| I'd love to take online classes! Do I need any | | | | and teachers. People already are comfortable with |
| special equipment? How are online classes | | | | many of the elements and tools used in online |
| structured?" | | | | learning. Anyone who communicates via e-mail |
| Those who develop and use technology to deliver | | | | knows how to exchange thoughts in writing, |
| online education and distance learning programs do | | | | rather than verbally. Virtual meetings, similar to |
| not want to replace geographical limitations with | | | | what takes place in an online class, are common in |
| technical limitations. Though there are many | | | | business settings with people in distant offices |
| cutting-edge technologies to facilitate online | | | | participating through a speakerphone or video |
| teaching, educators do tend to use familiar | | | | cameras. |
| technology so that no special training is necessary. | | | | Online students will find that classes at online |
| In most cases, online degree programs have | | | | universities are taught in, essentially, three |
| tutorials and telephone support for students. But | | | | different ways: |
| students do need to know some computer | | | | - Instructor-led |
| jargon. You should know how to "post" an | | | | - Instructor-facilitated |
| assignment or use a "drop box." Another technical | | | | - Independent/self-paced learning. |
| obstacle to successful online learning is low | | | | Students in online classes that are instructor led |
| bandwidth. If you need to download graphs or | | | | have the least control over what is learned and |
| photos that take hours due to a slow dial-up | | | | when homework is turned in. The independent |
| connection, it can get frustrating. "Most computers | | | | self-paced classes are just what they sound |
| purchased in the last five years have the speed | | | | like-students have the most control. There are |
| and memory to support online learning. Some | | | | pros and cons of each, so it is to your advantage |
| classes require a microphone to be plugged into | | | | to be familiar with each online teaching method |
| the computer," notes Ray Schroeder from the | | | | when you are researching online degree programs |
| University of Illinois at Springfield. | | | | and individual classes. |
| "Students are given a Web site to go to and the | | | | As in face-to-face classes, online learning and |
| instructor goes there as well. Students see and | | | | distance learning offer great flexibility in how |
| hear the instructor and can press a button to | | | | classes are structured. For example, online |
| indicate they want to speak. All students hear the | | | | students can be admitted in cohorts (cohorts are |
| instructor and each other as if they were in the | | | | students going through a series of classes |
| same room. This uses as little as a dial-up | | | | together as a group, unlike the "regular" college |
| connection and a $400 computer, which is | | | | class situation in which students take classes as |
| generally within reach of most people who are | | | | individuals) and move from one class to another in |
| paying college tuition." | | | | groups of ten to twenty until the entire course is |
| Equipment List: | | | | completed. Online masters degree nursing and |
| - Computer, preferably one made in the last five | | | | business classes are often arranged in cohorts. Or, |
| years | | | | as in a traditional class structure, at an online |
| - Internet connection, preferably high-speed | | | | college students sign up for a course and when it |
| - Microphone (for some classes) | | | | has filled, the class closes. Synchronous online |
| Class Structure | | | | classes tend to be smaller than the traditional |
| Learning online and earning an online degree is not | | | | undergraduate core classes where 200-300 |
| as different from learning in a traditional classroom | | | | students fill a lecture hall. This is because online |
| as you may think. Just about every facet of a | | | | teachers keep track of individual students via |
| traditional classroom can be found in the online | | | | e-mail, which can become unmanageable with too |
| college, except the physical presence of students | | | | many students. |