Читать книгу How to Succeed At University--International Edition - Danton O'Day - Страница 28

At this time, the use of online courses varies widely with the university. All universities use the web to communicate information. Some instructors present their material online but the extent varies quite dramatically from full web courses to notes to simply the class outline and schedule. This approach is changing rapidly with the use of university web portals and technologies like Blackboard that make class content easy for professors to put online and for students to access. Most if not all aspects of the subject can be presented online. Students can also access their marks and communicate with their teaching assistants and professors.

Some subjects are entirely web-based, without the need to attend classes. Lectures, readings and any other necessary materials are made available on a dedicated portal. Other features these classes may offer include discussion boards where you can interact with other students. Your grade is based on assignments submitted online. You may also be tested using multiple-choice quizzes available at the website. Note that some online classes may still require taking supervised exams at a campus location.

Did You Know?

With the proliferation of web-based courses, entire degrees can be obtained online. Of course, such an approach is not practical for all fields of study; areas like the sciences include many subjects that require hands-on laboratory or tutorial work. In addition, studies suggest that employers prefer degrees obtained the “traditional” way. One survey of hiring executives found that given the choice between a candidate with a traditional degree and a candidate with an online degree, 96% of employers would hire the applicant with a traditional degree. Some reasons given for this choice include the candidate’s lack of peer interaction and practical classroom experience, the employer’s perception that an online education is less demanding and the potential for academic dishonesty.⁸