Online College

I have been a college student for exactly 7 weeks now. As an "expert" on virtual schooling, I thought I'd start commenting on the college level as well.

A little bit of history: Many years ago (1995?) someone came up with the brilliant idea of using this new phenomenon (the internet) to help educate computer nerds. The online curriculum was begun. Within a very few years, many companies began to try to sell computer based training. These mainly focused on A+ certification (how to fix a computer) networking and proprietary software (Oracle, Microsoft, Red Hat etc) Some of these programs were very very good, some were scams to separate the unsuspecting person from their money. Years past and the programs offered grew exponentially. By 2001 there were full colleges online and just about any technical training could be found there. But, because of the wild west attitudes that pervaded the industry in the early years, skepticism of the media abounded. (the is why to this very day, the US Armed Services does not recognize virtual schooling in any form)

There are many programs now available for online college classes. Kaplan and University of Phoenix are two biggies. These programs have a long history (well, in context it's long.... maybe ten years) of decent course ware taught by decent instructors. I have no direct experience with either program. I do know, as a former human resources employee, the sight of these two on a resume was neither a big plus or a big minus. It will get your toe into the door - but it won't cause the door to open. But, these companies, and many others, made a LOT of money in the early 2000's. And, struggling Universities saw that this was a way to increase revenue. MIT began putting ALL of it's course ware online in 2004. (You only get credit if you pay for the class) Stanford began offering online high school classes (more on this topic another time) Big names gave credibility to the idea of college online.

Today, you can take classes from the University of Wisconsin and it is entirely online. It has the same name that goes on the resume, same impact for human resources. But, it has the convenience (and difficulties) of being entirely online. They only offer an associates degree, but they will guarantee that all credits received will be transferable within the UW system.

I have been a UW Colleges student for 7 weeks now. I am taking my midterms this week. (wish me luck) Some of the coursework has been pretty good. My psychology class is very effective. The teacher is readily available. There is a focus on making students participate in class discussions. The course takes advantage of the myriad of material online that is available to enrich the learning. My math class is not so good. The material is written by someone who apparently understood math, but not English. There are lots of practice problems that a person can do, but unless you buy both the student and the teachers text, you don't have all of the answers. The teachers (there are two of them, they swap in and out throughout the semester) are not the fastest at answering questions. (48 hours or so)

I have four courses that I am taking. Two are really quite good, two are not. That seems to be the downfall of all virtual schooling. Some people just don't get it. They know how traditional classrooms function. They know how to teach one on one or in a large lecture hall. But, they don't understand the differences and subtleties of online schools.

Perks of Virtual school

My house, like most of yours, is occasionally busy, chaotic and disorganized. While none of us likes to live in that moment, life does have a way of creeping up on us and messing with the best of plans. Almost a year ago, I fell and broke a vertebra in my back. Fortunately, it was treated quickly and effectively and I am on my way to a full recovery. But, during the last twelve months, I have been unable to do many of the things that I used to do for my family. Virtual schooling has helped my family get through this.

The flexibility of time is one of the best assets of virtual schooling. My children have elluminate classes that they attend, but outside of those few hours a week, they are free to schedule their schoolwork as it fits into the rest of life. Because of this, my daughter can drive me to therapy. I don't need to depend on a neighbor, or ask my husband to take time off of work. We have managed to avoid paying for in home care for me throughout this time. Because of this flexibility, my children are available to help with shopping and dinner plans. And, as I have recovered, my daughters have been available to help neighbors, to volunteer at church, to watch school aged children who were out of school unexpectedly last week.

Life happens, and this week, my dryer has decided to die. If my children had to attend a traditional school, I would have been forced to find a way to get the laundry to the laundromat while we wait for the repair service. The challenge of lifting heavy laundry in and out of a car is just too much for me at the moment. But, because they aren't at a traditional school, they can wear their pajamas "to class". No one will tease them if they are wearing an out of style fashion. Plus, they have the time to hang clothes on the line to dry. None of this would be possible if we were out of the house for 8 hours each day.

Lunches are another perk. I have never had to buy a school lunch. I don't even have to plan for sandwiches, plastic utensils etc. for them to take their own lunch. There are leftovers from last night that can be reheated in the microwave. And, if all else fails, a frozen pizza can be popped into the oven. These are options a "normal" school aged child doesn't have.

I strongly believe that virtual schooling is not for every family. There are drawbacks. But, for me and my family, the perks are too good to pass up. What perks have you seen in your family?