Personal Experience with Online Courses (Chapter 9 Response)

     I have never taken an online or satellite-broadcasted course, but I do know a few people who have. I have received mixed reviews regarding the effectiveness of online courses.

     Most of the people I know who have taken online courses complain that there isn't enough interaction between themselves and the instructor. This is probably the fault of the instructor. Teachers of online courses must communicate well and clearly with all students. Otherwise, students may get confused or lost on assignments, and they may not know what is expected of them.

     Another common complaint I hear is that they have procrastinated most or all of the assignments until just before the deadline. I am a huge procrastinator, so I can relate. However, with some online classes, nothing is due until one final deadline at the end of the course. If you procrastinate 12 assignments, not to mention reading and/or viewing instructional videos, until the week before they're due, you probably aren't going to learn a whole lot from them. I know students who have done this, and they didn't seem to care, because it was "easy" and they still got an A.

     Teachers need to set deadlines for students that allow flexibility and for students to set their own pace, but they still need some structure and learning goals. Students should also be given a calendar with due dates, or the website should set up notifications for students when deadlines are nearing. The teacher should also send out reminders and tips.

     I haven't heard too much good about online courses, but most of the students I have talked to about them were older and taking them for college general education classes or classes required for graduating high school that students had previously failed.

     However, there was one specific instance that startled me. A student who had previously been attending online school due to expulsion said that the classes online were much easier than the classes he was enrolled in now, at public school. When I worked with him individually, during a tutoring session, I noticed that he clearly lacked some of the most fundamental math skills. He said he was got good grades in all his classes online. This concerns me. How this student got an A in math online was beyond me; he was now failing math, and could barely do the homework even when guided.