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Get Connected:
The Benefits of Online Classes

There are many good reasons for enrolling in an online class at Chemeketa Community College, but one great one.

Know that feeling of walking out of class only to think of the perfect thing to add to the conversation five minutes too late? Take an online class, and it won’t happen.

“Learning is a social process. But, in the online setting, we’re able to strip away the distracters, such as whether one of our classmates likes us,” said Mark Rediske, one of Chemeketa’s online instructors in education. “The result is a level of deep, rich and meaningful conversation that exists outside the labels we attach to each other face-to-face.”

Once upon a time, online classes meant a site on the Internet where students reported to collect assignments, turn them in and receive feedback, but the diverse range of tools available has led to a much more fulfilling learning experience. With easily created video and audio files, message boards and the vast resources of the online world at their fingertips, instructors like Rediske have raised the bar.

“It seems like we find new software every week that we incorporate into our classes,” he said.

In a matter of minutes, instructors can record a video walking their students through a math problem and post it to the class website. Students can respond with questions, in writing or audio files, or post clarifications that assist their classmates. In such a realm, no reply is ever “too late.” The entire conversation is archived on the site and students can return to watch the video or read responses as often as needed.

One of the side benefits to such conversations is the sharing of writing styles.

“In a traditional class, there might be one or two excellent writers, but the rest of the class will never get to read their work. Online, each student can see others’ writings and take from it lessons they can incorporate into their personal writing style,” Rediske said.

Students in Chemeketa’s online classes receive 24/7 technical support as well as online access to support services like Chemeketa’s writing center, tutoring center and the disability services office.

Loraine Schmitt, director of Chemeketa’s online program, knows first-hand the other benefits of online learning. As a working mother, she enrolled in a master’s program in which some of the coursework took place online. Not only did she save transportation costs, she was able to flex her study time.

 “I was able to set it up so that when my kids were doing their homework, I was doing my homework,” she said.

Chemeketa is home to nearly two dozen degree and certification programs that can be completed completely online. Depending on the workload students are willing to shoulder, some programs may be completed more quickly online than in traditional classrooms, Schmitt said.

During the 2007-08 academic year there were more than 20,000 enrollments in Chemeketa online courses, with many logging in from places as far away as Europe, England and Indonesia. While it’s not hard to find diversity on the Chemeketa campuses, it’s a rare treat to learn alongside those living in other cultures on a day-to-day basis.

“In the end, online classes aren’t for everyone,” said Rediske. “But for those willing to explore new approaches to learning, they can be an amazing experience.  The opportunities for interaction are rich, and you develop new perspectives on what it means to be a global citizen.”

For more information about online classes at Chemeketa, visit http://learning.chemeketa.edu/.  If you’re still uncertain whether online classes are right for you, participate in the online learning orientation session at http://learning.chemeketa.edu/orient.

By Eric A. Howald. Have a great Chemeketa story? Send us an e-mail.

Updated November 12, 2008 by Marketing and Student Recruitment.