December - Wingspan

12 WingspanopinionDecember 06, 2010wingspan.lccc.wy.eduAchieving success in online classesJeffrey PallakDeputy Online EditorIn preparationfor takingonline classes,an editor seeksadvice frominstructorsand designerson how to besuccessfulin the virtualclassroom.Online colleges and universities aregaining popularity as a flexible way toearn a degree in today’s educationalmarketplace.More and more institutions are offeringonline classes to meet the increase in demandfor continued education. Associate degrees,technical certifications, bachelor’s and graduatedegrees are all available on the Internet.Next semester, I will take my first onlineclass even though I tend to have some apprehensionsabout taking a class online. I amvery comfortable with the classroom environmentbecause it is what I’m used to.While I was in the military, I was livingwith a girlfriend who was enrolled in onlineclasses. She did not perform very well, so itwas a pretty bad experience for her scholasticallyand for me financially. My only otherexposure to online classes has been word ofmouth, much of which has been fairly negative.Of course, my girlfriend didn’t performvery well when she was enrolled in face-tofaceclasses either, and I find that sometimespeople are more likely to talk about the negativerather than the positive.So, keeping an open mind, I thought Iwould investigate the online college experienceby gaining insight from the professionals.I asked some of the instructors andinstructional designers at Laramie CountyCommunity College about the topic.What I found were important guidelinesand tips for a successful online educationalexperience.One of the biggest misconceptions aboutonline courses is they are easier than faceto-facecourses. This is usually not the casebecause they require large amounts of selfmotivationand study.Rob Van Cleave, a computer informationsystems instructor and instructional designerat LCCC, said: “Taking an online course offersstudents extreme flexibility and conveniencein some cases; however, it requires a highlevel of time management and perseverance.It is so easy to procrastinate and get behindin an online class. A vast majority of studentsthat I have in my online courses who don’t dowell, don’t do well because they put things offfor too long.”Students must account not only for thetime spent doing homework for each coursebut also for the time spent in class. Timelearning the material must be factoredinto the schedule when taking an onlinecourse.Les Balsiger, the director of LCCC’s Centerfor Learning Technology, said: “It takes morediscipline to do an online class than it doesface-to-face. If you aren’t disciplined withyour study habits and your time, then it’sgoing to be difficult for you, so it’s not foreverybody.”Communication in an online class ismuch different than in a face-to-face class; inmany cases, it is slower.“Students have to realize that gettingin touch with an instructor and getting ananswer to a question may involve 24 to 48hours,” Van Cleave said.“If an assignment is due on a Friday night,and you start that Friday afternoon, and yourun into problems, shooting your instructoran e-mail off late Friday afternoon probablywon’t get you an answer in time to get yourhomework in.”The guideline is for an instructor to answera student within 24 hours. “This can be a longtime if you are struggling,” Van Cleave said.This style of communication offers advantagesas well. When students collaborateby posting on the Web, they can do it whenthey have the time to articulate their thoughtsinstead of fitting conversation within theconstraints of a class period.Speaking about an online class she herselfhad taken, Trina Kilty, the lead instructionaldesigner for LCCC, said: “The level of participationwas so high that I really think I learneda lot out of it. And I don’t think I would havelearned as much in a face-to-face class. I don’tthink you have as rich of discussions as when“Taking an onlinecourse offers studentsextreme flexibility andconvenience in somecases; however, itrequires a high levelof time managementand perseverance.”Les BalsigerDirectorLCCC Center for Learning Technologyyou have them online, and people can postwhen they have some time.”Some students may find they communicateor learn better in the online format. Itreally depends on the person.“It’s not for everybody, but it’s a good optionto have,” Balsiger said.“Certainly, in the 21st century, it is a veryviable option. As technology increases, itmakes it more interesting and more robust. Ialways recommend taking one class and seehow you like it. If you don’t like it, it’s not foryou. Some people excel at it.”It is also important to communicate withinstructors regularly. Kilty explained: “I havehad students that don’t ask questions. Thenall of a sudden it is 10 weeks into the semester,and they are like, ‘I’ve been strugglingwith this.’ And I had no idea.”Kilty added: “You can’t help if you don’teven know that there is a problem. So communicationis huge with online classes.”Technology is the key to communicatingwith online instructors. It is importantthat students keep their computers reliablyrunning. After all, computers are how onlinestudents must attend class.