The Impact of Online Class on University Students

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The Impact of Online Class on University Students
The demand for education has increased in this postmodern world due to technological advancements. Change of education format and mode of teaching is inevitable since the students have diversified in terms of geographical locations they come from and the mode of learning they can choose due to technology. The normal classroom mode of teaching and learning is becoming less suitable and obsolete for most of the students as it cannot accommodate their other activities that they may be involved in. This trend is conspicuously observed in the college and university students who despite most of them being students they are also working. Online learning is the newly adopted method of attending classes and teaching method across many universities across the world. A study that was conducted in 2008 revealed that the number of students who had enrolled and were taking at least one online course increased by 12.1% compared to 1.2% of those who enrolled in the traditional system of classroom learning (Gossenheimer, Bem, and Carneiro) This method overcomes the geographical distance barrier as someone can attend classes, study, teach and undertake exams while they are anywhere at any time in the world. The internet has made it possible for this method possible and thus its backbone. A lot of time and resources have been put in the research of the effectiveness and compatibility of this mode attending classes. People have different views on the matter. Some argue that it is good while others take the negative side of the online classes. This paper will discuss and analyze the impact of this trend of online classes in the university outlining the limitations and advantages that are associated with this trend.
Online learning involves two forms of learning; distance learning and online classes. The distance learning mode the student and the teacher are over a long geographical and both of them do not require to be in an institutional setting since it can be done from anywhere. Online class involve a group of student interacting and being taught in real time by a teacher who is streaming the content to the student. This method also allows for any geographical distance between them. To determine the importance and the significance of online classes and learning, a survey was conducted. This study targets students and teachers in the online fraternity in the education sector. The 500 students involved online were very integral and important stakeholders of this inquiry because it made it very easy to measure the effectiveness of online mode of teaching by getting an insight on their perceptions, any challenges encountered as well as recommendations for future improvements. Teachers on the other hand are the one who offer such programs, therefore in seeking to know impacts of online classes on the perceived learning outcomes, they were important assets in getting this particular information. The study specifically targeted not just any student and teacher, but particularly those who are directly involved in online teaching. These are students who are already enrolled in the online classes as well the teachers offering such programs. The main reason for selecting this population is that they have full insights concerning online classes unlike those who are not directly involved in the program.
The study will employ a descriptive research design to answer the research questions. The justification for using this design is that it enables the researcher to collect data from a wide area within a short time. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used. After the identification of the sample size population, questionnaires in form of a survey monkey were generated basing on the research questions of the study. The questionnaires were then distributed online to the respondents either through emails or through social network. The filled questionnaires were returned to the researcher for data processing and analysis. The information from the questionnaires was used for both qualitative and quantitative research because the questionnaires were structured in a way that will to cater for both techniques of research.
The results of the result after the processing and analysis showed some trends and facts about online classes. The study results had the pros of online learning outweighed the cons of the same. Convenience was the reason that most of the students enrolled for the online learning programs at the university. This is because the learning can be done at anytime and anywhere making the method very convenient and flexible to anyone schedules and other commitment. The online method is cheap compared to the traditional method of classroom learning. The study revealed that most student prefer the online method because it is less expensive compared to the other methods. In the online method only internet is required. In the traditional classroom method one needs to drive to school which counts as gas and other extra cost. Time saving is another advantage impact that comes with the adoption of online le...