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Add a tip to each section below. Click the Edit link in the upper right or the lower right corner of the wikidot window. Don't forget to include your name (ie. posted by Lea, Spring 2011)

Advantages.jpg
Advantages of taking a Course Online
List something that you liked about taking an online course.

I enjoyed the fact that I did not have to buy gas to take this course and the flexibility of an online course. Laura Gilliam: Spring 2011

I like taking online courses because it makes it easier to manage and organize my school work around my busy schedule - Brittany Harris (Spring 2011)

An online course is cheaper to take since you don’t have to pay for transportation and you can work it in around a busy schedule since there is no set time at which you must be in class. –Ian Cox, Spring 2011

My Schedule changes weekly, and with my family and work an online class seemed to be the best option for what I have going on. I didn't want to miss any of my sons t-ball practice or games because of a class. Joseph Hartsock Spring 2011

I like the convinience of being able to finish my homework when I have the chance. Tejay Coon Spring 2011

I love the fact I can do my work anywhere at anytime, the pure flexibility of it works for me! ~Echo DeMasters spring 2011

I like that I save $500 a month in gas because I dont have to take a drive into town to attend a class. It is nice to do work at nights because i go to bed about 7am daily. {Dustin Watkins}, spring 2011

I liked taking the online course because I had the flexibility of doing my school work along with my busy work schedule. John Trevino, (Spring 2011)

I like taking online classes because you have the freedom to do homework and assignments according to your time. I also love it because it saves on gas, and works withs your existing work schedule. -Amber Stanovich, Spring 2011

An online class gives me the flexibility I need to complete the course. I like that it works for my schedule and I'm able to complete the assignments anywhere I am. -Jessica Escobar, Spring 2011

Online classes are free to do at my own time. There is no set date or time I need to do my classwork just rather than when I can get to doing it. Between work and other classes it makes my schedule more flexible. -Jennifer Lapinski, Spring 2011

Online classes are flexible not only in time, but location. I can work from anywhere. I have done work for this class in Phoenix, Flagstaff, New Mexico, and Las Vegas. -Dustin Hawkinson, Spring 2011

I love taking online courses because you don't have to worry about it not fitting with your work schedule or anything. You just work at your own time. Its extremely convenient. (Veronica James Fall 2010)

One thing I like about taking an online course is that you can make time for the class when its best for you and you have more freedom don't have to be in class at a certain time.
Aimee Proskine
fall 2010
An online course is convenient and allows me to schedule time to work when it fits into my schedule.
Brigitte Olson

An online course is made for people with no time. Its cool because I can Do work at any time.
Sheena Carbaugh

An online course has made time for raising my son properly. It makes my schedule more flexible.
Tyler Lord
Spring 2010

I appreciate the time and gas that I save by utilizing e-learning. I also feel as though it makes me more centered because I am in control of my scheduled learning though of course there are assignment due dates to follow.
Jessica Shaw
Spring 2010

I've always liked the aspect of online learning due to the fact that you can have a structured class on your own time frame. I feel that you get as much as you put in to the class. Best part is that you don't have to go to the campus to take this class.
Alex Thome
Spring 2010

The greatest benefit for me is time management. Not having to spend a 1/2 hour driving to a class and another 1/2 hour driving back is a real plus.
Anthony Wier
Spring 2010

I enjoyed being able to decide when I "went" to class because my weeks get a bit crazy and it was easier for me to make time for the class then have the time assigned to me.
Abigail Walberer
Spring 2010

I liked that I could watch the lectures and go over the class notes on my own time, which is usually about 3:00am since I work nights.
Paul Fischer
Spring 2010

I, just like others, believe that one of the best advantages of an online class is that class work can be done any time of the day (or night in my case). It allows me the time to complete my class work after the kids go to sleep and without me having to arrange for child care.
Natalie Petrunia
Spring 2010

