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Show Pro #1: Flexibility. Flexibility was first and foremost on my students' list of online classroom "pros." Millennial students, as Prensky (2001), Phalen (2002), and Bell (2006) point out, tend to be very busy and achievement-oriented. Online classrooms allow them the freedom and flexibility they need to cram another class into their already-tight schedules or prepare for an important event in another area of life. One student wrote, "This semester my first baby is due the week of finals. It would be very hard for me to waddle around campus in my last trimester while taking on a full load of classes. Not to mention when it comes time to take the final, if I've gone into labor then it would be very stressful and complicated making it back to campus to take five finals with a newborn." This flexibility also allows students to work in ways and at times that best suit their learning styles and living habits. As another student said, "I feel like a 'grown up' ... I don't have a teacher breathing over my shoulder telling me what to do. I can do the outline at four in the morning or eleven at night, whichever fits my schedule." Clearly, the flexibility of an PHOTOGRAPH BY TERESA GETTEN online class is a major plus for students and instructors alike. Pro #2: Less Anxiety. Many of my students felt less anxiety participating in class discussion in an online format. Because students in class don't know each other, they tend to feel less social pressure and therefore less anxiety in expressing their opinions. One student wrote, "I feel like I can express whatever I want because I don't have the whole class to look at me and judge. It's like I'm an anonymous student that can say what she wants without having to worry about what others will think. I think that is a problem that a lot of students, including myself, face. We are nervous to ask because of the response we will get from the other students." This anonymity not only allows students to express their opinions, but according to some students it may also mask personality clashes that may crop up in traditional classroom settings. One student said, "Overall, online classes can be much less intimidating; it is pretty rare that you are not going to like your teacher 8 lessons | fall 2007 |
