ATHENS, WV (WOAY) – In the span of just a few weeks, many colleges and universities made the decision to transfer all of their classes to an online format.
For educators, the transition involves changing assignments to be able to be done remotely, and for students the change can be pretty drastic.
However, Scott Inghram, an associate professor at Concord, has a lot of experience previously teaching online courses, and says the techniques involved with them are similar to in-person classes.
“It’s a big transition from NC to online, but a lot of the same techniques and same standards hold true.”
Online courses have similar structure to a standard lecture, typically involving readings and online assessments.
“As far as assessment, we try to ensure the students touch material at least three times. So that could be testing through quiz, paper.”
The biggest challenge with the change is not necessarily the structure of how the course is graded, but how different students approach learning. An online course behind a screen may not be enough for some students.
“Some students are more auditorily focused, some do really well by reading and others may require a video or some other form of information delivery.”
Another big challenge with the transition to online courses is the scheduling. An open schedule to do class work whenever at home may sound incredibly simple, but some students may have issues with this change in routine.
“And online learning is difficult for some folks because it does require a keen attention to time management and detail.”
Overall, the transition to online courses will differ by student. Some students will miss the in-person lectures and feel that online videos don’t cut it. Others will find the transition incredibly easy. But professors are the constant force making sure their students still receive quality education, even if it is remote.
