With spring semester coming to an end, Alicia Pyle, a junior social work major, began registering for her fall semester classes when she noticed an increase in online courses. “I went to sign up for my fall semester classes, and every class I wanted to take was an online course. I was really annoyed,” said Pyle.
USM has been pushing a new wave of online classes for the upcoming summer and fall semesters. More online courses are being offered than ever before. Taking an online course is about $218 per credit for undergrads-the same rate students pay for an in-class lecture.
“There is also a $25 fee a student pays for each online credit, but this makes up for the students’ lack of transportation and parking fees,” says David Vardeman Administrative Assistant at the Center for Technology-Enhanced Learning.
According to Vardeman, the university isn’t saving any money from online courses as the teachers are being paid the same amount. “It may actually be costing the university more money because Blackboard is an expensive tool that is used in the online classrooms. It’s a virtual meeting tool,” he says.
Dustyn Dow, an undeclared sophomore, doesn’t agree with the current arrangement makes sense, or is even fair.
“I still don’t think it’s fair that we pay the same amount to take an online course as we do to go to class and actually interact with a teacher and other students. I don’t think we are getting our money’s worth,” he says.
So if online courses aren’t less expensive, then why is the university offering so many new online courses?
“USM is actually kind of late,” says Leonard Shedletsky, a communication professor who has been teaching online courses since the late 1980s. “Other universities have been offering online courses for years,” he says.
Many universities had been experiencing problems with students dropping enrollment. The University of Illinois in Springfield dubbed it: “Hemorrhage Enrollment.” A big part of the problem was accessibility. The universities wanted to offer degree completion alternatives for students with scheduling conflicts.
Online courses were designed to make learning more accessible to students who had trouble commuting to campus, who had work and other obligations, or for students raising children. The universities modified their class structure based on what the student population needed and wanted.
“USM is trying to expand, where proximity is no longer an issue. In doing so, we are expanding the population of students,” says communication professor Maureen Ebben.
Online education is a very different way of teaching and learning for both the student and teacher. Russell Kivatisky taught his first online course over the winter session at USM last year.
“I feel that my personality is a big part in my teaching,” he says. “When I knew I was going to be teaching an online class, I was worried my personality would be gone.”
The online classroom is undoubtedly breaking the conventions of the typical classroom that students and teachers have grown accustomed to.
“What I worry about is, when I am talking to the class, I read the non-verbal cues and body language of students. When I can sense a misunderstanding, I know that I need to further explain myself. I am scared about not knowing where the students are and whether or not they are grasping the material,” says Ebben.
Shedletsky says that students may have many misconceptions about online courses; for one, they aren’t any easier than a normal class.
“You can sit in class, nod your head and pretend you’re intelligent. You can’t do that online. If you nod your head, you’re still invisible,” says Shedletsky. The student is often times expected to contribute to frequent online discussions as well as submit equal amount of papers and projects as they would in a face-to-face class.
“The professor actually has to work harder in an online class,” Ebben says. The classes require more time and preparation. There is more material to produce and a high level of attention is required as the students are constantly emailing questions to the professors.
“In an in-class lecture, you walk in and you walk out and then you’re done. In an online class, you are constantly checking up on it. It’s like your baby. You’re always wondering how the baby is doing,” laughs Shedletsky.
“Nervous students are usually afraid to speak out in class. The students don’t say anything, then they get in the chatroom and you can’t get them to shut up,” he says. When a student is speaking in a classroom, they are typically talking to the teacher, as opposed to the other students. In an online discussion, students are speaking to each other and communicating more.
Ben Daigle has only one semester left at USM and has never taken any online courses. He has signed up for four online courses for fall semester because of a job offer in Anaheim, California. “It gives me the option to leave. I only have one semester left, and if I can finish my last few credits at USM completely online, then why wouldn’t I?” said Daigle. “I have the opportunity to travel and online courses are a great way to avoid the obstacles of having to physically attend class.”
Casey Washburn, a senior communication major, has taken two online courses through the university. “I do feel that a student can learn as much from an online class if not more,” he said.
“You also get an opportunity to read everyone’s opinion, not just the one kid in the class who likes to talk a lot.”