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Welcome to the Perspectives in Higher Education Blog! Please share your thoughts about the forum and/or your thoughts on higher education in general.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Online Instruction

Do you believe that the development if online degrees is a viable option to increase educational opportunities for California's undereducated and underserved population, and if so, how do we insure the quality is comparable to classroom instruction?

39 comments:

  1. I don't agree with online classes because people can easily cheat in their homework and have someone else do their homework for them and the teacher will never know. Plus, why should they receive the same amount of units as a student that attends classes face to face because they put more time and effort into their study. However I understand that in some cases it necessary for a student to take that classes online rather than face to face because of the circumstances.

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  2. I also agree that online courses do not hold the same factors as face to face do. Studies have proven that face to face has a greater impact on learning than online. I understand that there are some that do not have the opportunity or time to take classes at a college. People in such situation turn into online courses, which is fine to a certain extent.
    Them online courses does not have the same advantages in learning as face to face does. Online does not provide hands on experience or a development of face to face group opportunities. Online leaning has a asynchronous field to it, which is a disadvantage. Having to wait and not have an immediate reply is stressful. Online also does not provide the opportunity to learn from others or even participate.
    Such factors in learning are important to have when obtaining an education. Online does not provide the main beneficial factors that face to face has. I feel strongly about face to face education being a better way of learning, but I do understand the need in expanding in technology. I believe that major class components should not be taken online because they do not hold the same benefits as face to face.

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  3. I don’t agree with online teaching for some reasons. Cheating at an online class would be easy because no one is with the student on the other side of the camera. He/she are alone doing their work and if they do not get a problem or the whole lesson that student can go online to get the answers. All they have to do every day or the days that they have class is to log on and say that they are present in class. There are some bright spots in online teaching nonetheless. Online teaching is growing at a rapid speed and it is a good thing. Through online teaching many new people can get a chance at education that cost less than a university.
    In the other hand, in class teaching does have one very important advantage that online teaching does not have. The whole idea of interaction is killed with online teaching. With in class teaching the interaction is limitless. The students in the class can ask the professor questions and the professor can respond. Through online teaching all the students see is faces of others like in class teaching, but in the class the students can talk to each other and actually see what the other one is doing. What I am trying to say is that online is good, but not for the physical interaction.

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  4. Online classes and traditional classrooms are two very different methods for learning. Although online classes are great for expanding higher education and a time-saver for students who have jobs and/or children, it has many disadvantages. Online classes prevent students from physically interacting with their fellow classmates and professor. It also prevents the students from getting instant help from their professor and classmates if they do not understand something they are learning. Due to learning classes online, there is a chance that students can cheat because the professor is not present. They will also miss out on the audio and visual keys because they are communicating to a computer instead of human beings.
    Granting that traditional classrooms has been around for so long and is old-fashioned, it still carries along many great benefits. Learning in a classroom will allow the students to interact and work alongside with their classmates; this can help improve their social skills, where it plays an important role in reality and working environments. The students will also receive immediate help if needed upon request. With a professor present, they will be more motivated to get their work done as well. However, to learn in a classroom, they will need to commute to their classes, which can waste their time and money for gasoline. Although traditional classrooms can waste one’s time and money, the merits of learning in a classroom can impact them in the long run.
    From my perspective, I will always prefer traditional classrooms over online classes. I have been going to school for the past 14 years and it has always been a wonderful experience for me. I learn so much by just physically being in a classroom setting. I believe that traditional classrooms hold the values that can change any students for the better.

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  5. I don’t agree with online classes due to several reasons. To start off its easy for the student to cheat and have others do the work for them and teachers will never truly know if their student is actually learning or not. Face to face teaching is more accurate and allows the teacher to understand if its students are actually learning. Students as well will not be able to cheat and have others do their work for them. I understand in some cases online teaching is more accurate for students with busy, hectic lives. But I overall think that face to face interaction has a greater impact on students than online courses.

