| The idea of online education was scoffed at not so | | | | between the virtual classrooms used in online |
| many years ago. But these days both educational | | | | education, and the brick and mortar classrooms of a |
| institutions and prospective students are taking online | | | | traditional university, there are striking differences as |
| education seriously. | | | | well. |
| The first universities to offer accredited online | | | | For example, if you attend a physical campus you will |
| degrees began appearing back in the 1990s. More | | | | enter the classroom and attend a certain course at a |
| often than not, these groundbreaking schools were | | | | certain time that will be designated to last between |
| looked down upon by the "academic elite," and | | | | one and three hours on average. The instructor of |
| considered to be somehow "shady" or disreputable. | | | | the course will likely lecture for the majority of this |
| But a lot has certainly changed since then, and these | | | | time, but there may also be some student |
| days even the most prestigious Ivy League | | | | participation. At the end of the class the instructor |
| universities are offering online classes, and | | | | may assign homework or inform students of |
| sometimes, a complete online curriculum for distance | | | | upcoming quizzes. |
| learning. | | | | But in a virtual classroom the structure is much more |
| If you've wondered how online education works, or if | | | | open, and there is a far greater degree of flexibility in |
| it would be a good alternative for you, read on to | | | | the lesson plans. For example, normally you may log |
| get a sense of the online learning experience and | | | | into your virtual class at any time, where you will |
| what it means to be a "virtual student." | | | | listen, read and watch videos covering the course |
| Obviously the biggest difference between online | | | | material. As a general rule, you may take as much |
| education and attending an actual university is that it | | | | time as you like to go over the material and |
| is not necessary to be in any particular location to | | | | complete any assignments given. While your course |
| study. This means that much of the social aspect of | | | | instructor will normally be available to ask questions |
| going to college is removed from the online education | | | | via real-time online chat, e-mail or instant messaging, |
| experience. But depending on your point of view, this | | | | they will not monitor your progress or concern |
| could actually be a very good thing. It makes it | | | | themselves with your work habits. |
| possible to bypass a lot of the peer pressure and | | | | This means that with online education the student |
| "popularity contests" that many college cultures have | | | | has far greater responsibility for their own learning. |
| become inundated with. | | | | No one will babysit you, or ensure that you are doing |
| If you are an older student -- and by older, I mean | | | | the required work; it is simply presented to you, and |
| over 24 -- you will probably find much of the petty | | | | you are expected to be responsible for completing |
| jostling for popularity and status to be a real turnoff | | | | assignments and reviewing the information. |
| anyway. That's why online education can be a great | | | | This kind of freedom and flexibility fits many people |
| option for returning students, or those who are a | | | | perfectly, but others -- especially younger students -- |
| little more mature. | | | | may crave the structure of traditional campus |
| One of the biggest questions prospective students | | | | learning. If your time is important to you, and you are |
| have about online education is how the virtual | | | | motivated enough to be responsible for yourself, |
| classroom actually works. While there are similarities | | | | online education could be a perfect fit for you. |