The 2019 U.S. News & World Report list of best online programs was released recently, and UF’s online bachelor’s program tied with Penn State University World Campus and the University of Illinois at Chicago for the No. 5 spot.
This is quite an accomplishment for UF because it has a couple programs based in online schooling, like PaCE. This program admits freshmen to the university on the condition that they complete a minimum of 15 credit hours and two semesters of UF Online. Students can request to transition to campus once they have completed a total of 60 credits while also completing all prerequisite courses for their major.
Special programs aside, some of UF’s bachelor’s degrees are impossible to receive without taking some online classes. UF’s class registration process is competitive, with limited seats open in each class. Even if an in-person version of a class is available, it can be very difficult to get into, making an online class the only option. This creates an unfortunate situation for students who prefer to be engaged in a classroom setting.
UF’s business school is one that relies heavily on an online education to accommodate all of the students pursuing degrees within the college. Most of the business classes are available as hybrid classes, which have a mix of online and in-person elements. Typically, the lectures are given at a certain time and the students can choose to physically attend them or watch the recorded lecture at a later time. The exams for that class may be in person or online as well. The problem with hybrid classes is that more people take the class than the amount that can fit inside the lecture hall. Hybrid classes create an illusion of free will, when oftentimes students are unable to find a seat when they do show up.
Therein lies a chief problem with online schooling. It takes a great amount of self-discipline to do online assignments and watch lectures in a timely manner. College is a time for people to learn organization and time management, but loading underclassmen with online classes is like throwing someone into the deep end of a pool.
The lack of face-to-face interaction may also be tough for people who don’t have the strongest written communication skills. It’s easier for a message to be lost in translation when it is typed out through email rather than verbalized. The majority of online professors and teaching assistants make good on their promises to respond within 24 hours, but when a deadline is nearing, waiting a whole day for an answer may be a detrimental loss of the time needed to produce quality work.
UF Online states, “There is no difference in content and rigor between UF Online courses and other courses offered by the University of Florida.” Personal experience has shown, however, that this isn’t always true. There are cases in which the online section is much easier than the in-person section or vice versa. This is due to different professors’ teaching styles and the ways they are implemented differently depending on if the class is online or in-person.
There is a higher degree of freedom when you work from home, with the internet and any books available to help ensure success on assignments. Online classes use web cameras and proctoring programs like ProctorU to ensure students do not receive extra help on their assignments and exams, but technology cannot fully replace the effectiveness of being monitored in person.
There are undoubtedly many advantages to online education as well, but they are aimed mainly at students who have priorities more important than school: students with jobs, students who take care of family members or students who live far from campus. For the full-time student, taking online classes is not the best way to learn important material. As technology becomes more advanced, issues with online education will continue to diminish, but for now, most students should stick to plain old school.
Molly Chepenik is a UF journalism sophomore. Her column appears on Wednesdays.
