English class giving you a headache? Tired of sitting in class day after day listening to a teacher ramble on? Well, consider yourself fortunate.
Let me explain. As a senior at Westminster, I am one of the few students who chose to take an online class at ECC for my English credit. I made this decision thinking it would be a nice break from the norm, but I was sadly mistaken. Little did I know what I was getting myself into.
The added difficulties of taking a class online make it a rather miserable experience. The time it takes to figure out what the homework is is comparable to the time it takes to actually complete the assignments. This added confusion makes it much more difficult to get assignments in on time. There are also different “discussion posts” that require your feedback, such as commenting on another student’s post. This is obviously much easier in the classroom setting, where you can simply discuss the topic aloud with your classmates and teacher.
That is another negative aspect of online classes – no teacher. Although some may think that not having a teacher around would be a good thing, it is very inconvenient when you have a question and cannot ask it except through e-mail. It slows down the process of getting your work done and is not as helpful when you don’t understand something. Having a teacher available to ask questions and talk to is something that normal English class students ought not to take for granted.
Another aspect of online classes that I have not appreciated is their susceptibility to procrastination. Instead of daily homework assignments, all my assignments are due on Monday and Thursday by midnight. This means that unless you are a very dedicated student, it is all too easy to find yourself cramming to finish your homework at 11:59 p.m.
Overall, online classes can be beneficial. But from my personal experience, they are nothing but an added frustration.
By: Anne Lehan
No comments:
Post a Comment