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  6. I agree on both subjects, I believe that we should have many options and opportunity to learn even if its not face to face learning. I like having the online class as a option to learn because if there is a class that i wanted to take and it's full i like having that opportunity to take it. Also another reason that you can benefit from online class is when you live too far, or you are a single parent, and work you can still go to school without making it a hassle.
    Having face to face learning is also good too, because we get the experience,and social with others, and learn from one another. Face to face learning lets you get more information and help when you need it.
    Having online and face to face available is a good thing because we get the opportunity to chose how to learn. It's a good thing that we have the option how to learn because other may not like to go to class everyday, and others do so I believe that having both choices are really a good thing.We will still benefit from either one.

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  7. Many controversial statements had rise regarding online classes versus face to face instruction. Both methods of teaching have their benefits, but the online classes aren’t going to replace the face to face interaction in a classroom. Although online classes “save” time to those students who work or have children, in the long run it could be harmful for a student if at the end of the classes he/she discovers that they haven’t learn much in the whole semester. Each students have a different method of learning and being at a classroom a professor is able to work thing out to help each students learn all they can. Being present in a classroom a students is able to ask questions to the professor and clarify things that he/she doesn’t understand. Although online classes have became very popular, is more because is a “new” way of doing things rather than something affective.

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  8. I am against online classes because there are certain issues that cant be ignored. One main argument that has been clearly stated is that students will cheat and be easily distracted. Also students can have trouble with online classes if they don't have computers or internet at home. The only fair and reasonable way is face to face interactions. If students don't want to commute to their classes then they can find someone that wouldn't mind giving them rides to their classes. Teachers are much easier to understand through face to face interactions rather than online because the teacher will explain what he said and online they are brief. People would prefer online classes because it is more convenient to them and cheaper. Personally I still think online classes are not as important as face to face interactions.

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  9. Online and Face to Face are two very different method of teaching. With online you may have some disadvantage to as face to face you tend to get more of the advantage learning. The big arguement to Online is that there may be cheating and distraction to the learning, but online may be a good thing to certain people. Face to Face tend to have more of the benfits of learning, because with Face to Face you are interacting with the subject and the professers. With this the students tend to get an more open view on their works. Also with Face to Face, when a student is introuble or have any questions they can just ask the professer right away and dont have to wait like being online and waiting for someone to chat with. Therefore i believe that Face to Face have the better benfits when come to teaching.

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  10. Online education sounds like a good option for many people. Although I still hold a firm belief that the experience that a person get when attending a campus cannot be replaces with a computer. The issue with online education that I kept on reading over and over is cheating. People do make a valid argument by saying it is easy to cheat when taking an online course, although this may be true it is online I do not think it should be a great factor in making someone’s online education less valuable. People cheat all the time on campus too. Homework is given out on campus and there is no guarantee that the student is the one that actually complete the homework. When taking a test there also many of those who tend to wander their eyes around the classroom for answers. A person that is a cheater will cheat on campus or behind a computer screen. Online education should be just as valid as a traditional face to face degree. Most people that chose online education do so because they have families, work part-time jobs or just prefer to the virtual experience. Whatever the situation may be these individual are highly motived and show to be hardworking individuals because they can get an education while going on with their normal lives.

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  11. I believe in face to face learning because it is a more efficient way to learn. As a student I will not be able to do well online instead going to class mostly every day. I learn better in a traditional classroom style learning environment, instead of online. Usually online learning I believe is much harder because the professor will not be there to help us out. If we do not understand something it would be hard to do it ourselves with anyone helping us, unless someone does the work for us.
    Online learning is mostly for those students that cannot come to school every day. Otherwise those students that prefer to stay at home and get their degree by taking the online course. As we are all different and we have our own ways of learning, so we really cannot say which method is better, but since the way I learn it would be face to face.

