What is it like to take Online Classes? – Things to Know

Lots of persons or should I say prospective students wants to know and they ask; hat is it like to take Online Classes? In the time past, higher education meant taking lessons offline or in the classes, which was often a challenge for professionals or those with complicated schedules.

Thanks to advances in technology, it is now easier than ever to find an educational program that offers the necessary flexibility, be it through classic one-to-one lectures, online training or a combination of the two.

Online courses have many advantages; They allow you to learn when and where it suits you. This makes it easier to graduate and to reconcile work and family. And without having to attend classes in person, online training gives you access to high-level programs across the country that are inaccessible or highly impractical.

However, online courses can be a unique challenge if you are not prepared. However, as you develop effective online study skills, you will find that courses can be a great alternative to traditional classes. Here are some tips for successful online learning so you can get the most out of your next course.

However, online class structures vary, experts say. In general, however, online students are regularly logged into a learning management system, or LMS, which is a virtual portal where they can view curriculum and assessments. Contact with teachers, classmates and support services; Access to course materials; and monitor their progress in class.

Experts say prospective students should check if the school’s LMS is available on mobile devices so they can complete the course anytime, anywhere. You may also need a strong internet connection and the necessary software, such as a word processor.

One major difference that experts have noted is that the forced transition to distance learning that colleges are experiencing this spring due to the coronavirus is not typical of online education. What students are experiencing online as a result of the pandemic is “emergency distance learning,” said Lynette O’Keefe, director of research and innovation at the Online Learning Consortium.

“Emergency distance learning is forcing teachers who schedule their semesters in person or in a mixed environment to be completely online, and forcing students who don’t always expect to take their courses online,” says O’Keefe.

Things To Know Before Taking Online Courses

Online courses are becoming increasingly popular and much needed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While some students return to class, many go further and learn. If you are thinking about completing your degree, consider taking an online course.

Employers today want a trained workforce. In response, more and more people are turning to online education to add school to their busy lives. Before you decide to take online classes, you should know that they differ from traditional classes in several important ways.

These differences may override the benefits of a flexible training plan for you. It all depends on your style and training needs. Here are 7 things you need to know before taking an online course:

 Online Classes Demand Excellent Time-Management Skills

Online courses can allow you to study whenever you want, but don’t think that you will spend less time studying. Do you wait until the last minute to finish your work? Are you easily distracted? Are you struggling to set goals and achieve them? If so, online courses may not be for you.

Professors Take Online Classes

As long as the school you attend is accredited, your classes will be taught by an accredited professor. While you may never meet them in person, the lesson plans they give you will be similar to any other course they teach.

They know as much as other professors in their field and can even teach courses at universities. The only real difference is that you contact them via online discussion forums, email, and online lectures.

Online Exams are Proctored

Online courses use special tools to track students during tests and to maintain academic integrity. Using these tools will maintain the quality and reputation of your online degree. Some courses even require on-campus control tests. If you live off campus, you should check these requirements before applying.

Opportunities to Interact with Their Peers

You may fear that online learning will make interactions with other students difficult. Fortunately, this did not happen. Even if you can’t share a classroom with them, you can still chat and collaborate. Online courses have discussion forums, online chats, and video conferencing to help you. In this way, online students can continue to network with each other and have the opportunity to work together.

How Do Student Feels About Online Learning in Philippines

The first year of college is often a stressful time for students as the transition from high school to college brings new circumstances and hopes,” said Janet Godwin, CEO of ACT, in a statement. from low-income families and first-generation college students who are more likely to have limited access to technology and the Internet than their peers.”

The report measured responses from 1,164 students who attended the ACT as juniors or seniors between 2017 and 2019, graduating high school in 2019, and enrolling in post-secondary institutions for the 2019-20 school year.

When asked how easy or challenging their study work was, 52 percent of students responded with “somewhat demanding” and 14 percent with “very demanding”. In open-ended questions, students cited lack of motivation, difficulty retaining information and problems understanding concepts without “practical” experience as their main barriers.

Additionally, the report found that 82 percent of students were “very” or “somewhat” worried that online learning during the pandemic would adversely affect their academic performance this year; 76% believe that such negative effects can have long-term consequences.

The report identifies three main factors that pose learning challenges for students: lack of access to technology and the internet, gaps in learning resources (such as teacher feedback, structured course materials and opportunities for collaboration), and limited prior experience with online learning.

Internet access varied among freshmen, with more than half saying their internet connection was “OK”, 24 percent saying they had “great” connectivity, and 21 percent saying they were “unpredictable,” “terrible”, or non-existent.

The report comes as the House of Representatives passed the $3.5 trillion budget yesterday, paving the way for a vote on President Joe Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Employment Bill. The bipartisan infrastructure bill would create an accessible connectivity program, a continuation of the temporary broadband emergency benefit decided by Congress last December, to provide discounted broadband services to eligible low-income households, including Pell grantees.

Emily Buk West, Executive Assistant Director of Higher Education Advocates for the Broadband Access Program for Students, is pleased that the report details the problems that broadband students face.

“It’s great to have more data on the challenges so many students face when trying to access and complete their coursework online,” said Buk West. “The broadband challenge certainly existed before the pandemic, but it has really been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and we have little data on how students are affected.

What Students Are Really Thinking About Online Learning in Philippines?

