Dr. Eileen Gallagher

Should you take an online course or degree program?

The first thing to understand when deciding whether online learning is for you or not is: Not all online programs are the same. There are multiple levels of use of the internet as well as a wide variety of teacher/ student responsibilities.

The 3 main types of online learning courses are:

1) Face to face classes that use internet resources
2) Blended courses
3) completely online courses


In the first type the classes meet at a specific time and place and have face to face discussions as well as traditional lectures. The course materials, assignments, deadlines and resources are usually available online. There may even be an open discussion board for student interaction.

In blended courses there is generally a few face to face meetings, often the first and last classes, but the majority of the work is covered in an online environment. The introduction and often the final assessment are done in these face to face meetings but the content presentation and student wok is covered via the internet to allow students more flexibility in completing the course work.

The ultimate online course meets only online. There is no specific time or place where students must attend. All of the course materials, assignments, and content presentation is provided online. This type of course affords the students the maximum amount of flexibility but also requires the most personal commitment and responsibility.

The second thing to consider is the educational style used by the school. Most adults are used to the pedagogy used in their past- the teacher teaches and the student learns. Many of the online course support the andragogy proposed by Knowles. This educational philosophy says adults learn differently then children. They want to be more involved in their education. They prefer the learning to have a direct connection to their jobs or the jobs they hope to get. Experiences from the real world have great value to these learners. Again we can identify 3 levels to look at:

1) traditional teacher lead courses. Even if totally online, this format would provide teacher lectures, step by step instructions and constant oversight by the instructor. There would be correct and incorrect answers to specific questions.

2) Blended learning styles- In this type of classroom there would be some direction by the instructor but more freedom and responsibility for the learner. Resources and direction would be provided but answers would be judged by the adequacy of the rationale and supporting sources rather than by right or wrong. These courses usually require more essay type assignments and assessments rather than multiple choice or short answer. Students have to search out information as well as use the sources provided, make their own decisions and then justify their ideas and opinions.

3) Self directed learning- the most open ended courses are self directed learning. Here there is little direction from an instructor other than to approve topics chosen by the learner and then to evaluate the results. There are no lectures, no ongoing feedback and examples of real life use. Resources are the responsibility of the learner and not provided by the instructor.

Online courses can be any combination of the above categories. So the question is not really should you take an online course? But rather, what type of online program should you look for?

Some online universities provide you with the opportunity to discuss the program with advisors, instructors and recent graduates of the program. These often allow you to preview the actual courses provided. Others have a short course available on choosing the program you prefer or reviewing the necessary skills for online learning.

Researching a variety of online universities and reading different blogs from various educators will give you a clearer picture of what to expect and how to make the best choice for you.