By Elizabeth Chamberland, Campus Representative, Indiana University
The New York Times recently featured an article that discussed the recent trend towards substituting traditional classroom setting with that of online classes. The University of Florida and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are highlighted as universities instituting online courses as a result of budget cuts. While some schools, including the University of Florida, offer students the choice of viewing the lecture online or attending a traditional class; others don’t allow students to choose. The article specifically cites an entry level Spanish class at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a course that is only offered in the online format. Interviewed professors at both schools admit it is far from ideal.
At Indiana University Bloomington, a marketing professor who often supplements in-class learning with the use of technology, students were given an opportunity to participate in an online lecture. Overall, I would say the experience was positive for most students. The nature of the topic was one that would likely require students to review the session again later in the semester, making a recorded online session helpful.
A few days after publication of the original article, the New York Times dedicated the letters to the editor section to its responses. Students and professors offered their opinions, both positive and negative, of online courses they had experienced personally. However, in comparison to the courses featured in the original article, many attributed differing formats or smaller class sizes to the success of their online courses. It seems as though online classes are be best suited for highly-motivated students who choose to take them and are not forced to due to lack of on-campus options.
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