Flexibility and convenience are two of the better known advantages of online courses. The ability to take classes and complete coursework according to your own schedule can be the difference between going back to school to pursue a degree—or not.
And the potential advantages of online courses don’t stop there. In addition to schedule flexibility, the online class format makes it possible to attend a school that is geographically distant from where you live without having to upend your life and move. The self-directed nature of online learning can help you to further develop various soft skills, such as time management, goal-setting and professional “netiquette” (online etiquette). And the online learning format may also provide an opportunity for more personalized or tailored learning.
These potential benefits of an online education are certainly appealing. But if you’re new to distance learning, you may have questions about how online classes work in practice, and we are here to try and help answer those questions. We begin our exploration of this topic with an overview of the main differences between online vs. in-person classes.
Online vs. In-Person Classes: Main Differences
There are a few basic differences with online classes vs. in-person classes.
Convenience. The most obvious difference between online and in-person classes is that online classes do not require you to be physically present in the room where the instructor is teaching. While an on-campus student has to walk or otherwise commute to the lecture hall or other building, an online student simply needs to be connected to the internet and log in. Or, where attending the school of your choice used to mean potentially having to move across state or across the country, the distance learning format has effectively removed that geographic barrier, allowing you to remain at home, wherever home is.
Flexibility. Relatedly, while an in-person class will require you to show up at a set time, at many schools, an online class can be attended at whatever time is convenient for you. While there may be opportunities to log in and view a live lecture, lectures are typically pre-recorded and made available through an institution’s website or app.
Social Environment. Another difference in online vs. in-person classes is the social environment. In a traditional class setting, students are sitting together in real time, asking questions of each other or of the instructor, face to face. But in online classes, particularly with pre-recorded ones, discussion boards and live chats replace face-to-face discussions. And the great thing about live chats is that, even if you miss one, you can still access it through a live chat archive and listen to it at your convenience.
Skill Development. Because there is no obligation to be in a set classroom at a set time, online learners have to be organized and self-motivated to stay on top of their education. But online learning provides an opportunity to hone your time-management and prioritization skills. You the student are given the freedom—and the responsibility—to manage your attendance and timely submission of coursework. The rise of mobile apps, such as the CTU Mobile app, has helped to make staying on top of online courses, assignments and grades easier.
Are Online Classes Easier or Harder Than In-Person Classes?
Online classes are not necessarily better than in-person classes, nor are online classes necessarily easier or harder than in-person classes. Online degree programs are designed to be rigorous and offer clear learning outcomes, just as traditional degree programs are.
With that said, certain aspects of online classes may be easier or harder vs. in-person classes, depending on the individual. For example, some students may have concerns about the flexible nature of online courses—these students may be motivated by strict in-person attendance rules and wonder about their ability to make time to view lectures at their convenience. On the flip side, other students may struggle with making it to an in-person class on time because of work or family obligations—or even because of traffic—and are motivated by the flexibility and freedom of catching up on classes while they are “on the go.”
Moreover, some students may not be entirely comfortable with in-person interactions. Such students may find online classes are easier in this respect and thrive in the virtual environment. Collaborating via live chat or posting to discussion boards may eliminate some of the social stress they feel and allow them to focus on understanding the content of the course. Meanwhile, students who prefer the real-time feedback from or collaboration with their peers may miss the face-to-face aspect of traditional classes, but live chat opportunities can help to fill in this gap.
Four Advantages of Online Courses
Several of the main differences between online and in-person courses also double as advantages of online courses. Here are four benefits of an online education:
1. Flexible Learning
Pursuing a degree involves a significant time commitment, and the flexible online learning format can make it easier to fit school into your life. Being able to catch up on lessons and complete your coursework during your downtime—i.e., when you are not working or taking care of existing personal obligations—is a benefit of online learning that could be the difference between earning a degree or not. Being in control of your own schedule, even if that means studying on your lunch break or after your kids are in bed, is an invaluable advantage of flexible online courses for many busy adults.
