by Bruce Friend
Perhaps you have seen the TV commercial where a young woman in pajamas promotes online courses as a way to earn a degree without having to get dressed in the morning? I cringe each time I see that ad. It perpetuates the notion that online learning is a “soft option,” the academic equivalent of a fad diet or a get-rich-quick scheme.
“Go to school in your pajamas!”
To my ear this suggests that online learning is a less rigorous experience for students and, consequently, that the academic credits they earn are suspect in some way.
As an educator who has both taken and taught online courses, I confess there were days when I rolled out of bed, poured a cup of coffee, and began my online work. Certainly I was not as well groomed as on those days when I entered my traditional classroom. But the option of wearing pajamas should not be confused with the option of being half-awake.
Prospective online students need to consider some facts that TV ad tends to gloss over.
Online programs increase access to learning opportunities; they don’t reduce academic rigor. Students hoping to sneak past a calculus requirement by taking calculus lite will be sadly mistaken. Indeed, successful online students must be, if anything, more engaged with the material than are students in traditional classrooms, for although the online teacher still provides guidance and support, students must take greater responsibility for managing their time and completing assignments.
Surveys show that students find online courses more rigorous and more time-consuming than similar courses in a traditional classroom. That’s true for students who successfully complete online courses and for those who do not. Students should realize that online learning is not a way to earn course credit “on the cheap.” Those who hoped to fulfill a chemistry requirement over a weekend or two will find themselves sadly mistaken—unless, of course, they’ve knowingly selected a disreputable online program—the academic equivalent of those diets that allow you to eat all you want and still lose weight.
Have you seen the commercial I mention? What were your initial reactions? I’m eager to read them, but first I’m going to go change out of these pajamas.
If you have questions about the use of online learning and what options may be available to you, e-mail me at: bruce.friend@sas.com Bruce Friend is the Director of SAS® Curriculum Pathways®, an award-winning education resource that provides online lessons, engaging tools and activities at no cost to U.S. educators. Bruce has spent the past decade working in the field of online learning. He is a national pioneer in helping to establish the country’s first statewide online program and has been the chief administrator of two state virtual schools. In 2003 he was honored with the “Most Outstanding Achievement in Distance Education” award by the US Distance Learning Association. Prior to joining SAS, Bruce was the Vice President of the International Association for K12 Online Learning; a non-profit organization that provides support to students, parents, and online learning programs.
Perhaps you have seen the TV commercial where a young woman in pajamas promotes online courses as a way to earn a degree without having to get dressed in the morning? I cringe each time I see that ad. It perpetuates the notion that online learning is a “soft option,” the academic equivalent of a fad diet or a get-rich-quick scheme.
“Go to school in your pajamas!”
To my ear this suggests that online learning is a less rigorous experience for students and, consequently, that the academic credits they earn are suspect in some way.
As an educator who has both taken and taught online courses, I confess there were days when I rolled out of bed, poured a cup of coffee, and began my online work. Certainly I was not as well groomed as on those days when I entered my traditional classroom. But the option of wearing pajamas should not be confused with the option of being half-awake.
Prospective online students need to consider some facts that TV ad tends to gloss over.
Online programs increase access to learning opportunities; they don’t reduce academic rigor. Students hoping to sneak past a calculus requirement by taking calculus lite will be sadly mistaken. Indeed, successful online students must be, if anything, more engaged with the material than are students in traditional classrooms, for although the online teacher still provides guidance and support, students must take greater responsibility for managing their time and completing assignments.
Surveys show that students find online courses more rigorous and more time-consuming than similar courses in a traditional classroom. That’s true for students who successfully complete online courses and for those who do not. Students should realize that online learning is not a way to earn course credit “on the cheap.” Those who hoped to fulfill a chemistry requirement over a weekend or two will find themselves sadly mistaken—unless, of course, they’ve knowingly selected a disreputable online program—the academic equivalent of those diets that allow you to eat all you want and still lose weight.
Have you seen the commercial I mention? What were your initial reactions? I’m eager to read them, but first I’m going to go change out of these pajamas.
If you have questions about the use of online learning and what options may be available to you, e-mail me at: bruce.friend@sas.com Bruce Friend is the Director of SAS® Curriculum Pathways®, an award-winning education resource that provides online lessons, engaging tools and activities at no cost to U.S. educators. Bruce has spent the past decade working in the field of online learning. He is a national pioneer in helping to establish the country’s first statewide online program and has been the chief administrator of two state virtual schools. In 2003 he was honored with the “Most Outstanding Achievement in Distance Education” award by the US Distance Learning Association. Prior to joining SAS, Bruce was the Vice President of the International Association for K12 Online Learning; a non-profit organization that provides support to students, parents, and online learning programs.
