The embedded thought most students have in their heads is that on campus classes are better than online classes – both for learning and for professor standards of learning. But research has shown that there is no difference in the learning outcomes for online courses vs. on-campus courses. This means that online students can pursue their degrees through whatever methods work best for them. Students can take classes on their own time to fit around their busy schedules.

Distance Education

While online classes offer many similar opportunities, students must be proactive self-starters. In traditional classroom settings, the professor teaches course content face to face, with real time interaction and activities. Online students must log into their virtual classroom to find out what has been added or what information is new. Some lectures are prerecorded and students must take time to sit down and watch them. There are classroom discussions, like with traditional on-campus classes, but students must log in and check their discussion tabs to participate – reading others comments and responding. There are quizzes, papers, projects, assignments and final exams, but students must remember to upload their work and look for the professor’s response.

Scholar, Strayer University’s magazine says it best, “the trade off is significant: learning on your terms, at your pace, in the privacy and comfort of your home or office.”

When all is said and done, what a student gets out of their distance education will be exactly what they put into it. The opportunity to succeed is theirs.