I
really like online classes. Granted I wouldn’t want to take all my classes
online – it is nice to have the in class interaction, particularly in certain subjects,
but I do like several things about taking a class online.
I took a psychology class at
One of the things I really like is being able to work at my own pace. I feel
that I am usually able to manage my time fairly well and therefore with certain
subjects I feel an online class offers me the opportunity to use my time more
constructively. Not to say I put in any less time with an online class – I’ve
put more time into this class than some of my other regular classes, but it’s
nice to put in the time when I want.
I definitely plan to take more online classes. I was a bit disappointed to find
out that HSU offers very few online classes.
I still have two lower division courses to take –
I think it’s really nice to have one class a semester where I’m in control of
the schedule. It offers me some flexibility with my other classes, and with 21
credits this semester I needed all the flexibility I could get.
As for the anonymity charging the discussions to a certain degree – absolutely
it does. I don’t have any live classes where this many people speak up and
contribute to discussions. Some people are shy or don’t like to talk in front
of groups, this format gives everyone a chance to speak up without the pressure
of feeling like you’re on the spot. And when you’re writing, you can rewrite.
It’s not that easy when speaking in front of a classroom full of attentive ears
– if you don’t explain something exactly how you meant to, or ask a question
using a word or phrase you wish you wouldn’t have, you can’t just backspace it
out. Discussion through writing really is a different form of expressing
oneself.
There
are definitely some interesting perspectives in here and i
was glad to get to read most of them. You guys are interesting people out
there. Before this class i didn't think there were
hardly any real thinkers at this school. Thanks to this online forum where
everyone has a chance to speak as much as they like on different topics, i now know there are some really smart people here. i just wish i
could have been exposed to your guys thinking before my last semester here. I
would have made some more friends who think like me.
I love online classes – I hope they offer more here in the future.
I
really enjoyed the online course. I like the ability to put in time whenever I
have it available instead of having a specific block of time designated for
this class. I do also think that this type of class
format allowed for many people to participate in a discussion who otherwise
might have been very shy and quiet. Without having to speak up in front of the
rest of the class people are much more likely to say what's on their mind and
let their true colors show. When we speak in front of people we really lay it
on the line sometimes if our topic is somewhat controversial. When we write in
to a discussion board their is no raising your hand
and the whole class does not turn to look at you. So I do think that this
online format worked well for this course and would work well for others.
I've
found myself slacking off in this class, I think, more than in others...
probably because I don't necessarily ~have~ to think about it. My other classes
I need to show up to two times a week, so that's a somewhat steady reminder of
their impeding importance (though not enough of one... advice: don't take
classes that are only Tues/Thurs... your whole mind goes out of canter Oo; ), but with the online class,
I find myself putting a lot of things off, and flat-out forgetting about it at
times.
I
prefer to take classes in person. The main reason is I gain a lot by hearing
the material discussed. Written material only gets absorbed so much - it's much
harder to make sense of for me.
I have not taken other classes online. I only took this one because it wasn't
offered any other way. I agree with the fact that it is much easier to work
into your schedule. For me though I'd rather sit in class.
I have also found that through actual classes I'm always hooking up with other
students to study for tests or sometimes to do homework with. This is certainly
lacking in this class. I know we could do it, but there is something about the
more casual approach of talking to your classmates in class that I like more
than posting to whoever is out there.
I do think we have had some really good postings that would not have been
possible in a classroom setting.
I
have enjoyed this on-line class greatly! First of all, I enjoyed being
introduced to new avenues in the computer-world. Computers are everywhere in
today's world, and we better learn how to use them well if we want to compete
in the job market. Computer skills are something that very few "regular
classes", i.e. G.E.'s, teach while also teaching
the main subject. I think this is a great way to explore virtual reality. This
semester I even started to bank online, which I can recommend to everybody!
Since I am a super disorganized person when it comes to paper-stuff, turning
things in online has been great too. There's no papers
to print, no papers to remember to bring in the backpack, for then to be
carried to school and turned in....What a pain in the butt, that is! Also,
class is never cancelled and there's no traveling time. No heavy backpack.
Also, this class sort of gets the "best of me" in that I can log on
when I am most motivated to make a contribution. I do not have to arbitrarily
show up at school at 10am 3 times a week to discuss a random topic, when actually, I am dead tired in the mornings. My best time is
in the evenings - or whenever.
Thumbs up!
I
have learned that online classes aren't really the best thing for me. While I
do all the work as best as I can, it is very hard for me to learn the
information on my own. I am a very auditory, and
visual learner. It is very hard for me to learn things if I just have to read
it myself. I learned this semester that I need a professor to tell me how to do
it and then, I will understand things a lot better. I have to see my professor
doing it the way he/she wants in done, so I know how to do it. I am very glad I
took this class this semester because it helped me realize all this stuff about
myself and I know in the future not to take online courses.
I
was excited when I saw that this class was online. I’m a living group advisor
on campus and my schedule has a tendency to get crazy. Anything that cuts back
on time spent in class is good for me. So as far as time goes this class has
been great. I can do my homework at two in the morning, post whenever I feel
like it and feel free to speak my mind because I've never seen any of you guys
before and the only time I will is during out final. However, I also have a
tendency to forget to log on and not remember to do my homework until Monday
morning.
