The Pioneer, Vol. 53 Issue 2

Campus
“WE DON’T LEAVE
PEOPLE LEFT BEHIND,
WE BRING THEM ON
BOARD AND MAYBE
HAVE TRANSITIONAL
CLASSES, OR
UNDERSTAND SOME
THINGS YOU JUST
DON’T WANT TO
TEACH ONLINE,”
SAID FRED METZGER,
COMMUNICATIONS
AND FILM INSTRUCTOR.
that teaching an online class can be
more of a workload on staff members.
This is a result of trying to recreate classroom
experiences in an online environment,
which can be hard to keep up with,
she added.
Selecting the right class has much to
do with the individual’s learning style,
however. Marilyn Gay, a Pierce College
student, mentioned how on-campus
classes are important to her because of
the teacher and peer interactions. “I like
the interaction with the instructor and
the other peers, and you don’t get that
with online classes.”
E-learning can provide an exceptional
opportunity for many people. As Pace,
said, “I knew a military student who ended
up finishing some online course work
while he was deployed in the middle east,
and another who was going to school online
while on a ship in the Persian Gulf.”
Cases like these show the benefit of
online courses. However, could there be
too much of a push toward online in this
day and age? Metzger says that his public
speaking class almost didn’t happen this
quarter.
Metzger mentioned how there is no
substitute for the energy, nerves, and
emotion that are in the room during a
public speaking course. “We don’t leave
people left behind, we bring them on
board and maybe have transitional classes,
or understand some things you just
don’t want to teach online.”
Although there are many positives of
online classes’ availability in this digital
age, it’s also important to keep enough
campus classes available to students.
Naudyia Pichette, a student in her fifth
quarter at Pierce College mentioned,
“Not everybody has access to a computer
and that’s basically your lifeline with an
online class. Also, the books tend to be
pretty expensive.”
Pichette said she likes to take electives
online, instead of core classes, such as
accounting. She adds that usually more
help is available from a teacher and
fellow students in an on-campus math or
science course, that isn’t as needed in an
online class such as art appreciation.
Upon entering college, it can seem
overwhelming with all of the different
options of what classes to take, but once
everybody finds the type of class that
works best for them, it can be a rewarding
and enjoyable experience.
Metzger had a valuable statement that
those on campus should keep in mind
when discussing the removal or addition
of both forms of courses, “It’s not which
is better? It’s why can’t we have both?
Why can’t we nurture both? Why can’t
we be diverse and be open to all with the
diverse community?”
November. 2019 / Vol. 53, Issue 2 piercepioneernews.com / 07