Words by Lee Xiong who is a junior at Luther Burbank High School:

School is hard. Switching to all online learning was the biggest challenge for me this year. As a student, I will say that I am usually up to date on all my work for all of my courses. The biggest change I saw in myself was that I was less focused on my schoolwork.

Being in a physical classroom is very different from studying online. In class, most of your focus is there, unlike virtual, the temptation is REAL! Yes, self-discipline is great for studying, but when it’s all thrown into your head, you can’t blame students for not wanting to work, at least that’s my opinion.

This online training touched me personally because it was during this time that I realized I was completing assignments with weeks of delay. Not because I have a problem, but because I don’t have the motivation and energy to solve it. This is not a rule for me. Without a regular schedule, I feel lost. I sound like a robot, but I think because since we were very young, this big change has affected me the most.

This taught me that online learning would not suit me in the future! Maybe for a class or two, but overall, I plan to spend most of my school life in physical classrooms for the most part. Although it has been challenging both in school and in the real world, remembering how to wake up will help us master it together.

According to Evelynn Vang who is a junior at Luther Burbank High School:

The online learning experience as a student was very good for me. Sometimes I’m not interested in what I’m doing and feel lazy. I’m still doing my homework, but sometimes I’m late to turn in assignments. It’s like doing tasks when I want to.

I can tell that there is a reason and this is where I do my schoolwork. My home is not a learning environment like a school that has teachers, other students, study tools, desks/tables, chairs, a library, lots of space, and people for support. At home it is like an environment for sleeping or resting. In class I can concentrate more on my assignments/work and get involved in the topic.

Whenever I am in a classroom, I feel ready to learn and develop my brain; at home I find it very difficult to get ready because I am always distracted. When I need help, my teacher or classmates are there for me. Whenever I have a question at home, I have to wait for an answer.

I must say that when I was in school, I was always nervous in class. Now that I’m homeschooled, I’m not nervous. From my current experience in online learning, I will no longer choose online learning in the future, because in school the classroom is a learning environment. I also find it easier to communicate with classmates/project groups, teachers, advisors and school management. Studying at school is the best thing for me.

According to Diana Lopez who is also a junior at Luther Burbank High School:

As a student, my online learning experience was not that great. This new training system has advantages, such as more time to complete assignments from the comfort of your home, not having to get up early to go to school, and ensuring the safety of staff and students. Apart from these advantages, this training method also has disadvantages.

For example, I have a lot of work at home such as taking care of my younger siblings, cooking, cleaning the house, and so on. I also find it harder to be motivated when completing schoolwork. When I am surrounded by all the other temptations like my phone or other electronic devices, I lose all desire to work.

The home environment is different from the student work environment at school. Classrooms provide a quiet academic workspace, while households can become noisy and students lose focus or not work at all. I also find that just reading the instructions for an assignment or lesson is not as interesting as when a teacher explains it. Information is much easier to retain when heard than just reading instructions.

If I could choose, I wouldn’t want to do any more online training in the future because I would like to have a gym teacher who can help me when I need it. The presence of a teacher helps me focus more on school work, engages me in learning, and the teacher helps me guide me through work and is available to answer any questions I have.

According to Brenda Hernandez who is also a junior at Luther Burbank High School:

As a student, my online experience was interesting. What I love about this experience is that I have more time to talk to my family and call friends or send text messages. I can do schoolwork from home and have time to be independent. I like that I can choose which class to work on first and which class to wait for after.

What I don’t like is that I’m on a screen all day long. I love electronics, but school kept me from staring at screens for hours on end. I also don’t like having more distractions at home. I live in a small apartment with five other people and four dogs.

This experience is different from a physical classroom because I communicate less now. At school I hear the opinions and ideas of my friends and classmates. Some of my teachers told us to talk to the people around us about class.

Now not everyone is online at the same time. I have a fear that prevents me from writing to some of my friends and some of my classmates. And if I do, it takes a while before they respond. The same applies to communication with teachers.

In the future, if I could choose, I’d like to do some of the training online and the rest in real classes. Although it depends on the class. I noticed that I was able to finish some classes at home because no one asked or read the instructions to prevent me from starting work. It was more difficult in other classes because I was more of a visual student in this subject and my teacher gave me assignments.

According to Na Lee Her who is a junior at Luther Burbank High School:

My experience with online learning has been both stressful and difficult. I feel this way because I’m having a hard time understanding assignments and I can’t personally check with my teacher whether you did it right or not. It doesn’t make me feel confident because I want to make sure I’m really doing the job right to deserve credit for it.

Also, having time to get things done is another matter. I have a lot of things at home to take care of and it makes it difficult for me to do my job. This resulted in me submitting assignments late or not at all. Last but not least, lack of motivation makes online learning more difficult. The fact that I couldn’t face my friends and teachers didn’t motivate me and made me unhappy about it.

I couldn’t get any ideas from them and it made me lose hope because I didn’t know what I would do to complete the task and meet their requirements. It just makes me very worried and scared to know that maybe I did something wrong or don’t know what to do.

At this time of online learning, I didn’t like anything but how much the teachers supported me. If I have to choose online training or face-to-face training, I prefer to take face-to-face lessons. I chose this one because it was much easier and my question was answered instantly. Not only that, I can also get suggestions/ideas from my colleagues.

Conclusion

You want know how student feels about online learning in philipines? Different person’s could different feelings about online classes which is why we listed some testimonia of high profile individuals who has attended online classes before and what they really feel about it.