Did you know that Park offers online classes? The thought of sitting in the library, where it’s peaceful and quiet, on cushioned chairs and working on assignments sounds very appealing. But it’s important to know what you’re getting into before signing up. Digital classes are something that have gained popularity, offering students a convenient and flexible alternative to traditional education. While it has many advantages, it can also come with drawbacks.
Self-Paced Learning: One of the biggest advantages that comes with e-classes is the ability to work at your own pace. It’s well known that not everyone can absorb knowledge at the same rate as others. In standard classrooms, a uniform pace of teaching and learning is maintained. Online learning offers the freedom to focus on more difficult topics for a longer period of time and race through familiar ones. This creates a personalized learning style tailored specifically to the student taking the course.
Course Variety: Nothing is more frustrating and disappointing than not being able to fit into a class you are interested in because it’s full. While sometimes there aren’t enough teachers to cover all the classes, not getting into a class that is too full will never be an issue in virtual learning. Online education can offer a large range of courses that cover many different subjects. It can range from psychology to art history, criminology, and many more. This can create an opportunity to learn more specific knowledge that is targeted and important for a future career.
Isolation: While working alone may sound appealing to some, interactions with peers are very important life skills. Traditional classrooms provide students with the opportunity to engage with teachers and peers by asking questions or participating in group discussions. In an online setting, interactions can be limited to emails, chats, and occasional video calls. Producing a detached feeling can hinder the development of social skills. Which, in the end, will be needed eventually.
Self-discipline: The key to being successful in a virtual class is having self-discipline. It is up to you to make sure that all work is completed up to standards and on time. The teacher who sets the class up or who grades the assignments may remind you to make sure things are getting done. But even then, they cannot force you to do anything. If work is continuously poorly executed or missing, they have the ability to take any student out of the class. Saying that an assignment can be done later or at home is an easy habit to fall into and a difficult one to get out of.
Having a variety of courses and the ability to learn at the best pace is important, but digital learning can very easily lead to isolation and missing assignments due to a lack of self-discipline. As long as students have a full understanding of what they are getting into, success can easily be found with this style of learning.