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  12. I also believe that face to face courses are indeed better than online courses because the traditional classroom learning environment will simply never be replaced by the learning from a distance. Not only does the face to face courses have a better learning outcome, but a traditional degree is often viewed as more credible than an online degree by many employers, which is a very important factor. I, myself, also agree with employers because students who are taking the online courses are not gaining the whole learning experience through a computer. Another benefit of a traditional classroom that I thought were important in the essay were the interaction of students, which can help you view things in new perspectives. In addition to the previos benefit, the face to face communication between the student and instructor is also very important because then questions are answered and unclear subjects are understood immediately. Although, even though face to face courses are better because of my personal learning style, online courses and degrees should continue to be expanded for the sake of equality of all students because some cannot attend school everyday. Thus, in my opinion, online degrees are not a viable option to increase educational opportunities because then students are not gaining the full experience from a college education.

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  13. This essay “Socialized and Enthused “was about face to face and online courses. This essay is comparing and contrasting the differences and similarities between both of them. I chose to read this essay because is in the same topic I wrote about. I agree with the person that wrote this essay. He or she states, “I rather learn in person than learn from online any day.” This person is saying that they prefer studying in a face to face classroom rather than in an online course.
    The student that wrote this essay mentioned many good reasons of why supporting each position. He or she used examples form articles and from the Speakers Forum. The examples this person used were clear and accurate for what he or she was trying to say or explain.
    One of the reasons I like that this person said and I didn’t use in my essay was that online courses may be good for some people from community colleges. In community colleges the classes get full quick because there are many students. Many times some of these students are not able to get all the courses they need to be full time. The only chose they have is taking online courses. This is good because students are still going to be able to attend college.
    Hopefully I’ll get the classes that I want and won’t have to take online courses. I don’t want to take online courses because like this person that wrote the essay I want to be in a classroom with other students. I like sharing ideas with other students and many times I need help from students. If I’m in a face to face classroom it’s easier to get help from other students or the teacher.

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  14. Face to face learning versus online learning- It is quite a big difference I would say, I myself agree that nothing can replace the learning one gets in school rather than learning and getting your lessons online. I understand that everyone has a different method of learning, and for some it’s much easier to get an online education so they can work and take care of their children at the same time. The question about online learning is how do the professor’s truly know who is sitting in front of that computer screen? In my opinion I would think online learning is not very trust worthy anyone can be doing someone else’s work and no one would know, and they would receive credit for it. By actually attending classes cheating would be unacceptable and professors wouldn’t tolerate such a thing. Getting taught face to face by an instructor is much more helpful; because they are there helping you learn and teaching you the things you’re learning hands on. Not only does the face to face course have a better learning and teaching methods, but a traditional degree is often seen as more credible than an online degree by many employers. Therefore I believe that face to face has better benefits when it comes to learning.

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  15. Face instruction online #4
    I disagree with this essay as I am for face to face instruction. I think this post is for online instruction, but at the end it talks about how face to face is better. This person states that online teaching is a lot better than face to face. Apparently online classes helps students learn better other than interaction. It states that there are fewer drops out as obviously there aren’t a close number of online classes other than face to face. A good example the point out is that the online classes are for the people who really want their education, but there are many people who need that interaction to help them strive for their career. For example, I personally need an interaction as I will learn, otherwise I would have no motivation through an online course.
    From my observations I don’t see many people excited to take an online class. They are simply boring to take for almost any class. There is no motivation, only the bright computer screen to give you a head ache. An online class is very easy to cheat on as well. People can simply open a new tab and search for an answer. Or for math maybe copy and paste the problem then insert it into Google and get the answer. Thus I am for face to face classes.

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  16. Face to Face educations vs. online educations are two very different things. I think that online education can achieve the same standards as a face to face education. Online learning offers an affordable education. It also gives the choice to pick the day we want to submit work. Working online would save the university money, when it comes to making more buildings in order to fit the new students that are enrolling. Some other advantages that online has, is that they can have more classes available rather than face to face. Working online would make it really flexible for people to get an education because, most of the time people are busy and they don’t have time to attend a regular class. When it comes to online education it is more accessible for people to get online and do a homework assignment, rather than to show up to class. Students are more likely to enroll in a class online, rather than to show up to a classroom. This is because students are either lazy or cant attend a class. Many people are more aware of online and would find it easier because they have the homework in the palm of there hand. Therefore I believe that sometimes having an online course can come more in handy rather than to be in a classroom.

