Online Learning Success

First, I’m an expert at being organized because I carry an agenda with me. In my agenda, I write down important events that are coming up or just to remind myself of other things. For instance, I write down any important detail

Online education helps students learn how to manage their time well while allowing them to work at a comfortable pace. “I was able to view all my assignments for the entire semester for each class, and control the flow of my days, months, and life! I found that working within a structured environment allowed me the freedom to learn at my own pace, as well as the flexibility to apply my style of learning and more efficiently manage my time.” (Langevin, Student Reflection, 2016) When you can see what you have to get done and what’s up next, you can better plan out your day and do work adhering to

Organization is essential in any profession. Not only do I keep my school and extracurricular work structured, but also have been known to straighten up my previous internship’s office without any prompting. I am able to grasp information very quickly. I generally do

Successful online students understand that their instructors are facilitators of their learning process and that the individual student must be a dedicated and goal-oriented self-starter. Online students are motivated and goal-oriented. They put their schoolwork at the top of their list of priorities. Students who enjoy face-to-face immediate interactions in a room environment may not a "good fit." For distance education. Distance education students are basically Independent Learners and feel comfortable in taking responsibility for their own learning process. Though. interactions between the student and instructor, they may not receive an immediate response. Successful DL students must be self-disciplined and goal-oriented students are expected

Should people be more organized with papers and everything else? Studies have shown people who are more organized can have clearer thoughts also be less stressed and can be more focused Not be organized can result in depression and stress.

College course completion can occur anywhere and in any space. Preference of online learning has become the norm for over 25% of students enrolled in an online courses at the undergraduate and postsecondary level (Young, & Bruce, 2011; Elaine Allen, & Seaman, 2007). Diverse distant education options (online course programs, e-learning programs), have presented challenges for both students and instructors, leading to extensive research on the tenets of what constitutes quality learning in the differing virtual settings (Boling, Hough, Krinsky, Saleem, & Stevens, 2012; Oncu, & Cakir, 2011). The increase of dropout rates across community colleges and universities has compelled the review of instructional practices in online settings (Lee, & Choi, 2011;2010; Xu, D., & Jaggars, 2013).

When students are enrolling in a class, they have different choices as to how they want to complete the class. It could vary from an online course, to a traditional course. An online course is a modern way of learning with an internet based curriculum, meaning that the entire course is online, as well as all the assignments and activities it will require. On the other hand, a traditional class is a method based upon face-to-face learning and will come with a great deal of communication. Researchers stated that “...approximately 30% of college students are enrolled in at least one online course.” (“Online classes”). Every student has a prefered way of learning; some prefer traditional, and some prefer modern. Although these two methods for learning both have the same end goal and the desire to educate, they have very distinct differences, separating them into two completely different methods with distinctive techniques and environments.

First, rather than being tethered to a specific time allotment, the online degree seeker is able to learn with complete flexibility. This is ideal for those with unconventional work hours, those working full time, serving in the military or those raising a family. Moreover, the traditional method of lectures, books and desks may not be the optimum learning environment for every student. In a New York Times article, experts declared that the real promise of online education is "providing learning experiences that are more tailored to individual students than is possible in classrooms," which in turn fosters the concept of "learning by doing." Many students find this engagement more useful and more

The higher education experience for distance education learners varies greatly from one that can be had at a traditional brick and mortar university. The experience between the two different types of course delivery formats will never be the same. However, online learners deserve services that are equal in quality as their peers. The traditional four year baccalaureate education is usually comprised of a background in the liberal arts, accented by coursework in a major or specialization of choice. While degree requirements in distance education programs usually mirror those of their brick and mortar counterparts, the actual lived experience of the two are vastly different. On campus students have access to student success programs, clubs and service learning organizations, and research symposiums to help enhance the learning experience. Typically, distance education students are classified as non-traditional learners who are inclined to continue working and maintaining traditional adult roles while attending courses (Renes & Strange, 2010; Carnoy et. al., 2012). Additionally, graduation rates in distance education programs have been lower than full-time brick and mortar programs (Inkelaar and Simpson, 2015). Research suggests that multiple variables impact the distance learner’s experience, including: access and competence with technology, commitment to program completion, and intrinsic motivation (Renes & Strange, 2010; Carnoy et al., 2012; Alfifi and Almari, 2014; Ouyang

