Online classes: to take or not to take

Online classes have existed nearly as long as the Internet itself. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in the fall of 2014, there were over five million college students enrolled in online courses in the U.S.

Online classes give students the opportunity to complete courses at home, in addition to saving time and money. Rija Khan, a third year business major and commuter at Wayne State University, found online classes convenient for this reason.

“I like them for [general education classes] because [they] get the requirements out of the way without spending a lot of time in class,” Khan said.

WSU has a variety of online classes available to students that are designed and run by WSU faculty including introduction to world of dance, introduction to theatre and history of rock ‘n’ roll.

Students who want to manage the pace of their learning may find online classes to be a good option. Studies have shown that taking breaks from learning may be a more effective way to retain information.

WSU’s website states that online course may require more responsibility from students in order to learn the material on their own. Professors expect the same quality of work performed in online classes as in traditional classes. The difference is that students must learn the material on their own instead of in a lecture setting.

Akshatha Kuma, a computer science major, has taken four online classes in her two and a half years at WSU. She said her online courses often required more work than her other classes.

“Most [online classes] have more work than a regular class,” said Kumar.

Khan has a similar viewpoint to Kumar regarding the amount of work online classes require. Khan said she advises against taking higher level classes online due to the workload.

“If you’re looking for an easy A, taking [a class] online may not be the best choice,” Khan said.

Along with a variety of online classes, WSU offers an online bachelor’s degree in social work. Additionally, the university has an assortment of online master’s degrees including the College of Education; College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts.

For more information about online classes and degrees, please visit online.wayne.edu.

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