I've definitely learned this semester that I need the lecture portion of a
class. I think I need to be engaged by the teacher to learn. I'll admit to
being rather bored in a large portion of my classes but apparently all that
time spent in class really hammers the concepts home. Also, homework that just
has to be turned in is a BAD idea for me. I'm not motivated to get the answers
right. I just want to get homework done.
All in all, I have enjoyed my online class experience. I think our discussions
have been open and honest and less emotional which is a
pleasant change from most classes. I do still feel like we have a
tendency to preach to the choir here at Humboldt but this class has encouraged
me that there are some people with opposing viewpoints (or who are at least
willing to play devils advocate) so that is reassuring. I'm not sure whether or
not I would take another online class, but I have enjoyed this one.
I
really was happy that we didn't have to get the homework right. It helped me be
able to focus on learning without the pressure of having to get it right. I'm
sure I've had a lot more sleep this semester because of this very fact (THANK
YOU I NEEDED IT!)
I hate to lose points on things that you should be able to get right - tests
are where I always lose my points. On the other hand the homework was worth
very little of the grade, so this is a disadvantage too.
I
agree, I liked not having the pressure to get every
homework question right. I was motivated enough on my own to try and get the
answers correct and used the key in the back of the book to look at examples
when ever they were available. I was fully aware that while I would get the
points for having it done, putting the effort into the understanding the
questions - and therefore more likely getting the answers right, would only
help in the long run. Understanding it and doing the best I could on the
homework made the tests easier to study for.
I
totally agree! I really liked the idea that we got credit for trying on the
homework. I think that without being in a classroom, it really helps to let
students get credit for trying to apply what they've learned and giving them
credit for that effort. I really hate when you try to apply what you've learned
and then get bery little credit on homework because
you haven't mastered a skill yet.
I
just wanted to say that I totally agree that it was great to get to hear differing
opinions on issues that normally seem to get fairly one sided responses here at
HSU. It seems that in classes, many people (including myself) tend to be
somewhat shy about sharing views in classes because sometimes they can get
heated and you can feel attacked. On-line classes allow people to really say
what they feel without being afraid of getting attacked.
Although I would not want all of my classes to be on-line, I really enjoyed
this class and would recommend on-line courses to other students. It is great
to be able to plan your own schedule of work and not having to get yourself to
class is also great. I've really enjoyed being a part of the discussion board
and thank all of you for sharing your thoughts over the semester.
Being
anonymous definitely made a big difference and the fact that you have to post
in order to pass the class. This encourages students who are usually silent to
step forward and share their opinions. I wonder if any of the people who post
on a regular basis are usually the quiet ones in class.
This
has been my first complete class on-line per se but I have had several classes
that have utilized Blackboard for testing and quizzes. The way in which the
online experience is utilized rather than the fact that it is just “online” I
believe affects the learning experience. I have learned more about critical
thinking from participating in these discussions than from the 500-page book of
psychobabble that I have toiled through these past 15 weeks.
I have found both advantages and disadvantages of having a class completely
online. The nicest part of course is being able to do things on my schedule
when I have time and not having to find room to fit another class into my
already hectic schedule. Plus assignments get done on my time whenever I please
as long as they meet a rather meek deadline.
The hardest part about an online class, as has already been stated several
times, is the avenue by which the learning occurs. The traditional teaching of
the subject material, utilizing oration and expression, that I have come to
depend on for my understanding of concepts and theories is
missing. Online is definitely not a tool for everyone but for those who can
simply learn from reading and don’t need the traditional approach, this type of
environmental is suitable.
Something I find dispiriting about online learning is the lack of personality
associated with my e-classmates. In reading 100+ postings a week (over 1500
this semester), I still couldn’t tell you anything about anyone with whom I
have been interacting. No face and no voice leaves
much to be desired. I will never know any of you and I will have no idea why
you have some of the opinions that have been expressed in these discussions.
Also someone had asked if whether the people doing a lot of posting here are
the ones that are typically quiet in class. I will be the first one to admit
that I rarely say anything in class. But for those of you that have noticed, I
tend to post some really long opinions. I find that I have quite a bit to say
about things and hold many opinions. There doesn’t seem to always be a place
for expressing these opinions in a normal classroom environment and even if
there was, I have difficulty articulating my true thoughts in front of a group
of strangers. Anonymousity (I just made this word up)
has been a terrific avenue for me to spew my outlook on life.
I'm
in the same boat, I'm not one to give lengthy opinions in a classroom
environment - for quite the same reasons you stated, but I'm perfectly
comfortable expressing myself through the time and flexibility of the written
word.
I really liked that opportunity that this online class gave me.
I think that probably the most opportune setup for an online class is to do it
in combination style - have one class meeting a week or every other week for a
few hours. This would give some interaction and a platform for taking tests in
a traditional fashion.
The other online class I've taken was structured in that way (although we did
do all our tests online and had several papers to write) we met once a week and
the entire class session was dedicated to discussion since we were doing all
out other work outside of class on our own. It was great and I learned so much
more from a class session of discussion rather than lecture and note-taking.
This
was the first class that I have taken on-line and I really enjoyed it. It gave
the flexibility I needed and I feel it did learn as much as I would have
sitting during a lecture every other day. I actually was looking to see what
other classes were offered on-line for next semester because I would really be
interested in taking one again. As of the discussions I do think they worked so
well and got good responses for them because it was anonymous so one was
intimidated as to who was going to read this or what they were going to think.