“Nearly 5.8 million people are enrolled in online college courses, with 28% of all college students enrolling in at least one online course” says the college guide. The open education database says that, “The current challenges facing traditional colleges and universities, including higher tuition, budget cuts, and course shortages, have caused many students to search for alternatives” (1). Currently a lot of students apply for classes that have the option to take the online course over the traditional course. Then, they wonder which method would best suit them and be more convenient. In addition, the open education database says that, “Nearly three million students currently enrolled in fully online degree programs and six million taking at least one online course as part of their degree program, online education has clearly become one of the most popular higher education alternatives” (1). It comes down to finding the best type of education courses that adapts to student’s desires. The best type would be an online course of learning because it has a flexible scheduling and it’s very convenient and the overall cost of tuition is better than traditional education.

Having finished my vocational training through a local community college, adjusting to my new job, and having a surplus of free time on my hands, I decided to continue my education. So many options were available, but not all of them were viable. Working shift work in the high stress environment of pre-hospital emergency medicine left me with an odd schedule that did not line up well with attending traditional universities. As I began to explore my options, the idea of earning an online degree seemed the most likely path to follow. I was skeptical at first, because I did not hold online learning in a high regard. I began to navigate my reasoning for these ideas, as I did not entirely understand why I thought this. As I began to research online degree opportunities and speak with others regarding my future goals, I realized that others were skeptical about online learning as well. Some did not think that they had the drive to independently study adequately in an online setting. Others viewed online universities as scams, and told me that I would just be wasting my money. After doing some independent research on the topic and testing the waters myself by enrolling at Northwestern State University, I have concluded that online learning can be quite effective. There is a reasonable stigma that exists towards online degree programs, however online learning can effectively educate future students and prepare them for what lies ahead.

The year 2014 I majored in Information Technology and received my first Online Education class. Privacy, space, and concentration are what Online Education provided. Online Education has granted me a greater learning experience than being taught by the few lazy teachers in the past. Teachers online provide links, videos, and handout-guides for every assignment, anything needed to complete and learn the materials. Not only has Online Education granted me a higher learning experience, but also saved me an immense amount of money on gas and having the need to drive daily to class and paying for parking. Many students struggle financially, and online education has saved me a fortune. It is important to know that Online Education has affected us students in a positive way where we have the alternative to meet an Education without the need to drive daily to campus. Each year institutions’ of higher education has offered more courses that are fully online as well as more that are blended or hybrid in design format (Hoskins and van Hooff, 2005). Colleges and universities are placing greater emphasis on increasing online education offerings (Allen and Seaman, 2005).

Despite the flaws regarding the lost enthusiasm from instructors and students over the internet, eLearning is an option for education that, offered to the right student, could be a beneficial avenue to completing college and getting a degree. Unfortunately, the majority of people experimenting with online education are not the students who are self-motivated and independent, but rather the students who need the advantage of having in person educational support. Reihan Salam, author of the article Online Education Can Be Good or Cheap, but Not Both, asserts, “The irony, of course, is that the students who need help and hassle the least, like the super-well-prepared and super-eager undergraduates at schools like Stanford, tend to get the most personal attention and structure. The students who need help and hassle the most, like ill-prepared community college students who are not entirely sure that an associate’s degree is

One of the things in online learning that is important is establishing your classroom. With a traditional class, the classroom and times are designated to the student. In an online environment, it is up to the student to determine the when and where. It is important to remember that all of your classes take place on the computer and even your book can be found there. It is the student 's responsibility to make this work for themselves. Part of being able to excel in learning is setting up a time and a place where you will be able to make learning work for you. This also relates to good time management. Let those around you know when you will be in class so that they do not disturb you during this time. With a designated time and place set aside, a student can begin to schedule their days around when they have time to get their classwork completed.

The fast-paced rise of technology has introduced many topics up for debate, one of them being online learning. Which is the better option: traditional or online classes? Online education has become more and more popular with a “3.9% increase in the number of [online] education students” (2015) and “5.8 million students enrolled in online courses in the fall of 2014” (2015). When we look at the nuts and bolts of a traditional classroom setting compared to an online classroom setting, it becomes clear that online classes are the way to go. Not only do the many benefits of online learning heavily outweigh the small amount of benefits of traditional learning, there are also statistics to prove this and the educated opinions of educators