Although online classes offer many advantages, people could arguably say many of them normally don't provide the same opportunities to socialize with fellow learners as on-campus courses. However, that may soon change, since educators are realizing online communities offer substantial benefits.
They're Centralized Data Storage Solutions
It makes sense that forward-thinking educators would understand how smart it is to have centralized places where all students enrolled in a particular online class can go to get documents, MP3 files, PowerPoint presentations, and more. Besides being able to go to one place to get class-related resources, online storage websites allow people to simply download files and save them rather than printing them out.
They Offer Uniform User Experiences
Many colleges build their own online community portals or work with companies that offer customized products so clients can use branded graphics, custom colors, and specialty fonts. However, if universities are serious about expertly marketing to students who want to take courses online, it's necessary to be concerned with more than just the website's appearance.
For example, a college might create an ad-free community for online learners so visitors don't have to deal with annoying pop-up banners and flashing graphics on the website's sidebars. It might also look at ways to use responsive design so the website looks great and functions smoothly regardless of if a person is accessing it on a mobile phone or a computer.
If students have poor impressions of the online communities that relate to their coursework, they may let those opinions tarnish their views of the entire online experiences. However, well-made communities of distance learners could thoroughly augment the benefits of internet learning.
They Connect People With Common Interests
Online communities of learners are also ideal for networking, but not always in the ways you might expect. Although a participant may not land her next job simply by coming in contact with someone via an online community, interactions that take place online make it much easier for people to find other individuals who are studying for similar career paths.
Often, these communications are related to certain fields of study, but aren't always stiffly professional in tone. An individual learning through the online branch of Adelphi University and working towards a masters degree in sport management may swap stories with classmates about the 2015 NFL draft, pausing to reminisce about favorite athletes and speculating what's ahead for football.
In other cases, online communities help people focus on certain ideas about the future especially if they aren't precisely sure how best to use their newly earned degrees. While taking part in an online community, someone enrolled in an Adelphi course about health informatics might request insight about career options, and find out that jobs exist in clinical settings, the nursing sector, and the telemedicine industry, just to name a few.
You've just learned about a few of the many reasons why online communities are so advantageous for online learners. Consider taking part at one of these websites, or even giving input about how to design one, soon. If you're an online learner, internet-communities could help you have richer, more collaborative interactions.
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