By Caytlin Hentzel, Iowa State Daily
The New York Times recently reported the Department of Education’s findings that “[on] average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.” I am taking a few online courses this summer. I tend to agree with the DoE, but the applicability of its findings depends on a variety of factors, among them the course in question and the type of student taking the online course. Online courses can vary in length, types of material covered, and student assesment methods. Online courses during the summer typically last only eight weeks, depending on the institution offering the course. In the fall and spring, they last 18 weeks. The more time someone has to take the class, more material it will generally cover. In addition, the longer courses will be more in-depth, so that the student can truly comprehend and apply the information in real life. It would be beneficial to take a longer course so that cramming and just filling in a bubble is not all that is focused on.
http://iowastatedaily.com/opinion/article_122ca698-a807-11e0-b8c1-001cc4c03286.html
Share on Facebook