I love having the ability to make my own schedule. WIth this semester i have been looking for a full time day job plus also build up my massage clients. So it has been easier know that i dont have to drive to school twice a week to spend 30 mins to an hour then drive home. Also it give me more flexability when it comes to spending time with my friends and family. Also this years has been a rough one for me handling emotions of death (fiance and other family and freinds). I though it was a good idea to come to campus to take tests, but i think it would have been better, if it was with you instead in that one room.
Leah Giza Spring 2010

What I liked about taking the online course was that it was easier to work around my class schedule and work schedule. It was difficult enough trying to work four classes around each other without having longer then an hour break between classes.
Kyle Fabsitz
Spring 2010

Many advantages lay within the world of online school, the question is whether the subject is one of your strengths. If you are strong in a subject, online courses are the perfect way to easily get them out of the way, saving time and effort.
Mark Coleman
Spring 2010

The advantages to online schooling vary with individuals needs. Having the freedom to make schedule changes on a daily or even hourly basis can be invaulable when managing a family, work and school.
Stephanie Schumaker
Spring 2010

The advantages to online schooling is that you can do your schoolwork around your schedule. With home and work, online schooling is truely a flexible timesaver.
Belynda Buser
Spring 2010

The greatest advantage of taking an online course for me was that I can do it on my own time. Also, since the time I can spend in class is limited due to my work hours, I was able to take another class without having to lose hours at work
Anastasia Chidester
Spring 2011

One of my favorite advantages are that I can do my school work at work! I love it. I feel like I am doing two things at once. Second favorite advantage is the gas and with gas prices so high.
April Grimes
Spring 2011

I enjoy being able to do my work any time in the day since I'm up pretty late each night and my work can fit my schedule should it change because of something.
Tobias Woody
Spring 2011

The pros of taking an online class is you can work at your own pace. With some classes to it maybe easier to learn from the book then sit in a classroom. Plus, to study and do homework it takes me 10 seconds to start and I drive 0 miles to get to class. (Hunter Meyer Spring 2011)

I would say that pro to having online classes is that if you don't have a vehicle or some circumstance that prevents you from getting to places on time it will not be a problem. The fact that you can do your assignments and take your classes form the comfort of home is one of the best advantages. Also, if you are particularly shy person this can make it easier for you than having to be in a room full of people you don't know. ( Rachel Garza Spring 2011)

Disadvantages.jpg
Disadvantages of taking a Course Online
List something that you didn't liked about taking this class as an online course.

A disadvantage to online classes is the lack of classroom interaction and having all the software readily available to complete the assignments. - Brittany Harris (Spring 2011)

I miss the interaction in the classroom with classmates and the lack of a specified time for learning the material, what would occur in the classroom for traditional courses, makes it very easy to fall behind. –Ian Cox, Spring 2011

A dissadvantage to taking this class on-line is not having all the software on your personal computer. One assignment I found it easier to go to the computer lab instead of downloading the memory heavy software. Joseph Hartsock, Spring 2011

I hate the lack of interaction with the professor in an online class. Most of the time taking on online class is little more beneficial than reading a book on a specific topic. Tejay Coon spring 2011

Most online classes are flexible and dont have due dates yet this one did and it was a challenege to try and work with due dates in a system that is traditionally flexible. {Dustin Watkins} Spring 2011

The only thing I did not like in the begining was that you realize that there is no interaction with the instructor if you get stuck with a question, over time I have realized that researching the problem your self is part of the learning process, in fact it makes you better at what you are doing. John Trevino (Spring 2011)

One thing I don't like about online classes is that it is very easy to fall behind, and procrastinate. -Amber Stanovich, Spring 2011

Sometimes it's difficult due to errors either on your own computer or on Blackboard. It's also easy to get behind on your assignments since you don't have a physical class meeting. -Jessica Escobar, Spring 2011

I did not like taking this class as an online class because multiple times there were assignments due that something went wrong with the submission or I was not able to submit the assignment. With this class being an online class I am going to have to drive down to GCC to get everything corrected and submitted correctly with my professor. So much can go wrong with technology. -Jennifer Lapinski, Spring 2011

