Spring Break
Online courses offer convenience
Lena Dirbashi
Issue date: 9/12/08 Section: ARTS & LIFE
As technology progresses, universities are adding courses that don't require students to set alarms and race to class; all they have to do is roll out of bed and power up their computers.
For those who wish to escape the confines of a classroom, online courses may be the answer.
NT is already the largest provider of online credit courses in Texas, according to an NT press release. NT now offers additional undergraduate degrees that can be completed online.
Students interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in general studies or a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree in applied technology and performance improvement or organizational development can get their diplomas while surfing the Web.
Online courses are offered to NT undergraduates, graduates and adults who seek to continue their education. With online course registration increasing 6 percent this year, professors offering the option for online classes are not surprised by student interest.
"It caught on in such a big way that we pretty much had to expand it," said Kevin Haney, director of the Lifelong Education at Desktop. "Probably the No. 1 reason is the convenience and doing it at their schedule at their time without having to take time off while avoiding traveling expenses and the cost of gasoline involved in attending class."
Lisa Kennon of the hospitality management factory welcomes the new virtual degrees. She said that online courses offer several advantages, including flexibility to both students and faculty that otherwise would not exist in traditional classroom settings.
"We started to offer online courses because it gave us the option to add more sections to our classes," she said. "It allowed us to meet the needs for more students without interfering with what could otherwise be limited classroom space."
While the flexibility of taking online classes is apparent, there are a few issues that some students will have to consider when deciding to enroll in the degree programs.
Some students will not have access to the Internet at all times and may miss out on personal interaction with instructors and other students, as well as the hands-on learning experience offered in the traditional classroom setting.
But Kennon disagrees, saying that these are minor issues that depend on the student's learning preference.
"Some students like to speak out more [in class] while there are those who might feel more comfortable 'speaking out' more online," she said. "I believe online classes will continue to grow not just at NT but also at other colleges and universities as we have seen."
For those who wish to escape the confines of a classroom, online courses may be the answer.
NT is already the largest provider of online credit courses in Texas, according to an NT press release. NT now offers additional undergraduate degrees that can be completed online.
Students interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in general studies or a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree in applied technology and performance improvement or organizational development can get their diplomas while surfing the Web.
Online courses are offered to NT undergraduates, graduates and adults who seek to continue their education. With online course registration increasing 6 percent this year, professors offering the option for online classes are not surprised by student interest.
"It caught on in such a big way that we pretty much had to expand it," said Kevin Haney, director of the Lifelong Education at Desktop. "Probably the No. 1 reason is the convenience and doing it at their schedule at their time without having to take time off while avoiding traveling expenses and the cost of gasoline involved in attending class."
Lisa Kennon of the hospitality management factory welcomes the new virtual degrees. She said that online courses offer several advantages, including flexibility to both students and faculty that otherwise would not exist in traditional classroom settings.
"We started to offer online courses because it gave us the option to add more sections to our classes," she said. "It allowed us to meet the needs for more students without interfering with what could otherwise be limited classroom space."
While the flexibility of taking online classes is apparent, there are a few issues that some students will have to consider when deciding to enroll in the degree programs.
Some students will not have access to the Internet at all times and may miss out on personal interaction with instructors and other students, as well as the hands-on learning experience offered in the traditional classroom setting.
But Kennon disagrees, saying that these are minor issues that depend on the student's learning preference.
"Some students like to speak out more [in class] while there are those who might feel more comfortable 'speaking out' more online," she said. "I believe online classes will continue to grow not just at NT but also at other colleges and universities as we have seen."
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
concerned student
posted 9/15/08 @ 12:36 PM CST
One HUGE point missing from this article is the fact that the University core and the College of Arts and Sciences core cannot be completed online through UNT. (Continued…)
Katrina Arkwright
posted 3/12/09 @ 2:43 AM CST
Great article. I agree totally.
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