Bigger, Wider Class Rooms

The Internet has revolutionized so many things in the lives of humans. What used to be contained in shelves full of books can be accesses faster with the search engine and online encyclopedias, even Wikipedia. Letters that used to take days before reaching its destination can now arrive in light-second thanks to email. More recently, the Internet is on the verge of replacing or at least providing an alternative to walking into campus and the four walls of a classroom. Welcome to online education.

There are many universities all over the world that has embraced online education for on some of their programs. This allows them a wider reach in terms of students as well as a wider selection of the faculty and learning platform. With online education, more students, who are otherwise unable to go to school because of work or distance from campus, now have an opportunity to learn. Better teachers who are geographically distant can now be involved in the learning. With more students and more competent teachers available, the learning will be more fruitful.

There are already several online classrooms like Virtual Classroom or Blackboard Academic Suite. These platforms support chat rooms and the virtual whiteboard—the essentials of online education. They also allow folders for readings and documents from teachers to be shared to students. There are also discussion boards where students can post their thoughts and react to other student’s posts. There are also roster pages so everyone can see and meet each other.

At the heart of the online education concept is the interaction. Unlike in ordinary classroom setups where the teacher is in front and the students are grouped together below, in online education, everyone, including the teachers stand together in the “virtual classrooms.”

However, just like any other concept, online education is not for everyone. It cannot also be applied for all disciplines, at least not yet. There are certain skills that students must possess in order to be effective in an online classroom. One must have initiative, must be diligent and can work on his or her own, without being instructed and spoon-fed by teachers.

Unlike in traditional class setups, online classes are more interactive and the teacher does not dominate the discussion, or else, students can just pretend to be “online” but they are actually sleeping or watching television. That is why online teachers elicit discussion, requires students to do research and share personal reflections and experiences. This is how the discussion is stimulated and to allow everyone to be involved. Students are not just consumers of information and knowledge, they are also the producers.

Online education is a new frontier to learning. However, it also requires a lot more from students. It has its advantages like bridging distances and diversity, but it also has disadvantages like lack of interaction and personal monitoring and learning. However, in a fast-paced world already bridged by fiber-optics, it is an inevitable destination. It is a natural progression.