One of the disadvantages can be technology. Technology is not always a positive, and when things don't work right, you don't always find out about it until you see a grade later on. -Dustin Hawkinson, Spring 2011

One of the main things is that it is very easy to fall behind. Because you kind of get to do things on your own time and dont have to worry about showing up to class making up an excuse to the teacher of why you didnt do something you can easily fall behind. You end up waiting til last minute to do something. Also your not able to interact and learn things as easily. You have to put in more effort. At least with most classes, but this one didnt seem that way it was pretty smooth with one or two exceptions. (Veronica James Fall 2010)

When taking an online course I feel there are several disadvantages. The main one for me is that I do not see the instructor in class every time there is a lesson so when I have a question I have to send an email to the instructor and wait for a reply.
Aimee Proskine
fall 2010

There are times when, due to the nature of computer issues and incompatibility, I was unable to fully finish an assignment or it took twice as long as it probably should have. The frustration level can get very high when you are following the directions and it still doesn't work. The help is there, but when you're working at 2 in the morning, it's not always available.
Brigitte Olson

It is very hard to be held accountable for the things you miss. I really like the lecture where you can see your instructor and be held accountable.
Sheena Carbaugh

I really did not like the fact that there is no in person lecture. It is hard to find the information sometimes.
Tyler Lord
Spring 2010

I dislike having to go back and forth between assignment documents, directions, videos, and the assignment itself, but really this course was more streamlined than the other course I'm in this semester :) Also, I really dislike not having my student email and regular email linked (it was in previous semesters)
Jessica Shaw
Spring 2010

I am also taking BPC110 and it is literally the same class just different instructor, I thought that maybe it would be two different courses, and it is, but it's literally the same material, different course/class name. I did enjoy this class more though ;)
Alex Thome
Spring 2010

The main draw back to this class, for me, was with the problems of communication with Blackboard. It seemed like if you have a new operating system, such as 'Home Premium 7', the school's Blackboard has not updated their system for it.

Anthony Wier

A few of the things that made this class not enjoyable had to do with computer complications such as internet connection, blackboard problems and opening certain files. Some of the directions to a few of the assignments were too vague to understand as well.
Abigail Walberer Spring 2010

I do not have any complaints with this class as an online course. Uploading and downloading from Blackboard worked fine for me.
Paul Fischer
Spring 2010

I had a few personal bumps in the road where I just ran out of time. While having an open entry self paced class for this subject was not an option - for me the weekly deadlines were sometimes hard to meet. Otherwise the class structure was great!
Natalie Petrunia
Spring 2010

The biggest issue i had, was not having the programs for the last couple of assignments and it was hard to find time to go up to the school and fight for a computer there. Also i missed the connection you make with your teacher and other classmates.
Leah Giza Spring 2010

The only issue I had was that the only way I could submit assignments was using a web browser I did not like.
Kyle Fabsitz
Spring 2010

The hard part of on online course is keeping up with your assignments. Laura Gilliam: Spring 2011

Laziness is incredibly easy when you have no one to face when assignments are due. Don't let that change your work ethic or quality of learning you can obtain. Sometimes you'll hit road blocks in assignments and feel you'll never work it out; but you can.
Mark Coleman
Spring 2010

I have found that you really need to be comfortable with a subject in order to be successful with an online class. I did not really realize how little I knew about computers, so I was definetly challenged at times. I am on campus for some classes as well, so it really wasn't a problem to drop in and get help from the professor or high tech lab, but if I was strictly working from home it would have been impossible. I have definetly learned alot along the way.~Echo DeMasters Spring 2011

The only thing I didn't like about taking this course online was trying to find private time to do homework in a house with young children.
Stephanie Schumaker
Spring 2010

The only disadvantage is that it is so easy to be lazy and put off the schoolwork. Unfortunately, being lazy does nothing good for your grade.
Belynda Buser
Spring 2010

One of the worst things about online courses is that you don't have a constant reminder or somebody holding your hand yelling at you about what needs to be done when. Getting your work done is all up to you and its easy to put off the online work and get into trouble for being too far behind.
Anastasia Chidester
Spring 2011

