an outline of a lecture. You benefit from information in textbooks and class notes. You like to study by yourself in a quiet room. You see information “in your mind’s eye” when you are trying to memorize. Learning Strategies for the Visual/ Verbal Learner (Source: www.metamath.com)

To aid recall, use “color coding” when studying new information in your textbook or notes. Use highlighter pens to highlight information in contrasting colors. Write down sentences and phrases that summarize key information obtained from textbooks and lectures. Make flashcards of vocabulary words and concepts that need to be memorized. Use highlighter pens to emphasize key points on the cards. The amount of information per card is limited so you can easily recall it and create a “mental image” of it. You can learn from material offered in illustrations or diagrams by writing out explanations of it. When learning mathematical or technical information, write out summaries in sentences and key phrases that are simplified. When a problem requires a sequence of steps, write out in detail how to do each step. Make use of computer word processing to speed up taking notes. Copy key information from your notes and textbook into a word-processed document. Use the print-outs for review. Before an exam, create visual reminders of information that must be memorized. Make sticky notes containing key words and concepts and place them in highly visible places –on your mirror, notebook, car dashboard, etc.

2. The independent learner is happy to work alone on projects and assignments. Most of your assignments will be done without input from other students, so it is imperative that you act independent and confident when it comes to completing projects on your own, without support from others. In fact, independent learners prefer working on their own rather than having to give support to other students and share grades with them.

3. The online education student will have limited contact with other classmates. In this situation, you must be self-motivated and have less need to rely on others for assistance. An important aspect of online success is the ability to encourage yourself to complete assignments and solve problems. 4. An independent learner is most likely to learn the computer skills needed to succeed in online education courses. The independent student has enough confidence to deal with occasional computer technical problems, as well. “With online education, we just turn the technology over to them {the students} and let them use it express themselves in their own unique ways.” Quote may be found at: http://www.netc.org/digitalbridges/online/symposium/quotes.php. If you are the type of person who hesitates to solve problems on your own, needs constant assistance from others, prefers to learn by doing hands-on projects or listening, or the use of manipulatives, then campus-based courses would be a better way to go. At a traditional campus, you will find others who have auditory and/or tactile learning styles similar to yours, with whom you can interact.

The key to success in online education courses is to make sure that your learning style fits the visual/verbal learning style needed for online education. You must be able to work at your own pace, independently, using visual media as your input. You must also be self- motivated and have enough confidence to solve problems as they occur. If you fit those criteria, online education courses are for you!

Online nursing schools are in vogue. Especially in the field of online nursing continuing education a large acceptance of the degree and recognition by the professionals is being observed. More and more students are enrolling to online nursing courses and getting trained to make their own niche in the professional domain. This is a good sign as well as a remarkable success of the online education system. Online nursing courses don’t provide you with fake degrees and make tall claims of job opportunities.

Rising level of importance Online continuing nursing education and the qualification being given have already received professional acceptance. The significance of online nursing education has been recognized at a higher level. Nursing is not just looking after patients. If you are aware then you will find that this is one of the most demanded courses because of its accreditation from renowned institutions. Impetus for nursing profession Nursing degree has much to do with practical things. Therefore online nursing continuing education is the bridge that prepares you for further higher degrees in the subject. You can attend the online classes to understand the basic level of nursing profession and after passing successfully in the course you can join the higher-level degree in regular sessions.

The professional world has understood that these features in the nursing qualification are must and thus online degrees are being looked with appreciation day by day. Biggest advantage of online learning You are the key controller of the learning process and not your guide. This opportunity has widened the space of this particular profession and more students are taking interest in this subject. In fact there has been a scarcity of good nurses but with the advent of the online nursing education it is being thought that the consequences will surely take a better turn. Rising level of importance Online continuing nursing education and the qualification being given have already received professional acceptance. The significance of online nursing education has been recognized at a higher level. Nursing is not just looking after patients.

This idea has been truly made clear in the online education system and has been given a new dimension of thought. Nursing has more to do with management and administration apart from patient care. Such advancements in the learning have been introduced by the online nursing degrees. The professional world has understood that these features in the nursing qualification are must and thus online degrees are being looked with appreciation day by day. Biggest advantage of online learning You are the key controller of the learning process and not your guide.

In a traditional system of practical education for nursing it entirely depends on the professor to give you lessons whether you can follow or not. In the online scheme this hurdle is fully resolved because you are the master of the program and you can learn according to your speed and capability. If you find a difficult area you can repeatedly go through the topic, which is not feasible in the regular course because the guide will not accept to do it. Isn’t this the better way?