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  17. I personally would rather prefer face to face classrooms than an online course. In online courses, you may learn the material, but you won't be able to apply it. You can easily cheat your way because you won't have a professor physically examining you during an exam. Also, for online courses, you must be logged in a certain time. If you are not logged in, then you will be "dismissed" from class. If online classes continue to exist, however, then I would much rather prefer a hybrid of both, online and face to face classes. It is a better alternative in my opinion. The course should be taught in person and the tests should also be taken in person, but the homework and assignments should rather be submitted through an online website.

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  18. Online courses and face-to-face classrooms both have their advantages. Online courses are more flexible to a persons schedule but one may not get the attention that is given in a face-to-face classroom. Some say online education might be boring because all the work is done on the computer. That might be boring for some people but for others, it might be boring to sit in a classroom and listen to a professor for an hour or so. Critics might say that it is easier for a person to cheat in an online course than it is in a traditional classroom. That could be true but most of the people taking online courses are highly motivated and are less likely to cheat. Face-to-face classes do require students to be in class in a scheduled time but the help and attention given by the instructor is very good. Both online courses and face-to-face courses have their advantages and disadvantages. I prefer face-to-face classes but for many people, online courses is what works for them.

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  19. Through my own personal opinion of face to face vs. online instruction, I’d have to say face-to-face is the best way to learn. Online instruction may have it benefits, but it certainly has more down sides to it. When being taught online you don’t get the opportunity to talk to an instructor, nor to ask questions. I believe that one way we learn is by asking questions and visualizing it in person. In face-to-face you get involved in what is being taught, while on online you really can’t. All you’re able to do is what’s on the screen. One side effect of online teaching is that students get the opportunity to cheat, in which is less likely to occur in face-to-face learning. Also while we're getting educated we have to be able to maintain a social life as well. So if we take online courses it stops that from happening. Interaction between peers and professors is very much needed. Furthermore, it’s very unlikely that online instruction will ever replace face-to-face teaching.

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  20. My opinion online education verses face to face education is that i would prefer face to face education because if you dont understand something you have the teacher to help you and you can learn better seeing it being taught then reading and learning it off online. but i guess its conivent for people that have work or children that they have to take care of.

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  21. I disagree with Online Classes 100% just because students are not receiving the real instructions they need when learning a specific topic. There is no way professors can tell what they learned if it's online. Taking tests or quizes online is a fail because anyone can take their tests. Students need to be physically in a classroom with no distractions around them to be able to show and ask questions when they need it. Waiting for professors to reply via email will be to long, when they really need help. There are those students that might feel more comfortable or learn better on their own, but the majority of students need that extra help with a professor around to stay on track. Overall, I'm against online classes and I believe face to face teaching is better.

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  22. Online teaching can more accessible to students that have more of a busy lifestyle, but are the students learning as much as a they would learn inside a educated learning enviroment? Face to Face learning in my opinion is the best way to learn and actually undestand material.It helps because if you have a question to ask, you professor will be at your side to assist you with it.Online teaching can have the benfit of helping you in someways but it cant beat the one on one teaching you will recieve with a professor.

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  23. I think online learning makes us less socialize and doesn’t give us a fun, and exciting experience like face to face learning does. Classroom provides interactive setting that provides the open exchange of ideas. I will never take any online class. Because learning in classroom is more beneficial then online learning.

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  24. I enjoyed the readings on online education and hearing the advantages and disadvantages of it, but I personally do not like being educated online. For the most part, you don’t really get to build a relationship with teachers and classmates, which could easily lead to being bored and uninterested in learning. Another reason I feel online education isn’t a good method of learning is due to the fact that one could easily have another person doing their work, which is the ultimate form of cheating.

