Does distance learning have to be like this?
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Basically, anyone who is thinking of getting a graduate degree online needs to read this post with the comments.
It describes my own experience much better than I ever have. Online learning really does change from teacher to teacher.
There was one class that was wonderful because the professor could somehow read the text chat while he was lecturing and answer our questions in the lecture. So there was a sense of community in that class, where we listened to the lecture and discussed the topic at the same time.
There was another class where the teacher used so many words we’d never heard before I surfed all through the lectures and just did my papers from the reading. I wasn’t the only only one I know.
The thing I’ve been trying to figure out for years though was why the best class was from the avowed luddite. Now I wonder if it wasn’t because it was a class he had previously taught online and had already reconfigured for the Internet. I did know it had to do with the fact he put his course notes online, something the other professors resisted no matter how much we begged. They seemed to see it as a way for us to skip class but really we wanted the help in keeping up!
We miss so much communication (like body language) just getting voice and power-point slides that we have to devote extra time and effort into decrypting the nuonces of what the teacher is saying and we miss the actual statements that are being made. Course notes lets online students come prepared with the facts and have the attention to spare for really understanding the material.
So why do the distance thing at all? Some situations, it’s all you can do. I got to keep my full-time job, accruing invaluable experience at the same time I got my degree. Plus I didn’t have to pay tutition (worked for one state school, went to another). There are tons of reasons to put off moving and as stressful as it is it is doable, especially if you get into a good program or find a mentor.
Library Links — laura
