how do online colleges and classes work?

Question

how is it even possible to take a class online?Can anyone explain this?

Answer 1

I am currently enrolled in an online university. They do NOT work poorly. That statement was coming form someone who obviously has not had much experience in this category. I will say though that is DOES depend greatly on what type of degree you are going for. I already have a position lined up for when I get my degree. The company is even helping me with my degree by offering tuition reimbursement. The online "classroom" setting is much more advanced than the traditional classroom setting because there is no one you can cheat off of. You have to do your own work. I am taking a math class currently that when I take my questions to someone who is enrolled in a traditional college for help, they have no clue what to tell me. They say that "we are not learning that until next year." So far, all of my instructors but one has a PhD in their respective fields. It is a lot tougher than traditional colleges also in that each course only lasts 9 weeks. So while traditional college students have the entire semester to work on their final papers, we only have 9 weeks. I like it much better than traditional colleges in that I can "go to class" any time of the day and stay for as long as I like. If I have my assignment completed early, all I have to do is submit it on the appropriate day and I get credit for it.

The only piece of advise I can offer you if you choose this method of higher education is....stay ahead on the assignments. Do not wait until the last minute to do them because you never know if your computer will be working properly or of their website is down. If you can't submit your paper on time it is ALWAYS your fault and you will be counted off for it. But if you are ahead of the game, you will never be late.

Answer 2

Many people are stuck in their minds to the situation in place some 15-20 years ago.

Most online classes ARE NOT provided by for-profit schools like UoP -- most online classes in 2007 (the overwhelming majority) are provided by the traditional colleges that also have in-the-seat classes.

Almost every major college in the country now offers classes online - some of the very best respected in the country (Harvard, UMass, Boston, UCLA, UF, etc) have classes online and some even whole degrees delivered that way.

It's 2007 and people don't have to go to the lecture hall anymore. That's just the way it is. And academic research has shown that the education received often exceeds what comes from "in the classroom" peers.

Distance learning works - it's been proven. There are some good providers and bad providers but the problem isn't the concept. There are also good in-the-seat colleges and bad ones. The college that our parents and grand-parents knew is an outmoded dinosaur and this is the way things will go...

also: as was pointed out - regional accreditation is what you want your school to have. National accreditation is all but useless if you want to advance your education later or transfer credits.

Answer 3

First , let me address the ways in which classes/programs work.

In the most technically advanced programs, course lectures are delivered to you by streaming video over your computer, or by downloadable video files. You might get a video clip of the blackboard, or you get the video of the professor in a small window, while the material he or she is writing appears in a larger, whiteboard window. Technology being what it is, engineering problems do arise, and there can occaisionally be problems with audio or video quality. I have found that on-line video staffs try to work hard to fix problems quickly.

Overall, it is astonishing that such a good quality experience can be delivered to the typical computer with typical high speed Internet access.

You fax in homework, and it is returned to you on-line, perhaps in pdf format.

The better programs require you to take course examinations in person, at a location near you, where an independent proctor administers the exam. This part of the experience generally is not on-line.

Some on-line degree programs have elements associated with them that are not on-line. If you are studying medical physics, for example, you will have a clinical lab requirement that must be done in person at a hospital or other center near you. Other programs require that certain courses be taken on campus, or transferred in as credits from another institution.

A few on-line MS programs require a proctored comprehensive exam that must be taken in person, on campus.


Now for the way the universities that offer on-line programs work.

The on-line colleges generally have no campus, and they are often for profit rather than non-profit institutions. The lack of a campus means that the university is not a research/teaching university in the traditional sense -- professors, students and professionals collaborating face to face to learn more. The non-profit part means that these universities may have another motivation besides pure education to do what they do. Now, this does not necessarily mean that you will get a bad education there. But some people believe the online only situations often are not considered to be the best way to get an education.

When community colleges, four-year colleges and universities offer on-line courses and programs (and many of them do), the situation can be quite different. In many cases, these institutions work hard to ensure that the quality of the education delivered on-line is consistent with that offered on campus.

Answer 4

I'm appalled by the poor advice on this site. "the accreditation is regional. Schools like U of Phoenix lack the more prestigious national accreditation."

Regional accreditation is > than national accreditation. Sorry to digress, but it works like this:

Regardless of delivery method (on ground, online, hybrid), a higher ed institution in the US can have 3 institutional accreditation statuses.

1. Regionally accredited - the highest and most useful.
2. Nationally accredited - real, but not as recognized or useful. Yes it is less than regional accreditation, which isn't intuitive.
3. Unaccredited

Be sure to check here before you enroll: http://www.chea.org/search/

Back to the question... Your grade will be more assignment-based, so it will generally be more work than skating through lecture halls. Due to the nature of online courses, your in class participation is usually replaced with electronic bulletin board discussion participation on a platform such as Blackboard or ECollege, team projects, or live chats.

Answer 5

They work poorly.

Employers do not take people seriously if they have a degree from an on-line university.

Most on-line universities are For Profit Corporations that care more for their bottom line than for your education. They use unqualified professors and teach classes that are not up to the standards of most universities. While some are accredited -- the accreditation is regional. Schools like U of Phoenix lack the more prestigious national accreditation.