In the past decade, distance education, specifically online courses, have steadily increased in popularity among college students as a convenient, more affordable means to a degree.
In fact, the U.S. Department of Education reported that the number of students adding online courses to their college schedules increased 150 percent from 1998 to 2008.
However, distance learners are less likely to do as well as traditional learners, according to findings reported by Columbia University Teachers College research associates Di Xu and Shanna Smith Jaggars in a paper, “Adaptability to Online Learning: Differences Across Types of Students and Academic Subject Areas.”
In their study, Xu and Jaggars found that distance learners are not only less likely to do as well as students in traditional classroom settings but also less likely to earn a college degree.
Across the board, “the typical student has some difficulty adapting to online courses” and “all types of students were more likely to drop out from an online course than a face-to-face course,” according to the study.
City College Faculty Coordinator of Distance/Online Education Jory Hadsell said research on online education varies to such an extent that it’s difficult to know which reports are the most accurate.
“A lot of this is like fixing the car while it’s driving down the road,” said Hadsell. “The research on [face-to-face interaction] is really mixed. It’s such a complex situation. But as far as the face-to-face piece, it’s difficult sometimes. Instructors feel it’s harder to convey their own personalities to students but often feel they get to know the student better online.”
City College student Telles Sudds says his instructors are always available for him when ever he needs assistance.“It’s cool because I can do [classwork] on my own time,” Telles said. “Maybe there could be a little more tutorial but my instructors are always available to answer questions for me whenever I need them.”
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However, concerns about distance learning were reported in May 2012 by a research and consulting service that assists organization to transition to digital environments, Ithaka S+R. In “Barriers to Adoption of Online Learning Systems in U.S. Higher Education,” Ithaka S+R reported additional concerns regarding online instruction, such as cheating.
“Cheating remains a problem in both online and traditional courses,” said Ithaka S+R. “Faculty have developed strategies for addressing cheating in traditional settings, but are still developing protocols to address this problem in online environments. A common problem is simply verifying that the person at the keyboard is the actual student registered for an online course.”
According to Hadsell, City College adheres to federal regulations that have been handed down from the Department of Education within the last two years that govern accreditation to help ensure the correct person is doing the work.
Hadsell said student IDs, unique passwords, federal ID for exams, in-person orientations, and face-to-face final exams are among the tools City College has in place to combat cheating.
Student in online classes have a better chance of success if they communicate with their instructors, and do so early on, said Hadsell. “Reach out to the instructor,” Hadsell said. “Build that personal relationship with them. If you have a question, ask. This directly impacts success.”