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  25. I believe that online instruction is good and bad. Its good and bad because some parents want to go to college but can't because they have children to take care of. Some dont have the chance to look for a babysitter. The only thing they could do is go to school online.
    In the other hand it is bad because someone else could be doing the work of others. The instructor wouldnt know if the student actually did the work. Online education could be good and bad at the same time. But it only depends on the person. My views in online education is that a waste of time. You dont interact with the students and the professor.

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  26. I believe that online education definitely does not have the same results as being taught by an instructor face to face,but it also depends on the students. Some students benefit more from online learning than going to a class to learn. I personally do not like online learning because we dont get the oportunity to build a relationship with the instructor. The instructor has no idea who you are,and there are higher chances of cheating due to the fact that the instructor has no clue who you are and/or if your understanding the class.

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  27. I believe that online education can be both an advantage and disadvantage for students. The advantage of online education is that not all students have transportation nor do they have the money for a car or gas so just having your class online can make it easier. Another advantage for some students are is that they can understand the subject much easier just reading it on a screen instead of listening to what a professor has to say. The disadvantages of online learning is that it is much easier for a student to cheat on homework, quizzes, tests, etc. If the student is cheating in class than how will they fully understand the concept of the subject. It is also a disadvantage because most students have to actually go to a class when they rather just stay at home and have an online class as well. No student wants to waste their time driving to go to school when all they have to do is just sit down and start learning. Also when you need help on a certain question or problem who will you go for help?

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  28. I believe that face-to-face learning is so much more effective in comparison to online learning. You are able to ask questions and get answers from an actual human being. You can buld a relationship with your professors and learn how to work with their different styles of teaching. You can ask professors for extra help or advice. As for online learning, students can easily cheat on their work and receive an undeserved good grade. Students can also receive a bad grade if they do not understand the work and have no one to turn to for help.(Leah Chilton)

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  29. I believe that in class learning is a better technique and way for the the students to learn education rather than online learning. Even though online learning does have a few positives such as a way to save money and time coming to class, but it also has its negatives such as it does not let the student engage in what is being taught. The student is less likely to remember what is learned when not seeing or engaging in the learning. Like the writer who wrote the essay online instruction 1 said, "online learning makes you less social and doesn't give you a fun, exciting, and engaging experience like face to face learning does." This is so true. This is why I believe online classes are not better than face to face.

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  30. I believe that both in class and online learning are good techniques for students to learn. Many oppose online learning, while others oppose in-class but I don't see why you would oppose one over the other when both can benefit students. For example, Online learning, according to essay online instruction 13, is "cheaper, more comfortable, and can fit anywhere in your schedule" and in class instruction "provides a personal connection between teacher and students, through class discussions, and it builds social relationships, which are key factors that benefit student learning." If online learning and "face to face" learning were to be put together would it solve some problems people in general are arguing about. it would be a good idea if online learning were to be updated to a better version were it would seem almost like a classroom setting. Overall, classrooms is a good way for students to learn and has been for many years yet online learning will benefit those who have to commute or have a busy life style to take the time to go to class.

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  31. I believe that it is true that as each year passes by, technology is getting more advanced little by little but it doesn't mean that it'll soon take over class and face to face instruction. Online is more convenient which is why people favor it more but face to face is more hands on learning. There is direct instructions and if you have any questions, you can always ask the teacher or other peers in the class instead of writing an email to the teacher and waiting for a reply. I think that face to face is better because when you're taking notes and something is taught and you have to use it whether it be a math formula or a new writing technique, by writing it, it will stick with you more. If you were to take an online math class for example, you would just take the formula and use it when its needed such as homework but you wouldn't remember it because it won't be as important. So overall, I feel that face to face instruction is of more benefit because you are surrounded in a learning environment which will encourage you to learn and ask questions when needed.

