The benefits of online learning

Curriculum, convenience, and community make for quality experience

Odds are, you're quite comfortable sending emails and surfing the internet. But, what happens when you think about enrolling in an online class? Do those nimble fingers turn into sweaty palms? For many, the thought of online learning stirs up a tangle of thorny questions. Are my computer skills adequate? Will I ever meet classmates-or my teacher- in person? Can I really learn while I'm sitting at my kitchen table in my pajamas?

Relax. These days, online learning is more user-friendly, more interactive, and more integrated into the academic curriculum than ever before. Or, as Phillip Knutel, executive director of academic technology and online learning at Bentley University in Waltham, neatly sums it up, "With all the advances we've made with the online classroom, there's really no need for learning today to be bound to a physical time or place." Of course, Knutel is describing Bentley's hybrid online learning program, one of the most cutting-edge virtual learning programs in the U.S.

Each semester at Bentley, about 50 graduate-level courses are taught in special, high-tech hybrid classrooms. Students sit at desks equipped with microphones, the instructor wears a microphone, and a camera in the back of the room oversees all the action. Enrolled students have a choice: They can either attend class in the classroom or log-in to the class using any computer that has an internet connection and a headset or webcam. Not only can online students see and hear everything that is happening in real-time, they can also participate in class, as if they were physically in the room. For instance, by clicking on a "raise hand" icon, you can alert the instructor that you would like to ask a question, then simply speak it.

And, there's more. All of Bentley's hybrid classes can be viewed after class, as well. If students miss a class, or would like to review a certain portion of a lesson, all they have to do is log in and view the recorded session. "This is a glimpse into the future of graduate education," Knutel says. "When we've polled students, 100 percent want more of their classes online, and at Bentley, entire graduate degree programs can now be pursued online."

It's not surprising that other schools are jumping onboard with online learning, too. Babson College in Wellesley, for instance, offers another type of blended learning for its Fast Track MBA. About 60 percent of the program is offered online, while more traditional, in-person learning opportunities occur at six-week intervals. According to Karen Hebert-Maccaro, associate dean of the graduate school and visiting assistant professor of management, enrollment in this blended degree program has increased dramatically in the past three years, thanks in part to Babson's efforts to merge online learning with a sense of community. "In our Fast Track MBA, the students enter as a cohort and travel through the entire program with their entering class," Hebert-Maccaro explains. "This goes a long way to forming a sense of community. We also assign study groups and many of the curricular assignments require students to work with their groups. Community can be built in online forums and in team-based assignments. Of course, the face-to-face sessions every six weeks are also enormously useful in solidifying the connections between students and between students and faculty."

Likewise, Northeastern University in Boston, which now offers hundreds of both graduate and undergraduate online courses, includes multiple, structured opportunities for interpersonal interaction in its various online learning platforms. "Ultimately, the students are part of the Northeastern community and we want them to feel that," says Todd Leach, senior associate dean of the College of Professional Studies. How will you know which online course is right for you? First, try out the demos that are available at most school websites, Leach advises. "I would also suggest that prospective students choose an institution as well as a program," he says. "Look for many of the same things for online that you would look for on-campus, including course options, college reputation, student services, and prospective classmates."