2. Contribute to Online Class Discussions from Anywhere
Class discussions are facilitated by online discussion boards and live chats rather than through face-to-face interactions. Commuting to work? On a lunch break? On vacation? If it doesn’t matter to you that you’re not at home, then it doesn’t matter—if you have a laptop and an internet connection, you can participate in class discussions. Another potential advantage of online class discussion boards and live chats is that these technologies can help to reduce any social anxiety a student may have about speaking up in class—students can share their thoughts and ask questions without having all eyes in the room turned on them.
3. Accessibility of Online Course Materials
Online courses often have an online archive from which you can access course materials. In addition to lectures and e-textbooks, you may be able to access past assignments, worksheets, reading materials and even instructor feedback by searching a course’s archive. Using CTU Mobile or the Virtual Campus, you also have the ability not only to access online course materials but also to submit coursework, e.g., to complete intellipath® assignments, take CTU Fast Track™ exams or upload individual projects.
4. Personalized Learning Experience
Rather than promoting a one-size-fits-all learning experience, online courses have the potential to offer a more personalized learning experience. CTU intellipath® is an adaptive learning technology that helps to do just that. With intellipath®, a student answers a series of questions, and based on those answers, the program is able to recognize what the student already knows and what that student is ready to learn. CTU intellipath® then tailors the student’s online course materials accordingly, ultimately resulting in the student spending less time on existing knowledge and more time on new content. Students with substantial professional or life experience may find intellipath® to be particularly beneficial, as it offers a way to leverage that experience to potentially save time on studying.*
* intellipath® is not available for all courses.
How Do Online Classes Work?: What to Expect
In many ways, taking online classes is similar to taking traditional classes, minus the in-person element, of course.
You still have to attend class. While some online degree programs may require you to log in and view live lectures, others will not. When you pursue an online degree program at CTU, you can watch pre-recorded lectures at a time that is convenient for you.
You still have assignment deadlines. Just because online learning is largely independent doesn’t mean that deadlines don’t exist—they do. Developing strong time-management skills as an online student is a must. Enabling app push notifications, keeping your calendar updated, and planning out and sticking to your study/coursework schedule will help you to be successful.
You still have to participate. Just because you are not physically sitting in a classroom among your peers does not mean that you can’t communicate with them. Live chat makes it possible to talk to your peers in real time. And online discussion boards are a good way to share thoughts and ask questions so that fellow classmates can respond to at their convenience. Both live chat and discussion board participation may even be a mandatory course component.
You can still speak with your instructor… but instead of raising your hand in a lecture hall, you will reach out to them via an app or online portal.
Tips for Taking Online Classes at CTU
Now that you have a better idea of the potential benefits of an online education as well as how online classes work, you might be interested in a few general tips for taking online classes, most of which also apply to traditional in-person classes.
- Don’t skip classes. Look at your weekly schedule in advance, and set aside time to attend your lecture.
- Practice good study habits. For example, don’t procrastinate, and try to set aside time for your studies every day. Remember: how you access online classes—whether on your smartphone, tablet or laptop—is up to you. These portable devices can be great for catching up on lectures or live chat archives while on the go. But when it comes to completing assignments or studying content, staying focused is key. Ideally, try to seek out study spaces where distractions are minimal and you can fully concentrate.
- Engage with your classmates. For online classes, this means communicating via live chats and discussion boards, at a minimum. But you might also consider other potential methods of communication, e.g., email, Zoom, FaceTime or WhatsApp.
- Use CTU Mobile to help you manage your time and your workload. The app can send you notifications about upcoming assignment deadlines, and you can even add reminders to your device’s calendar from within the app. CTU Mobile can also help you keep track of your grades, store your contacts (instructors, Student Success Coach, etc.) and upload documents with ease.
- Stay positive. Going back to school is a significant time and financial investment, regardless of whether you go the distance-learning or in-person route. If you ever start to feel overwhelmed, taking small steps can make a big difference. Sometimes, taking small steps might mean taking literal steps, i.e., going for a walk to help calm your mind. But it could also mean making an appointment with an instructor or Student Success Coach. Remember: just because online learning is largely independent doesn’t mean that you as an online student are on your own or alone.
Interested in going back to school to pursue a degree? Check out CTU’s 100% online undergraduate and graduate online degree programs today.
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