So far this course has been the most interesting online course I have had. This is my 7th quarter at COTC, and each quarter I have had at least one online course (11 altogether counting this quarter). Most of the classes had some sort of discussion board posting required. Most of them were rather dry and boring. I have had a couple classes where the discussion board was a little more interesting, but this has certainly has had the most interesting discussions I have seen.
One of my favorite things about this course is the video lectures. Almost every online course other than typography (also taught by Bill), gave us regular PowerPoints to look at. Having these video lectures makes the online experience feel a lot more interactive.
This class has a great mix of interaction, but not so much that you have be online at a certain time to talk to everyone. You have plenty of time before your first post. This gives us more time about what to post. I personally love the freedom of being able to choose what time to get online. I much rather work online later in the night; rather than early in the morning. Online courses make that freedom possible!
The only thing I do not like about this course is the blog that Angel uses took a while to get use to. I have gotten more use to it though. I had the same problem when I first started using Angel. I really did not like it at all. I was more familiar with BlackBoard. However, that has changed, and now I love Angel!
I wish more classes were available online at COTC. I took a math class last year, like John, and even though it was very hard. I believe I would have had a lot more trouble with the work if it was not online. They had a lot of interactive problems that showed you step by step how to solve it. I do not think I would have understood it as well without being able to look at the previews whenever I needed them. They showed alternatives ways of doing it as well. The only problem I had with that course was the fact that we had to come in and take 3 exams at COTC. That would have been fine, but it seems like the problems on the test were slightly different, or a lot harder.
I think just about every class, except for maybe a science class that requires you to use lab equipment; should be online.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
My Online Learning Experience
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3 comments:
You have taken quite a few courses online! I too have been in a couple of online classes that were fairly dull. The lessons were generic and preplanned, and there was little need or opportunity to communicate. I admit, I often found myself putting off the assignments for these classes and focusing on the courses that I found more engaging.
Interaction and inspiration are essential parts of learning, and I think it is important to find ways to supplement for the lack of face-to-face communication. Fortunately, it seems like more and more online instructors are developing ways to do this. This class has been great so far, and I have really enjoyed learning from you all through the blog. I have also found the video lectures to be very interesting and helpful. They are certainly more engaging than PowerPoint presentations. :)
I must be the oddball of this group. I don't need presentations and lectures to keep me interested. I only need to know what the assignment requires and maybe a few examples. It doesn't matter what the content is, it only matters how you approach the subject.
I also do not need presentations and lectures if the subject I am taking is something I find interesting. This class would not be bad for me even without the lectures. I enjoy learning about technology.
However, I would find it a lot tougher to be excited for online classes like customer service and salesmanship (both of them I am taking at the moment). I really have no interest in them at the moment. I may find them more interesting after the quarter is over with, but at the moment I am still learning about them.
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