I think a disadvantage is that you do not have teacher in physically in person. Also, you have to have good time management or you fall behind and teacher physically being there helps.
April Grimes
Spring 2011

A disadvantage is that there is less interaction among other students taking the class and that any questions, you have to wait for a reply before you can figure it out.
Tobias Woody
Spring 2011

Sometimes it is not always good to not have face time with a teacher. You take an online class for the flexability but what if the teachers office hours are when you are not avaliable. Plus, it limits personal interaction with your peers. Some good friends I met in my college classes. (Hunter Meyer Spring 2011)

I think one of the disadvantages would have to be that you don't have the pressure of having to go into a class and face a teacher who wants your assignment. This can lead to procrastination and missing assignments as you can hide behind a computer screen and avoid dealing with it in person. Procrastination has got to be the number one disadvantage that seems to come with online classes. (Rachel Garza Spring 2011)

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CSC180 Survival GuideSurvival
List something you think would be beneficial to future students to succeed taking this course online.

Work ahead and make sure that you have all the necessary software on your computer ahead of time. It will save you a few headaches! -Brittany Harris (Spring 2011)

Set aside a day per week that is not the day assignments are due, to do the coursework and do it that day. Leaving coursework until the last day can allow unexpected events to keep you from completing the coursework in time. –Ian Cox, Spring 2011

Something that was beneficial to me was ensuring I had the proper software a few days before I was going to complete the assignment. That gave me enough time to figure out if I wanted to download it or make it to the computer lab. Joseph Hartsock Spring 2011

For this online course the most beneficial thing is to have a plan. Second would be to follow the assignments exactly. Tejay Coon spring 2011

Check online for your due dates! This is very important! dont hold your breath waiting for work to be graded. {Dustin Watkins} spring, 2011

The one and MOST important thing is that it is sooooo!!! easy to say "I'll just wait and do it tomorrow" I have found my self up all night on the day the assignment was due, and that is not fun especially when it's a complicated Lab assignment! DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE! John Trevino (Spring 2011)

I think it is very beneficial to print out the syllabus with the assignment due dates. Also it is very beneficial to put together a binder with all the notes, and so on, just as if you were taking a physical class. It also helps if you set aside a certain amount of time each day to work on assignments. And start early so you can ask questions. -Amber Stanovich, Spring 2011

Any student taking this course should be aware that although it may be easier to take an online class, it's really not. You have to have the drive to get everything done yourself and not fall behind. I suggest doing your assigments earlier in the week that way if anything goes wrong, you can always go to the campus before the weekend or call the help desk (they are not available on weekends). -Jessica Escobar, Spring 2011

Future students to succeed taking this course is they need to be disaplined when it comes to doing their work. Also to set aside extra time for errors to occur or give yourself a little time just in case something does not always work out they way it is suppose to. -Jennifer Lapinski, Spring 2011

Designate a time and day to work on classwork every week. Do it that time on that day every week so that you get into a routine. Also have a backup day and time that fits into your schedule incase something comes up or the system is down. -Dustin Hawkinson, Spring 2011

As soon as an assignment is posted then do it, thats the best way to succeed. Also if its a course that allows you to work ahead then go for it that way you dont lag behind. Online classes are cool though, i love them. (Veronica James Fall 2010)

I think that something beneficial would be to do the assignments as early as possibly so if you do have a question you can email the instructor and have time to make changes to your work.
Aimee Proskine
fall 2010

I understand that that it would be time consuming and possibly monetarily prohibitive, but there is a large group of people who have Apple computers and it would be nice to be able to use the same functions (word processing, data base, spreadsheets).
Brigitte Olson

You have to have some sort of computer knowledge. You dont have to be an expert just know the bare basics.
Sheena Carbaugh

Print out the schedule of due dates, do the extra credit, do not wait until the last minure, be fluent with blackboard, and don't be afraid to email the teacher! ~Echo DeMasters Spring 2011

I do believe that if they have a basic knowledge of computers and learn how to navigat the instructors layout then they will have no problem Passing the class.
Tyler Lord
Spring 2010

