Last week I taught a 4-day compressed course on the Fundamental of HSE auditing. I have taught this course for a number of years in different formats... 4 day compressed, 10 weeks of 3 hours, and more recently online.
My online courses are much more difficult to teach. Emails come in at all hours of the day with questions about course material that I often think students haven't read. Students then send follow up emails if I haven't responded within a couple of hours. Online students expect the course workload to be easier and to receive higher marks - they openly express their disappointment if this doesn't happen.
So why take an online course?
The flexibility is the main reason... On vacation? Submit and assignment from the lobby of the Mexican resort. Working shift? 4am discussion postings are perfect. Have a new baby? Scroll through the course readings while rocking a newborn.
But students need to be aware of the drawbacks of an online OH&S course... If you don't have field experience you may struggle with the case studies. You won't have the advantage of chatting in groups during in class workshops. Marks tend to be a bit lower in online courses as you don't have the benefit of asking clarifying questions for assignments. Online courses usually require a fair bit of reading so if English comprehension isn't your strong point, you may be better off in a classroom.
However, if you have some field experience and are a conscientious and diligent student, online is likely for you. You can work ahead and will love the faster pace.
I encourage my students to think a bit about how they like to learn before deciding if online or a classroom course is for them.
My online courses are much more difficult to teach. Emails come in at all hours of the day with questions about course material that I often think students haven't read. Students then send follow up emails if I haven't responded within a couple of hours. Online students expect the course workload to be easier and to receive higher marks - they openly express their disappointment if this doesn't happen.
So why take an online course?
The flexibility is the main reason... On vacation? Submit and assignment from the lobby of the Mexican resort. Working shift? 4am discussion postings are perfect. Have a new baby? Scroll through the course readings while rocking a newborn.
But students need to be aware of the drawbacks of an online OH&S course... If you don't have field experience you may struggle with the case studies. You won't have the advantage of chatting in groups during in class workshops. Marks tend to be a bit lower in online courses as you don't have the benefit of asking clarifying questions for assignments. Online courses usually require a fair bit of reading so if English comprehension isn't your strong point, you may be better off in a classroom.
However, if you have some field experience and are a conscientious and diligent student, online is likely for you. You can work ahead and will love the faster pace.
I encourage my students to think a bit about how they like to learn before deciding if online or a classroom course is for them.