Teachers often make this task easier by using group work or asking students to discuss ideas in partners. Some who believe that online education is not as beneficial as land-based education often suggest that this type of discourse is unavailable in virtual classrooms. This, however, is not the case. Virtual classrooms often have discussion boards on which students can post questions and topics and respond to other students. Just like they do in land-based classrooms, teachers in virtual classrooms often give a question or a prompt, students answer, and then students are required to respond to their peers' responses. Some even argue that this processes, which is often held in discussion boards that work like message boards, is better than the discussions held in land-based schools. These people say that online education gives the students a degree of anonymity, allowing them to express what they really think or feel. Land-based education, they say, is still intimidating, making it more difficult for students to say what they mean.
Finally, while skilled instructors and discourse are necessary in higher education, a third and essential component consists of tasks that stretch students' abilities to think and reason. In the land-based classroom, these tasks are manifested as group work, projects, presentations, and papers. Teachers ask students to write thinking papers where they sketch out an idea, do research and present findings to the class, or work in groups to discover a problem and how one might solve it. Those who believe online education is far inferior to land-based education argue that it is impossible to assign these same tasks to students who are working online. Furthermore, they argue that students working online will not get the benefit of presentations, learning technology that allows them to complete presentations,...
Once again, however, online education has managed to achieve a new way for students to participate in these tasks that stretch students' abilities to think and reason. One way in which online education typically assigns these tasks is through papers, which can be submitted to teachers on the online forum, and can be presented to other students via the class's discussion board. Thus, students can showcase their
critical thinking and reasoning skills through these papers. In addition, many online interfaces allow the
instructor to assign students to groups. Each group can have a project to complete and a private message board on which to communicate. Class members in a group can arrange to chat online or call each other on the
telephone to come up with ideas. Also, many online universities partner with land-based universities, so students can make a presentation or take a test through another, perhaps closer, university. Thus, online education gives students the ability to perform tasks that showcase their critical thinking and reasoning skills just like land-based
university students do.
Thus, because online education maintains skilled instructors, allows for discourse, and requires students to complete tasks that showcase their critical thinking and reasoning experiences, it is as significant as land-based education. Indeed, those who receive an online education receive an education that is both effective and successful. In addition, some teachers even suggest that this method is so successful and effective that they bring online tools into their land-based classrooms, asking students to use online discussion boards or e-mail. Thus, although
online classes have often taken a bad rap, they are an easily accessible way for some to get a legitimate
college education.
