2008 Woodie Awards
Online classes open more options
Derek Lactaoen
Issue date: 3/26/08 Section: Campus
Facing budget cuts, more demand from students, increasing class sizes and more possibilities using interactive technology like recorded lectures and video, Humboldt State University has much more interest now than ever in developing online classes.
With only eight classes offered online this semester, three of which are offered through certification programs for occupations like exercise nutrition, many students and instructors are looking for more courses available on the Web.
Extended Education Director Carl Hansen said a definite interest exists in starting more online classes and serving the community better. However, he said, it comes down to a matter of resources and the amount of time and money that goes into developing an effective online course.
He said that creating a course is not the hard part; what is difficult is making the information interactive and the course effective. Hansen said it is not enough to throw the content up onto a Web page.
Another hurdle that Humboldt State must get over before it implements more online classes is the desire of instructors to create the class.
It is their initiative, said Hansen, to work with courseware development to design a class that is effective and engaging for students and that allows for communication between teacher and student.
One concern that many students and instructors have as Humboldt State transitions into an era of using more technology is that the personal relationship between instructor and student will be lost.
"Our culture here is very sensitive to these issues," Hansen said. Yet in a purely online setting, some of that connection will inevitably be lost.
Katey Randall, a history freshman, took the course Psychology of Critical Thinking online last semester with psychology professor David Campbell and is now taking World Religions with religious studies professor William Herbrechtsmeier. World Religions is available online; however, Randall chose to attend traditional lectures.
With only eight classes offered online this semester, three of which are offered through certification programs for occupations like exercise nutrition, many students and instructors are looking for more courses available on the Web.
Extended Education Director Carl Hansen said a definite interest exists in starting more online classes and serving the community better. However, he said, it comes down to a matter of resources and the amount of time and money that goes into developing an effective online course.
He said that creating a course is not the hard part; what is difficult is making the information interactive and the course effective. Hansen said it is not enough to throw the content up onto a Web page.
Another hurdle that Humboldt State must get over before it implements more online classes is the desire of instructors to create the class.
It is their initiative, said Hansen, to work with courseware development to design a class that is effective and engaging for students and that allows for communication between teacher and student.
One concern that many students and instructors have as Humboldt State transitions into an era of using more technology is that the personal relationship between instructor and student will be lost.
"Our culture here is very sensitive to these issues," Hansen said. Yet in a purely online setting, some of that connection will inevitably be lost.
Katey Randall, a history freshman, took the course Psychology of Critical Thinking online last semester with psychology professor David Campbell and is now taking World Religions with religious studies professor William Herbrechtsmeier. World Religions is available online; however, Randall chose to attend traditional lectures.
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