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  32. With the issue of online instruction vs. face-to-face instruction, I believe that it is more beneficial if we have face-to-face instruction. Be introverted myself, I would prefer going to school online over face-to-face, but the problem with online schooling is that there will be a lack of interaction. Well you could actually interact through the internet but it is extremely difficult to do so. Face-to-face provides a much more fulfilling experience such as efficiency in communication, more on-hand interaction, and it's more fun. Of course with the increase in technology, more and more activities are being done through the use of the media. As we all might know, in just a few years there won't be books anymore; we can just read articles, stories, books, etc on our iPad and such. Although there are many Pro's for online schooling, I think face-to-face is a much more rewarding experience.

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  33. While reading through a paper about "Online Instruction," I came to realize how beneficial it is to take online classes. You avoid all the expenses and having to actually get up from bed and drive to campus. When taking online classes you can take the classes wherever and whenever you want, as long as you have a computer and internet access. Yet I still disagree with online teaching. Online classes could not make up for what a traditional face-to-face classroom can do. I understand that some people can be very shy and get anxiety attacks from thinking about presenting in front of a class full of people or just having to meet new people. But whether you like it or not, some day you will have to break the ice and meet lots of new people. That great experience of being surrounded with other people in a traditional classroom is also a great way to learn how to deal with others; an online class could not do that.

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  34. After reading through an essay about "Online Instruction," I think that students will benefit more from face-to-face education rather than from an online education. Comparing the two forms of education, face-to-face education will help students out more, but online education isn't as helpful as when students are learning in an actual classroom. I also think that online education is a good alternative only for people who spend most of their day working. One bad thing about online education is that students tend to take advantage of this just because they don't feel like waking up early and then have to drive to school. Online education is just providing a way for the students to be lazy. Students who take online classes most often get sidetracked because they go to social websites rather than doing homework. I think that online education should only be used by students who have busy schedules. Therefore, people should just go with a face-to-face education since they will benefit more by learning in a classroom rather than being sidetracked through online learning.

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  35. After reading a couple of essays about “Online instruction” I think that online classes should only be offered for special occasions. For example if someone has a child and cannot come at a certain time or also when that person has a disability. But I think it’s best to have a face to face class for the fact that it is way much easier in a way that you can ask any questions and have more understanding that just showing how to do a problem.

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  36. Lucina Gonzalez MarquezDecember 7, 2011 at 8:28 PM

    Online and face-to-face instruction are equally important and both are good to have as an option. Every student has a different way of learning, some students do better in online class rather than face-to-face or the other way around. However, I believe that students who take face-to-face classes not only learn the class subject but the skills for jobs. For example, face-to-face classes teach students to be responsible by attending class every day and on time. Students also learn to do work by certain dates. According to author of essay online instruction 1 "classes get so full that your only option is to take an online course just so you can get your 12 units."It true, some classes get full really quickly and to be a full time student sometimes students do need to take online classes. I believe that online classes should only be taken when needed or when the student learns better with online classes other wise it would be better for students to take face-to-face classes.

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  37. There are many advantages and disadvantages of online education and face-to-face education. One of the advantages of online education is that students can learn on their own time helping letting them being able to work or take care of their family is they have one, they also have the opportunity to get an education if they live far away from campus and cant affort to move.But in my oppinion face-to-face education is the best way to get an education because when a student shows up to class we are guarantted that they are learning unlike online we dont know who is sittibehind the computer. I think its also easier to learn when you are being taught by teacher that when your trying to learn something on your own. - Gabriela Garcia

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  38. I think it all depends on the person's ability. Many need to come to class and be intructed others can manage online. But what is best? It would be face intruction because the fact that you don't know who is doing the work. Even though online would solve many problems for students like schedules and money wise. Face instruction is the best way to learn.

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  39. Both, Online and Face to Face learning, have their positives for people to learn, and they as well have there flaws. Personality I prefer Face to Face learning because if the lecture was like a whole different language to you, you could simply raise your hand and ask the Professor/Doctor to explain the lecture. Also, classmates might understand and could go over it and help you understand. The main positive thing for Online learning is if the person has a full schedule or lives too far away from the campus, but if possible try to go for Face to Face learning.
    -Omar S.

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