I once enrolled in an online class that featured weekly group chat sessions and a message board - in addition to the traditional written lectures and assignments. After the first week or so, students stopped posting on the message board and the group chat numbers dwindled. One week, I entered the chat room to find that no one was there…not even the instructor! I felt cheated. Sure, I learned from the assignments and the written instruction. But, I had planned to learn a lot more from virtually "talking" to the professor, interacting, and asking questions. 
Creating a connection is essential in many online classes. A new article from Education Week shows that technology can often be a key factor in forming connections in the virtual world. Here's a blurb:
"Expanding Internet technology and better software is allowing distance learning to become an effective means of teaching in more major areas of study and on more campuses."Everywhere you can, you have to stress interaction," said Barbara Spencer, the director of graduate studies in the College of Business and Industry at Mississippi State University…
At the center of distance learning, she said, is finding new ways to connect with students through podcasts, short downloadable video segments or online discussion boards."
When I take an online class, I'm looking to learn from people. The written word can convey a lot of information; however, real interaction is the best way to access a professor's expertise.
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