Written by YMPowe
May 23, 2020
Distance learning courses allows for real-time communiation with instructors and classmates. Many have become familiar with conferencing programs such as ZOOM, SKYPE, and Teams. Students has immediately interaction with the course instructor and classmates. Students can be caled to the front of the class and asked to show their work on the whiteboard. Students can give presentations in front of the class. Student can even pass notes in class by using a private chat room..
As traditional colleges and universities assess on how to resume classes safely, they are evaluating adding distance learning software to their online platform.
Many colleges and universities’ financial operational planning has been based on the offering of distance learning courses and they utilize well-established and successful distance learning software programs, such as Whiteboard and eCollege. Due to COVID-19 social distancing, colleges and universities are having to re-evaluate course offering and on what online software will be utilized. Many of these same colleges and universities will also have to re-evaluate their viewpoint about online education.
In the past, the misinformation about online classes was pessimistic; the courses were devalued by the posh erudite. That is, it was thought that online was easier, less effective, inferior, and not rigorous in comparison to an in-class instruction and experience. Over time, that pessimistic rightfully subsided, but still exists. Anyone who has ever taken an online course understands that the coursework is not easier than that of an in-class course. Simply stating, online courses whether standard, distance learning, or a mastery learning program, are no joke.
Students are still required to complete the same amount of coursework and sometime more. Immediate campus resources can be limited or unavailable. What online classes can be is more convenient especially for the nontraditional students or as an option for when in-class courses are all full. As colleges and universities mull over about reopening for the fall 2020 semesters and quarters, the increase of online course offerings must be in the conversation.
