Onsiderations in Choosing Between an Online and...

Considerations in Choosing Between an Online and Traditional Education Leslie De La Rosa COM/155 University Composition and Communication 1 Frances Lord September 1, 2012 Considerations in Choosing Between an Online and Traditional Education In today’s technological age, there are many choices for Americans of all ages to attend college. A student may choose to attend a traditional college or to continue their education through one of the many online programs available. Both online and traditional educations offer a quality education to students, but differ in financial needs, scheduling flexibility, learning styles and career choice. Any person looking to further their education needs to do extensive research to determine†¦show more content†¦Careers in business, accounting or other â€Å"paper based† jobs are ideally suited to an online program. Some careers may require you to attend both an online university and a campus. One such career would be nursing. A student studying nursing can learn the book part online, but at some point he or she will have to get some hands on experience. Social interactions also differ between the two types of education. On a campus, students attend a class, with in structors and classmates. This fosters more collaboration on projects. Many times students are not required to actively participate in class room discussions. In the online setting students are required to participate in the discussions, even though he or she does not see classmates face to face. Students can learn from your fellow class mates as well as the instructor and materials. Generally the students that perform best doing online classes are those who are able to work and learn independently. Instructors are there to help students in both types of education. In a traditional setting the instructor lectures on the topic, assigns reading and may facilitate a discussion during the class. However to speak to a professor outside of the class you usually have to make an appointment. An instructor in an online educational format also assigns the reading materials, but they always facilitate a discussion and generally participate to move the