If you are able to attend a classroom-taught version of this online course, do so.
Online courses I teach are intended for students whose work or academic schedule does not allow them to take time to attend regular class periods and who have enough self-discipline to complete course requirements with minimal support. Expect to spend 10 hours or so per week on this course. TWO ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE EACH WEEK DURING SEMESTER.
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Online Benefits |
Online Drawbacks |
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I can arrange this online course around my schedule. |
I must be extremely self-disciplined to complete class work every week on time. |
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I can take tests on the Internet on my computer at any time I choose before quiz deadline and at my home where I am relaxed. |
If I do quizzes on my computer over the Internet at home, I am always worried the telephone or cable connection to the Internet will fail. |
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I never have to see or talk to the instructor. |
I find it difficult to either see or talk to the instructor and I find I end up emailing him mostly. |
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Even if I do not have a computer, I can still do everything that is required on any computer anywhere that is hooked up to the web. |
Even if I do not have a computer, there are so many computers hooked up to the Internet that are available to me that I have no excuses but to have everything done. |
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Even if I am sick, I can always get my homework assignments and quizzes handed in because I have a computer at home hooked up to the Internet. |
Even if I am sick, I am under great pressure to get my homework assignments and quizzes handed in on time because I have a computer hooked up to the Internet at home. |
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I can cheat by looking at my notes and text when doing some quizzes on my computer at home. |
The 20 minute timed quizzes on the Internet are so short, I really do not have time to cheat and, besides, I know the final exam is supervised. |
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I am reasonably computer literate and I find it easy to work on the Internet. |
The Internet is really easy to use, but setting it up properly for the course material, not to mention hooking up the TI-Graph Link for the TI-83 calculator is time consuming. |
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I never have to listen to a boring lecture. |
I am forced to read everything, including lecture notes. |
Based on past semester scores, internet students perform, on average, at a grade level below equivalent classroom-taught students. This does not mean it is impossible to get an A grade, say, but it does mean that you will have to work very hard to get an A grade.
Based on past semesters, around one in three internet students, as compared to one in ten classroom-taught students, who start this course either fail or drop out.
On the one hand, I do not want to scare you away from trying an online course, but, then, on the other hand, I do not want you to get yourself into a frustrating situation if you really are not ready to take the plunge now. Still not sure? Please email or phone.
Jonathan Kuhn, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor of Statistics,
309 Schwarz Hall
Mathematics and Physics Section
Purdue University North Central
1401 South US 421
Westville, Indiana 46391-9528
(toll free inside Indiana) office telephone numbers:
(800) 872-1231 (then 5563#)
(800) 872-1231 (then 5598 and 5563#) voice mail
(long distance charges, if necessary) office telephone numbers:
(219) 785-5563
(219) 785-5598 (then 5563#) voice mail
(219) 785-5507 fax