How are Online Colleges Different from Traditional Colleges?
Online colleges and traditional colleges have the same goal in mind — to provide students with an education in order to earn their degrees. While their purpose is the same, each one has significant differences that set them apart. A key difference between online and traditional colleges is the Internet-based curriculum. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, an online class is defined as "a formal education process in which the students and instructor are not in the same place." This means that all exams, quizzes, lectures and reading in online classes are done on the Web. This is the biggest change when transitioning from traditional, classroom learning. But, many student have overcome the challenge of learning online and have adapted quite well to the system.
Online courses are also taught by instructors and there are classmates in each course. However, your correspondence with these individuals will most likely be via e-mail, telephone or live chat. Unless you are in a certain course or program, such as nursing or occupational therapy, which require on-campus visits or clinical work, you will never meet your instructors or classmates face-to-face. Essentially, you will still attend class, but no one will physically see you. In traditional colleges, this is completely opposite. Campus college classes require your physical presence as you listen and take notes during professors’ lectures. Many traditional college classes make attendance mandatory and your grade could suffer if you don’t abide by the policy. Exchanging information with your professors is very different in online classes, because instructors have to provide more detailed feedback to ensure that the information is clear. According to the Sloan Consortium, there are additional types of feedback that are signature to online classes, such as online participation, interaction in discussion beyond posting words such as "good job," but rather highlighting key ideas and creating follow-up questions. Feedback can also come in the form of audio clips and voice-supported chats. Online instructors go to great lengths to provide valuable feedback and assistance to their students in more complex ways than traditional colleges do.
The convenience of online classes is significantly different than the inflexible schedule of traditional college classes. Online classes allow you to attend school and work, while maintaining other important obligations. This has been the answer to so many peoples’ quest to find a way to manage life and continue to educate and better themselves. A CNN article notes that students have endless opportunities with online education whether it is for career or personal reasons. In most cases, you can attend class on your own schedule and learn at your own pace. Not many traditional college students can say that about their lenient schedules, time management and flexibility.
