Online College Courses: Are You Prepared?

The Community College Research Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College has released a study of nearly 500,000 courses taken by over 40,000 community and technical college students in Washington State. The study looked at student success in online courses as compared to participating in face-to-face courses.

The study found that the results for all types of Community College students were lower in the online courses. And some students struggled more than others: males, younger students, Black students, and students with lower grade point averages. Students were particularly impacted negatively in such subject areas such as English and social science.

Online courses have their benefits, particularly for those who are self-directed, can adapt to new technology, and want schedule flexibility. But they may not be the best for everyone.

If you do end up taking an online course, be sure that your personal technology infrastructure is optimized. Bergen IT can help you with this. Contact us at: solutions@bergenit.net or 201-689-1823. For more on the study go to: http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/online-courses-could-widen-achievement-gaps-among-students/42521?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publications/adaptability-to-online-learning.html