Modern Education: My Experience with an Online Class
Introduction
With one semester left in university, I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and take a stab at what may be the future of education by enrolling in an entirely online course called “Accessing Information in the 21st Century.” The purpose of the course was to learn how to better conduct library research by understanding how different mediums of information can be used in research papers and some search skills to find more pertinent results. My biggest takeaway from the course was that while an online course has its benefits, it is not a complete substitute for in person education.
The Benefits of an Online Course
One of the most impactful aspects of this course, believe it or not, was participation. It is impossible to hide in the back row when a course is entirely online. Frequently (several times a week) everyone in our class was responsible for viewing slide decks with voice over from our professor, and leaving video comments on the post, either answer a question posed by the professor or generating discussion between classmates. In a normal classroom setting, it would be much easier to not participate by simply not getting involved in the conversation, but in an online class everyone had to respond. This often generated very heated debates, and because so many people were involved many perspectives were posed.
Additionally, an online course provides autonomy over your schedule, which is much more practical for preparing students for their careers. Understanding you have deliverables due by certain dates and then structuring your work around turning in assignments on time was one of the biggest skills I took away from this course. When I’m working, the ability to shift my schedule or work late knowing that I have something due is much more applicable than a standard class which meets the same time every day. Organization is key, and an online course where you are fully responsible for understanding what is due when is a huge perk of an online course.
Drawbacks of an Online Course
Although there were a few benefits to an online course, I felt the drawbacks were bigger. While many could be discussed such as skimming material or not reviewing lectures, there is one con in particular that is a huge factor: lack of in person interaction. The importance of face to face interaction in education cannot be overstated: understanding how to read body language, think quickly on your feet in debate and learning how to interact professionally with colleagues are all very important skills that cannot be learned online.
For a more comprehensive study for the impact of online learning, view this link.
Conclusion
The future of education, in my opinion, is not ready to be transferred completely online. While online courses do provide their benefits, they cannot act as a complete substitute for traditional education. It will be very interesting to see how higher education handles the transition to cyber learning in the coming years.