Overview of Online Classes

Online classes are hard to describe and are noting like what you have imagined. They do allow you to work on you own timeframe, but have a weekly schedule that you must adhere to. You interact a lot with your instructor and fellow students, but you do so virtually. Let's take you through an analogy of what an online class is like.

 

Imagine on your first day of class, you enter an interesting virtual room. The room is friendly and warm. There are pictures of student all around, if you walk up and touch the pictures they tell you about them selves, welcome you to the class and ask that you stay in touch with them as you go through the class together.

 

There is a large virtual backboard in the center with a welcome note from the teacher. He explains that although he is not here at this very moment he has prepared an exciting learning adventure for you that will use technology. Your instructor invites you all to come back within the next few days and pin onto the board any questions or comments you have about the lecture, the class, or anything related to the class. He invites you to come back often to check the board for announcements about the class.

 

On the desk is a lecture note for this week. It may be an electronic document or maybe a video lecture. You can take it home an play it when you have time. He also has an assignment for you. You are to drop it in the slot on the front of his box before the due date assigned.

 

Looking around the room, each student has an individual box that only she can enter. In the front of each box is a mail slot for leaving privatenotes. The teacher has one as well.

 

One of the boxes has your name on it and, sure enough, the password you created earlier opens the lock. Inside is a welcoming note from your course leader with useful information like what textbooks you'll need and the names and phone numbers of the other students. You learn that other students, the instructor and the course manager each have their own box and anything you put into a box's slot will only be seen by that person. Messages you put up on the corkboard can be seen by anyone who comes into the room.

 

The note tells you that you're welcome to drop by any time you like, the classroom is never locked, and it's quite safe because strangers can't get in the building.

 

In the days that follow, each time you visit the room you find more and more notes on the corkboard. You notice people pinning up replies to notes and other people pinning replies to those replies! Sometimes there are long chains of notes, virtual conversations that are often lively and spirited.