Can we learn just as much online as we would in an actual school?

In some areas I think you can, I have a friend who learnt all about computers on-line and he is better than the professionals, I think the only thing you have to worry about is the dicipline, it would be very easy to get distracted at home I think.

I love online classes. To be honest with you, I forgot whatever I studied in on campus. It is just that I cannot concentrate on lectures well and sometimes how a professor speaks can impact my understanding of the content. But I noticed that whatever I studied in online classes are still fresh in my memory. It could be that I prefer reading than listening. I totally find online classes convenient. We don't need to dress up, buy parking permits and spend a lot on gas. But again, not online classes are same. I tried to take financial accounting, a 3000 level economics and environmental science classes online. In the financial accounting one, there was a software they used to do the problems. Moreover, the computer allowed only 3 attempts for the correct answers. Such things made me drop the class on day 1. Then in economics class, we were given a book that was written by the professor himself. It was in PDF format which meant that we were to read every chapter directing on computer. He also gave us a full homework packet which consisted of 50 questions for each week. Failure to solve those questions meant not doing well on the quiz. Actually, for the quiz, he picked 20 questions from that homework packet. Unfortunately, it was not easy to solve those questions, for they had no link with the book he gave us to read online. I dropped the class within a week. Then my friend followed and after that 17 others. Only 10 students were left in the class. I tried to take the environmental class because I needed to complete a section from upper level life science section in order to graduate. My goodness! The professor wrote in the syllabus that we were to read 500 pages every week for a quiz which was going to contain only 5 questions. So I dropped it. I wonder if anyone passed the class!

I think we can, if not more so. Of course, online education is really something that many people struggle with it. I would really look into each individual school, researching the reputation that it has and whether or not it is acredited or not. There are many schools in the real world that do not hold much weight but there are many that do. So really online is really the next logical step for that. I like online education because it is a lot less stress on me and I can get things done that would normally be stretched out over many more days, quicker. The thing that I really despised about actual school was the fact that everything seemed drawn out and too long and there was a lot of time where I feel it was wasted. At online schools, I have no sense of that. You do need great time management skills.

I'm going to go ahead and play devil's advocate. While learning online may be just as well for some students as others, I can't help but question the rigor of the curriculum you'll find online. It's possible that the books they pick aren't as good as those at accredited colleges. Many people are auditory learners so they'll learn better if someone is speaking the material to them. Lectures provide this type of learning. Office hours help when a student is not understanding concepts. I feel like someone explaining it to you one to one is better than getting emails about it or the like. When it comes to subjects like math and physics they are not easily translated onto the computer because of all the symbols involved. You need something like LaTeX Math to make it even legible. It's much more work. I suppose you can scan your problem sets, but then you need a scanner! I know I don't have one. There's also the problem of accountability. At the school I attend we get take home exams as the norm and we are obliged under the honor code not to cheat: No member of the Caltech community shall take unfair advantage of any other member of the Caltech community. What is to prevent these online students from seeking help from their parents or others on exams, papers, and the like? I just feel like it is right for employers to weigh schools and that certain schools provide a better education than others including the online ones.

I am trying to enroll in an online class now. I applied to University of Phoenix. My counselor advised me to go to college on campus but she said under the circumstances (which are similar to yours) its best if I go to college online. I am still doing training but so far so good and its fun. On top of that I can spend quality time with my son while making money the ways I do as a homemaker. I am going to school for business marketing and thinks that it will be very exciting. What are you trying to go to school for?

I think that's definitely possible, teachers nowadays aren't that good and in the end it all comes to learning by yourself..

I studied psychology online and think that there were a lot of advantages about the this way of studying. I lived in a village in the countryside and it would have been very expensive for me to drive to school every day. I saved a lot of money because I was able to study online. I also loved the fact that I was able to study whenever I wanted to. As long as finished the assignments on time I as able to plan everything on my own, and that was really nice. It was a little lonely and I missed the face to face interaction sometimes, but aside from that I really liked it.

Hi texasgal0114, for me, with determination and diligence, online education will suffice. But really it depends from one person to another. I, for instance, would love it more to see an actual person talking because I invest more with my ears than my sight....failing sight. I have very bad eyes and looking at the computer screen's just too much to bear especially when it entails "studying".lol And because online degrees is something new, in academic standards, that is, it is true that some employers may not have confidence on them yet.

Hi texasgal0114 and a warm welcome to myLot! You certainly can learn with online schooling as much as you would on a campus. However it will take a great deal of discipline to do so because you will not be reminded in certain areas as to when exams are coming and how to separate the easy I will study later. I do know someone who has her degree from an online school. She struggled a bit because of her careless planning but she did it and is currently working in her field. Best of luck and enjoy!

I think technology is changing the world every day making life eseier for everybody. The online deegrees are as good as on site, only need to pay atention if is accredited or not. When I was in college, I had to take some of my clases online and trust me, sometimes that one was harder than the other ones. I think you can feel free to search for the best College offering this kind of programs and go for it!