Online learning a blessing or a burden?
Kelly Glueck
– Staff Writer –
In today’s world, balancing work, school and family may be a heavy burden.
STLCC-Meramec online student Stephanie Amm relies on the convenience of her online courses. It gives her the flexibility to work, take care of her family, and progress toward a degree in information reporting technology (IRT).
“I wouldn’t be able to complete this degree of study if it weren’t for online courses. The flexibility of online course scheduling allows me to work, take care of my family, and go to school,” Amm said.
The demand for online classes at Meramec has encouraged a broader variety in available courses. According to the course catalog archive, in the last three years, there have been 64 online classes added to the registrar.
While other programs have taken cuts, there has been an increase in online courses.
Assistant Professor of Information Reporting Technology Patricia Ziegler, Ed.D., said that online courses are convenient.
“It makes [school] more accessible to people, [students] don’t have to be right there on campus. Plus, they can use it 24/7. I even have students submit work at two in the morning. I’m not up that late, but it works for them,” Ziegler said.
The IRT or court reporting program on campus is one of 12 accredited online programs; it allows students like Nebraska resident Amm to complete her degree despite the 800-mile distance.
Ziegler said that military personnel will sometimes take online classes to complete degrees while moving from military base to military base.
While online courses can make schooling more accessible, some students may carry a misconception about enrolling in an online course. Associate Professor of English, Richard Long, Ph.D., said the following about the potential misconceptions that a student might have while enrolling in an online course.
“I think some students think they will come to an online course thinking it’s self-paced and that they can do the work when they want to do it. Within some boundaries they can, but then, also, they can’t because there are deadlines,” Long said.
The figurative double-edged sword of the online class can allow a student the freedom to complete work on their own time, while also allowing room for error in meeting deadlines and staying on pace.
According to Accounting Professor and department Chair Markus Ahrens success in an online course can depend on the motivation of the student.
“It really depends on what type of learner they are, what I mean by that it that, is a person in an online course needs to be self-motivated so that they can stay on pace to have everything done, they also need to realize that online is not an easy form of the course,” Ahrens said.
