Please help me out - Online education

caliotter3 · Jun 17, 2010

Here are some short opinions. 1. Online education is the best thing since cotton candy for those who can not, for one reason or another, complete their education in a traditional classroom setting. For some, it is the only option (they have to work during the hours that nursing school courses are held). 2. Chose a distance program for reason in 1. Allowed for working and the program accepted previous credits. At time of choice, no other options. 3. Quality education because the individual is studying the material and teaching themselves in a productive manner. The program provides instructor support if the student needs it. 4. For online courses, versus independent study, an instructor can make the course worthwhile by being available, providing challenge, not just busywork, and just a tad of intrusiveness to prevent a student from dropping by the wayside. The instructor should utilize several methods to present material and engage in graded activities. 5. I had to adapt by setting priorities. Could not neglect one activity in favor of another because one instructor was more demanding of my student time versus another. 6. Right choice in all respects except one, which is out of my control. Overall, completing the traditional program would have been ideal and preferred.

mae40 · Jun 17, 2010

Thanks for your input.

TashaLPN2006RN2012, ASN, RN · Jun 17, 2010

How do you feel about online nursing education? Why? -I think online/distance education is very ideal for many people. If online/distance was even more readily availible i think a lot more people would take advantage of it.

-Why did you choose distant learning to continue your education? What were your other options?- I chose distance learning to continue my education because my husband is in the military and due to moving every 2-3yrs i was sick of tranferring credits to different schools with different requirements, and re-taking classes i'd already taken before. By way of distance education I was able to keep things in order and it's so portable that no matter if/when we move everything goes with me! The other main reason is because i have 3 children under the age of 6 and i work, there is no option or choice in the matter if we want to have two vehicle and be able to pay our bills and live in the way we like to live. I can't work evenings and got to a tradtional school during the day due to my husband's work schedule can and is varied each day. So that would be a child care issue. Distance educations gives me the most freedom with no scheduling conflicts with my family/work/etc.

- Can distant learning provide a quality education? Why do you think so? - I do believe distance education can provide quality education. The only real difference is lack of lecture and lack of classmates all sitting around in desks in one room. You really must apply yourself to your work in order to understand the material when you do not have an instructor giving lectures all the time. I think that some distance learning programs offer a lot of one on one with questions to your instructor versus a huge auditorium lecture class where you must take notes and read and can never seem to talk to the instructor.

- How can instructors make learning effective? Examples? - interesting assignments, being availible for questions and/or answering emails in a very prompt manner. I took one class where the instructor would take up to a week to answer a question, by that time the assingments were due and i got knocked off points when had he simply answered my question in a timely manner i'd have gotten high grades each time. I think too an instructor who gives feedback on an assignment with the grade gets way higher marks with me, and makes me feel like they really are "lisening".

-How do students adapt, what changes did you have to make to be successful? - Self-motivation, making a place in your home thats just for study time especially if you have kids/family to deal with, keeping yourself on a schedule and followinging it, self-starter, and willling to take constructive critisim in an online format without thinking someone is "yelling" at you or attacking you in anyway.

-Do you feel you made the right choice?

- absolutely made the right choice for me and my family, and i know when i finish i'll be much more proud of the fact that i really did it!