Online classes

I have taken online classes, in two formats.

GB704 was taken as the "online" session - meaning that we met in class 1/2 as often as regular, but had to make several posts each week on assigned topics via the Blackboard forums. I would not have taken the class had I known it was the "online" session. Well, maybe I would have. The alternate session was being taught by the prior CIO for my University. I did not want to take him as a professor as that could have caused tensions with the current CIO with whom I work with closely on my current project. So, I signed up for the "online" 704, discovering the nature of the course on the first day of classes.

My impression of the course was this: while it was nice to have the extra sessions off, which allowed me to spend a lot more time with my family that semester, I never formed any sort of bond with the other people in the class. In fact, I had a difficult time getting into the class at all as there seemed to be little time to develop a continuity from session to session. The class struck me as being perfect for the student that was just grinding through and did not much care about the subject (as I have done through say - oh - finance...) but was not good for someone interested in the subject.

The other type of online classes I have done have been the webinar type classes. They have usually run from 3 to 6 sessions, and have been usually for training at work or some other work related function. They are good for what they are. I think that they will only be beneficial for the person taking the class if the student is interested and cares about what is going on during the webinar. Otherwise, it is simply too easy to be checking email, eating dinner, playing with your kids, whatever else may be more interesting and right at hand then the webinar. None of the webinar based classes that I have taken have been graded, though fo some I have had to fill out a web based form at the end.

On the whole, I think that online classes have their place. But I think that unless you have the kind of personality that is not easily distracted, you are going to get a lot more from a traditional class setting then you would an online class. For the webinar type classes, they are great for learning software, as they can often show you real time where the different functions are. But for other types of study - like the GMATS or the PMP exam, I do not think that kind of class would be very helpful for most people.