Classroom education versus online

Although my teaching career has covered a scant 18 years, technology has transformed higher education more in that time frame than in the hundreds of years preceding it.

Universities used to be places where students had to go in order to access the accumulated wisdom of professors and scholarly books. With the advent of computer technology, it is now the information that does the traveling, as students are able to take college courses from home.

Clayton State University played a key role in pioneering the development of online courses in Georgia. Prior to the development of the Internet, Clayton State was an active user of Georgia’s GSAMS technology, which used satellites to transmit courses from on-campus to remote locations, but, this technology was expensive and cumbersome to use. So, in the mid-1990’s, CSU began developing a wide array of Internet-based courses.

In 1998, Clayton State became just the third public university in the United States to issue notebook computers to all of its students. CSU quickly became the largest developer of online courses in the state of Georgia. Today, over three-quarters of all higher education institutions, public and private, offer online courses as standard components of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Online education also is growing rapidly at the high school level and will soon become commonplace throughout the country.

At our location in Fayette County, we offer online courses, classroom courses, and hybrid courses that are one-half online and one-half classroom based. The administrative management and integrative studies degree completion programs can often be completed using only online courses. Clayton States Masters of Science of Nursing and Masters of Health Administration are also offered largely online. And, the Fayette MBA program supplements weekend courses with online activities.

I must admit that, as a classroom teacher, I had mixed feelings about the advent of online teaching. I chose to work at a teaching-oriented institution because I love the dynamics of the classroom. I enjoy the spontaneity of classroom discussions and sense of community that develops over the course of a semester. I was skeptical that students could learn as much in an online course as they can in a live classroom setting.

I was not alone in my skepticism. A recent survey of college professors who teach online courses found that nearly all believed that classroom instruction is superior to online learning. However, nearly all also agreed that online courses can have the same rigor as classroom courses.

I think most of these professors are like me; they prefer the live classroom and believe there are intangible benefits that come from face-to-face interactions, but they have learned from experience that online courses do work well for some students when it comes to learning the essential concepts of a course.

A growing number of students and faculty are expressing preferences for hybrid courses that are partially online and partially classroom-based.

This fall, I will be teaching a Sociology of Religion course using this format. Students will do many activities on their own as they visit local churches and do research, and then we will meet once per week to discuss their findings.

It is difficult to assess whether online courses are comparable to classroom courses for a typical student. Because students have the option to choose for themselves whether or not to take an online course and because many students who start an online course dropout, we can never be certain that students who complete an online course are representative of the general population. However, most large-scale studies that have been completed suggest that the outcomes for online courses are comparable to classroom courses.

After having taught online courses for over 10 years, I have found that there are benefits and detriments to online courses and that they work well for some students, but not for all.

A survey of faculty and students participating in online courses found that the most frequently cited benefit of online education is flexibility and convenience. Students, especially non-traditional students, who have work and family obligations, appreciate the convenience of being able to study on their own time schedule.

Most online courses do have set deadlines for work throughout the course, but students can choose the time of day when they study.

Other benefits cited by the survey participants included improved reading and writing skills and improvement in their use of technology. Students also reported that taking an online course helped them learn to solve problems on their own since they had less interaction with the instructor and other students.

As an instructor, I have also discovered that many students will express their opinions more openly in an online environment than they will in the classroom. I am intrigued by students who never raise their hand to participate in a classroom discussion, but show an amazing depth of insight when they can express themselves in a less intimidating atmosphere.

The detriments of online courses are just the inverse of the benefits. The flexibility that students enjoy is a potential downfall for students who are not self-disciplined. Without the routine of going to class, some students have trouble pacing themselves to complete assignments on time.

While online courses sharpen reading and writing skills, students who are not somewhat proficient in these areas to begin with are not likely to be successful in an online course.

One-hundred percent of the professors surveyed cited advanced reading and writing skills as the most important predictor of success in an online course. The second most cited factors were self-discipline and time management skills.

When deciding whether or not to enroll in an online course, it is imperative that students honestly assess their writing skills and their levels of self-discipline.

There is a reason that online courses have a drop-out rate that is more than twice that of classroom courses. Many students see only the benefits and do not consider the detriments until the course has begun and it is too late to switch to another class.

Many students think that taking online courses will be easier than taking a classroom course, but that is far from the truth. Approximately 60 percent of those surveyed say that online courses take the same time and effort as a traditional classroom course. A third of those surveyed said online courses are actually more difficult and time-consuming. So no one should ever think that online courses are a way to avoid the rigors of a college education.

The bottom line is that online courses are a viable option for some students but not for all students.

For those who have good communication skills and are self-disciplined, online courses allow students the opportunity to pursue an education while balancing the demands of work and family life.

In these days of high gas prices, it can also be a way to save money on fuel.

But for those who need the routine of a fixed schedule and learn the most by interacting with others, then the best option is to take a traditional classroom course or a hybrid course that offers the benefits of both types of learning environments.

[Dr. Kevin Demmitt is the assistant vice president for academic outreach for Clayton State University-Fayette, 1200 Commerce Drive in Peachtree City.]