I think that future students should have a basic knowledge of computers and function before taking this class. I learned much this semester and I know quite a bit about using technology. It was still challenging.
Jessica Shaw
2010

Do not procrastinate! In fact take initiative and do the next weeks assignment when it is available even if it is a week early, staying ahead will help you in case of an emergency and you can not do the assignments for one week.
Alex Thome
Spring 2010

I think when there is a problem, either with the assignment or Blackboard communication, the first step should be to note this on the assignment question area. This way if someone in the class has figured it out they can note this in a response that will go to the rest of the class.
Anthony Wier

Some beneficial tips to the course CSC180 would be to know that if you are having a problem with an assignment ask questions and don't just pretend like you know how to compete it. Also, it is helpful to set aside a specific time in your day to at least check up on what is due and when it is due. The last piece of advice is to keep up on your assignments and due dates because falling behind will not help you pass the class.
Abigail Walberer Spring 2010

I would tell future students to keep up with the textbook reading. Try to complete the lab assignments a couple days before the due date. Making flash cards with chapter vocabulary words has worked well for me too.
Paul Fischer
Spring 2010

My suggestions would include staying on top of the assignments. Some can be done quickly and some will require a good deal of time (i.e. power points). And if you've never used a mac and choose to do the webpage creation on a mac - give time to adjust. Its a great class and you will learn alot.
Natalie Petrunia
Spring 2010

I was taking all online classes this semester, so i had to create a calander or spreedsheet with homework, reading and other stuff and when it was due and i would cross them off when i got them done. Just to stress how important it is to make time and do your homework on time! And dont assume that the teacher wont read your work just cuz its online so still give it 100% effort and dont be afraid to ask questions.
Leah Giza spring 2010

I think the most important advice to give anyone who is taking an online class is not to take the class for granted. I did this a few time because I was so focused on my other classes and forgot about the online class. This mean that if your taking an online class the student is the one responsible for getting all the work turned in on time.
Kyle Fabsitz
Spring 2010

Take a break and come right back to assignments when frustrated, don't procrastinate, and use every option of communication you can with your instructor at least once to find one that will fit I've taken 2 online courses and dropped the first one, due to laziness rather than a difficulty with the subject. Never get lazy on your assignments and complete them as soon as you're given the opportunity. Remember, even if you struggle, you always have your instructor in person at school, or at your beckon electronic call.
Mark Coleman
2010

Don't think you can't ever learn about computers. I knew nothing when I started and feel very comfortable with my computer now.
Stephanie Schumaker
Spring 2010

Do the schoolwork as soon as you can!! Ask your instructor questions or put them on the discussion board. You will be glad you did!
Belynda Buser
Spring 2010

The most helpful thing is to actually do the work!! If you do all the reading and look at all the material and do the homework this class is a breeze!! Yes it can be a great deal of work but it always pays off. This semester isn't even over and I have used so much of what I have learned!! So, in short, do all the work that is asked of you and you'll have a great time and learn a lot of useful things!!
Anastasia Chidester
Spring 2011

Time management is the most helpful advice! Do not wait until the night of to do the homework or try to learn everything the night before an exam. You have to treat online courses as if you were attending them. Set a schedule and try hard to stick to it.
April Grimes
Spring 2011

Pay attention to the deadlines for your work, check the site every day for any changes of work, and plan to try to finish it as soon as you can instead of waiting till the last day since there can be problems such as a website going down.
Tobias Woody
Spring 2011

Always do work a few days before its due. Sometimes the homework is harder then doing it last minute. Plus if you finish before you get more feed back from your peers with the disscution questions. (Hunter Meyer Spring 2011)

As many people before have mentioned do things before the day they are due ( easier said than done I know) and you will not have the pressure of being down to the last minute before midnight trying to get it in. Things are accepted late currently but that is not how all classes are. Definitely working ahead and asking questions if confused about something are the two things I think would be most beneficial for people taking this class in the future and all classes for that matter. (Rachel Garza Spring 2011)

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