Friday, April 23, 2010

What is the Difference between Online Courses and Traditional Courses?

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by: jakemyers
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Word Count: 544
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 2010 Time: 1:01 PM
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If you want to know which form of educational model is best for you, then you need to know the difference between online courses and traditional college courses. Today, there is an ongoing debate if online education can match and supplant traditional classroom learning. You have to understand that online delivery of education is a relatively new method. So it is just reasonable to investigate how online education works and how does it compare with traditional mode of teaching. So here is a basic outline of the differences between the online and traditional learning.

First, traditional schools require their students to be physically present in a classroom environment. You can only earn your degree if you religiously attend your class in person at a predetermined time and location. Online colleges do not require the physical presence of students to a classroom. That is because online courses are primarily delivered through virtual class environments. By using modern Internet technologies, students and professors interact and exchange ideas through the cyber space. So the physical boundaries of time and space are non-issues with online education. You can earn your degree wherever you are. And you can attend classes without going physically to a classroom environment.

The virtual nature of online education will enable you to pursue your career while taking full time online courses. No one can prevent you from attending your classes because all you need to do is to log in to your student’s account to access the virtual classroom environment. Proponents of traditional education contend that virtual learning takes away the vibrant and proactive nature of classroom discussions. In some aspects this is true because when you study online, you will only interact with your virtual professor. Student to student interactions in an online setting is minimal. But with the increasing use of video conferencing and state of the art real time virtual classrooms, vibrant online discussion can become a reality. The key therefore is technology and online colleges are already implementing this type of technology.

A traditional course is strictly bound by time. That is because a class should strictly adhere to a specific predefined schedule. This forces the students to cram and subjects them to a lot of pressure. This is a non-issue with online courses. Online colleges set flexible time for students to meet their requirements. Lessons are delivered through modules which you can study at home. You will only be required to submit the requirements of the course after you set your own schedule. Of course, there is also time discipline with online education. You can not take the course forever. But the schedules are more relaxed and not too restrictive compared to traditional education.

Because of the flexibility of online courses, you will be able to finish your degree without sacrificing your day job. But you have to take note that online learning requires a different kind of discipline. You need to develop the right motivation and dedication in order to avoid distractions so you can earn your degree in the fastest possible time

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