How do online courses work?

polkadot_heart · 03-11-2006, 07:18 PM

I was just wondering if someone could give me an example of how taking an online course would work...I'm thinking about taking some online courses over the summer. It'd be my first time taking them and I was just wondering if anyone had any personal experiences or what I should expect. I know it probably goes by what class you're taking at what college, but I just wanted some opinions

Thank you!

polkadot_heart · 03-12-2006, 10:47 AM

Anyone have any ideas at all?

mkm56 · 03-12-2006, 10:56 AM

I don't know but would be interested in hearing about it also.

excel04 · 03-12-2006, 11:40 AM

well....you do the course on teh interweb!!11!!one!!1....duh lol

i've taken three so far

our school uses this system called WebCT. You log on, and you get to see the syllabus/lessons/etc.., email of your professor, as well as emails of all classmates, and then there are links for assignments that become available at a specified time, then you usually have until midnight before the link goes away, to complete the assignment. For tests, quizzes, etc....usually you click the link, then you have 60 minutes to complete the assignment, before it automatically closes.

theres really not much to it. everything is the same...but instead of going to class lectures, you do independent reading. And test/quizzes are all done online at specific dates/times specified in your syllabus..

bahamasc · 03-12-2006, 03:35 PM

our school uses blackboard, and basically the prof posts assignments and notes and demos etc. Also, there are discussions that you must participate it.

For quizzes they post them at a certain time and then like in a week it vanishes. Also, they give you a short time limit (maybe less than 30 seconds per question) on the tests.

ndcountrygirl · 03-13-2006, 02:38 AM

ditto on the blackboard thing here. 20 minute time limit on the multiple choice quizzes, a few assignments to do.

its so easy. i love it

boomer01 · 03-13-2006, 11:04 AM

does anyone know of good place to take online courses? I mean website...I am looking to take a programming course over the summer.

THE ETS IS EVIL · 03-13-2006, 05:10 PM

are the tests and quizzes based on the honor system. Isn't it easy to cheat when you're taking the test by yourself without someone policing you??

polkadot_heart · 03-13-2006, 05:28 PM

THE ETS IS EVIL, that's what I was wondering too. But I guess sometimes the tests/quizzes are so difficult that you don't have the time to look things up. ...or at least that's what I was told today.

bahamasc · 03-13-2006, 06:09 PM

the jist of it is that they give you so little time you can't cheat. Why cheat anyway?

kfc4u · 03-13-2006, 06:19 PM

i took online courses through cornell, and i also had one class at ucla that was half-online.

online courses are alright, but you have to be motivated to study. think of it like studying for the SAT yourself or taking a prep course. anyway, the cornell online was a lot more professional, but i kind of lost interest halfway through the course series (4 courses total).

the ucla course was half online half classroom. i found that to be more effective to actually have a professor that you can go to.

kk06 · 03-14-2006, 01:45 PM

I took an online course (Soc 101) offered by a local community college. The entire course was very much like a message board. Each week we had a new assignment posted (usually a reaction to a chapter of reading with a question for the class to answer). We posted our replies and reacted to the other topics. Instead of multiple choice tests/quizzes, we wrote essays. It was very easy, but it was hard to make myself actually read the book...usually I just flipped open to the chapter and picked something interesting to write about.