Royal Purple

Issue date: 2/27/08 Section: Lifestyle

Media Credit: Mike Rybicki Graduate student Chun-Hui Wu works on one of the computers in the Andersen Library. Taking online courses is a way to work class into a busy schedule.

With fall 2008 registration right around the corner, many students are getting ready to enroll in classes and weighing their options, which might include taking an online course.

Online courses at UW - Whitewater have a similar structure to a course held in a classroom, except the online course is a virtual classroom through the Desire2Learn Web site. Instead of going to class every week, students are required to compete online discussions, assignments and tests.

A hybrid course is also an option, where a student would have half classroom and half online requirements. Each online course requires the responsibility of students to complete discussions, assignments and tests on their own time.

Ann Knabe, communications lecturer, is on the committee devised to investigate the issue of integrity for online courses and current practices that help ensure the quality of online instruction. The committee makes recommendations on maintaining the integrity of online courses by educating first-time instructors, utilizing new technologies and supporting online course instruction by the development of any new infrastructure.

"We expect to complete a comprehensive report for faculty senate by early May," Knabe said.

In order for a student to know if an online course is for them, Knabe thinks a student should ask themselves questions before signing up for an online course.

"Students should ask themselves the following questions: Do I like working with technology, am I able to work independently with little direction, do I avoid procrastination, am I organized and self-disciplined," Knabe said. "Students who say no to any of these questions may want to opt for face-to-face classes."

Knabe thinks it also takes a unique student to be successful in fulfilling the requirements of an online course.

"There is a lot of literature out there that indicates a student needs to be mature, responsible, motivated and text-savvy," Knabe said. "Some students think online courses are easier, I think this is false. Online courses may offer flexibility, but most require the same level of participation, if not more!"

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