I am considering registering for an online graduate course next semester. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with online courses or distance education at any level and could share their experience. The price seems comparable to regular classes and the flexibility in regards to time is a real plus for me. Any thoughts?

My experience with just the single online course that I have taken was generally bad. It was a linear algebra undergrad course that relied solely on a Mac lab for course instruction and assignment operation.

What I find most frustrating with online courses is that they seem to be simply a cheap alternative to expensive tuition ... a method for increasing the margin between operation costs and tuition rates ... and little more. I feel this is unquestionably to the detriment of the student.

While instructors oversee the courses, they seem to be generally inaccessible, andthe programs used to teach the course hardly offer the depth and reasoning of a human being (in my experience). The end result? A shallow educational process that is hard to deepen because of the logisitics imposed on basic student-teacher interaction.

I feel that there is simply no alternative to having a regularly scheduled class at which I can count upon meeting and interacting with the presiding instructor. It allows for immediate questioning concerning materials, exploration of possible tangents to the materials, and an overall more fulfilling experience.

I would only suggest going online if you are pressed for time, and feel you only need basic instruction on whatever it is that you're studying. Otherwise, go ahead and put the leg work in for a traditional course ... I personally have found it to be the better decision.

I have taken and taught online courses, and a couple of my kids have also had them. Format and quality vary a lot. For some things, they are good, but you need to be comforatble with email and possibly chat to get the most out of an on-line community. As with traditional courses, insight from someone who has already had this particular instructor or class is your best bet. If that is not available, I have found that on-line works best for either "show me what you have learned" or "show me what you can write" kinds of courses; that is, in the first case, you study at your own timeframe and then demonstrate knowledge via a quiz, or in the second case, you submit writings for critique/grading.

In gerneral, I would say my experience has not been as negative as that of Alex.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: SteveC,

Since I was homeschooled, I did most of my high-school work through online classes. I took eight AP courses online this way through various companies (PA Homeschoolers for AP U.S. History, Macro/Microeconomics, English Lit., Comp. Sci and U.S. Government; Institute for the Study of the Liberal Arts and Sciences for AP Latin: Vergil; and Apex Learning for Calculus AB and Physics B). All these experiences were very rewarding and resulted in AP test scores from 3 to 5, although the separate organizations used very different technologies.

Alex is right in that you get a lot less discussion from online courses, unless your really put in effort. If you are a self-starter, however, and if the school you choose offers high-quality courses, you'll do fine. I go to a real-life campus now, though my older (handicapped) brother is working toward a distance-learning degree in business. He finds his college experience very useful, as I do mine. Distance learning is improving every day, and I think you should be able to gain a good education if you put in the work.

I would like to eco what Regina said. I was also home-educated, and took many of the same classes through Pennsylvania Home Schoolers. Distance learning allowed me to earn universally transferable college credit throughout high school from my rural farm in Vermont. It facilitated a style of learning that encouraged self-motivation and discipline, and greatly increased the opportunities available. Others in my family have been home-educated through use of the internet and then have gone on to Harvard Law, Oxford University, and other prestigious programs. I would strongly recommend diversifying any educational program with the use of distance learning.

I also saved thousands of dollars of expensive college credits through online advanced placement classes.

It is great to meet another PA Home-education alumnus!