Why Online Learning Works
Introduction
With the arrival of the Digital Age and the advent of distance learning, taking college level courses over the Internet has become a real possibility for today’s students seeking a higher education. But is it worth it? Does it provide the kind of quality education that learners need in order to excel in the real world? Or are their drawbacks to distance learning that outweigh the pros? This speech will go over the benefits and advantages of learning online at the college level while addressing some of the potential disadvantages that might make some hesitant to pursue distance learning as a viable option.
Why Learning Online is Useful for Adults
Adults tend to have busy schedules, which makes it hard for them to find the time to get to a traditional college for classes while making time for everything else that they have going on—whether it is work, family, community responsibilities, church obligations, etc. If an adult wants to earn a degree in order to justify asking for a promotion, or in order to learn new knowledge and skills that will allow him to be more useful to his organization, it is not going to be a simple task to carve three, six, nine or twelve hours out of his week to reach that goal. Considering that most classes at traditional colleges are only offered at specific times, the possibility of juggling so many duties while earning a degree is almost zero. The adult, therefore, is unlikely to pursue the goal of earning that degree—unless an alternative arises.
Distance learning is that alternative. It gives the learner the option of doing the class work at a time that is convenient for him. The person does not have to be in a classroom at a specific time of day in order to receive an attendance...
Virtual Schools: Personalizing Learning Online," Julie Young asserts that distance education offers a "more personalized type of instruction," (2004 p.1). Virtual schools are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and in some instances prove to be superior to their traditional counterparts. Overcrowding of classrooms and shortages of teachers make distance learning opportunities particularly attractive for students of all ages and learning abilities. High schools in as many as twenty-five states offer
Students level of skills How students are relating to vocabulary usage Time segments in minutes Notes need help (more than 20% are unable to process) Students are spending more time working independently. Fewer students need assistance from teacher. A somewhat skilled (10-20% need some assistance from teacher) working independently (fewer than 10% need assistance from teacher Learning Styles used Time segments in minutes Notes Verbal/Linguistic Visual/Spatial Body/Kinesthetic Interpersonal Intrapersonal Musical Naturalistic Student Engagement Indicators - Make notes of overall impression of the lesson: Students Given Choices Give
Persistence (also called retention) is defined as remaining enrolled in the institution, presumably until degree attainment or completion. Online courses can help students achieve this, because they provide options for learning that were previously not available to them (Drennan, Kennedy, & Pisarski, 2005). Satisfying and rewarding interactions with the formal and informal academic and social systems of the institution lead to greater integration and persistence (Tinto, 1975). However, teachers of
Learning According to the University of Canberra's Academic Skills Centre (2008), learning is a highly complex process that "takes place at different levels of consciousness, and in different ways, in everything we do. Moreover, individual people learn in different ways and have their preferred learning styles." One of the keys to improving student learning is to understand the different types of learning styles and apply that knowledge to study habits and
Community Colleges in America In 1983 and 1984, a dozen major reports on the United States' schools were published. All stressed the need for "excellence" in education. These reports are the subject of: Excellence in Education: Perspectives on Policy and Practice. The reports pertaining to higher education were published by The BusinessHigher Education Forum, and saw higher education as "unable to train skilled managers and technicians that they believed industry needed."
Online Learning as Effective as Classroom Learning Online Learning Verses Classrom In the contemporary times, developments in technology have expanded access to education. The internet and other technological advancements have created an efficient platform that facilitates online learning. This has redefined the traditional approach of learning which is done in physical classrooms. Students using this approach are not required to be physically present in classrooms in order to learn. There has
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