In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, I would have told you that I love online classes.
I have so much more free time, I can work on my own schedule and all of the material is limitless at my fingertips.
However, my opinion on this kind of teaching has significantly changed since my time at Ferris.
To be clear, I don’t mind online classes. They are convenient and depending on the material, studying independently has afforded me better results than the stress of going to class.
The problem comes in when the course is not taught by a human.
Well, that doesn’t make sense. It has to be taught by a human. Someone needs to grade the material, right?
Sure. While this is not a discussion surrounding AI grading tools (though I could definitely go on about that), let us assume that there is a professor on the other side of the screen, reading my discussion boards and grading my writing assignments.
That is all well and good, but it still isn’t what I am paying for.
See, my issue lies with professors who allow their classes to be solely guided and taught by the textbook.
In my experience at Ferris, those professors are plentiful.
The convenience of an online class is entirely ruined for me when McGraw-Hill is the one teaching me all of the material.
Even more insulting is when the work I do is then graded by a professor who does not even engage with the class or with me as a student.
Here is the thing: I put myself through school. I rely on scholarships and sometimes out-of-pocket money to pay not only the credit price of the class, but also the $30 online services fee.
I have no problem paying for that, except when my professors don’t teach me anything.
I am here to learn, to gain experience from those in the profession, to talk to real people about topics covered in class and how they apply in the real world.
And yet, I find that I am constantly finding myself wanting and wishing for more.
I try to put myself in their shoes. I know that a lot of professors who teach online classes also have other careers, or they teach online because they have to travel a lot.
I get it, I really do. But I also don’t think that should be used as an excuse.
I say this because I have also had really wonderful experiences with online classes at Ferris.
Professors were engaged, they gave really valuable feedback on my work, they were available to answer questions and so on and so forth.
All of this is to say – I know that it is possible.
Sometimes being a student in an online classroom leaves me feeling like I am not as important as the others.
You could argue that this is my fault. I dug myself this hole by choosing to take online classes.
In my eyes, however, this is an important argument to make. Some students can’t physically go to class.
Be it work, or family obligations or disabilities that make it difficult to attend classes in person, students who pay for online classes deserve a well-rounded and enjoyable experience just like any other student on campus.
I think that everyone, including some professors, fell into the idea that online classes can be easy without consequence.
Which, sure, is fine, but that does not mean that I should be paying money for a class that is taught solely by a textbook.
Online students crave engagement too. We crave meaningful discussion, too. And, if we are paying part of your salary, we have a right to it just as much as any student in a physical classroom.