Over the years, universities have changed the types of courses they offer to accommodate their students and to help keep their enrollment count up. According to U.S. News, more than 6.7 million students took at least one online course through a university during the fall of 2011. That is 32 percent of total higher education enrollment. That number was up from roughly 6.1 million students the prior year. Students want more options and universities are answering that demand. In 2002, just 32.5 percent of colleges offered online degrees compared to 62.4 percent in 2012. Not everyone is convinced that online is the way to go. In another article from U.S. News, they say that a five-year study in 2011 that tracked 51,000 students from Washington
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The traditional course usually requires the students to buy textbooks and other materials like paper, pens, special notebooks, workbooks, etc. Unless the student lives on campus, they have transportation expenses as well. If they drive, they have the expense of upkeep of a vehicle, possibly a car payment, and insurance. If they live on campus, they still have the expense of housing. The conveniences of traditional course are the classes in a designated place each time, classes are at the same time, and they have a face to face interaction with the instructor. For the student that needs structure and repetition, traditional courses are probably the best choice. Although the traditional course has more structure than the online course, the student must still have self-discipline. The student has to be physically in class at the designated place and time, and be on time for class and have their work ready to hand …show more content…
While traditional courses may be the right choice for some, just like clothing, one size does not fit all. Many students need a more flexible class schedule for many different reasons like work, and family obligations, but not everyone is a fan of online courses. Many students want or need the physical classroom experience for reasons like face to face interaction, and the extra support for other students. Some students have to make their decisions based mostly on the issue of finance and others. One thing is certain, online courses have boosted college’s enrollment all over the country and given more people a new start in
The traditional course usually requires the students to buy textbooks and other materials like paper, pens, special notebooks, workbooks, etc. Unless the student lives on campus, they have transportation expenses as well. If they drive, they have the expense of upkeep of a vehicle, possibly a car payment, and insurance. If they live on campus, they still have the expense of housing. The conveniences of traditional course are the classes in a designated place each time, classes are at the same time, and they have a face to face interaction with the instructor. For the student that needs structure and repetition, traditional courses are probably the best choice. Although the traditional course has more structure than the online course, the student must still have self-discipline. The student has to be physically in class at the designated place and time, and be on time for class and have their work ready to hand …show more content…
While traditional courses may be the right choice for some, just like clothing, one size does not fit all. Many students need a more flexible class schedule for many different reasons like work, and family obligations, but not everyone is a fan of online courses. Many students want or need the physical classroom experience for reasons like face to face interaction, and the extra support for other students. Some students have to make their decisions based mostly on the issue of finance and others. One thing is certain, online courses have boosted college’s enrollment all over the country and given more people a new start in