E-learning has changed the higher education landscape for good. Today, you can pursue almost any degree online, including one in nursing. Previously taught only in traditional classrooms, nursing degrees can now be accessed by more people.
You could be one of them. But before you enroll for a family nurse degree, let’s look at the benefits of such a move.
1. Flexible Classes
Because you never attend physical lecture halls, you never have to worry about two things. The first is being late for an online class. You can always access your coursework, regardless of time, day, or schedule. So, instead of you waiting for the class, the class awaits you.
To make this possible, the university stores online lectures for you to view repeatedly. Afterwards, you use the same online portal to download and upload your assignments. Even better, you complete them at your own pace.
The second thing you never have to worry about is where you study. Again, remember, you never have to commute to a physical campus. Instead, it comes to you every time you turn on your laptop and log into your online school’s portal.
For this reason, you can study from the comfort of your living room, kitchen, study, or even vacation house. What’s more, you can do so when you’re dressed in pajamas with the kids running around. However, don’t abuse these liberties. Remember, you still have a degree course to complete.
2. Student-Oriented Learning
As we’ve just mentioned, you have a course to complete ahead of you. But how do you do so? Fortunately, you do so in a manner tailor-made for you. Let’s first look at the traditional class setting.
If you’ve ever attended one, you remember lectures being delivered in one standard format. Instructors dictate while presenting many visual aids. And to keep students on their toes, instructors regularly pick a random unsuspecting student to explain a difficult concept.
Students, for the most part, take notes while trying their best to keep up with the instructor’s pace. They try even harder not to get picked to answer a question or explain a concept they are yet to understand. Unfortunately, since different students learn differently, some can’t keep up. Instead, they get left farther and farther behind with each lecture.
In contrast, the online class setting lets you choose how you’ll learn. As a result, visual students choose graphic learning aids while the non-visual ones opt for audio aids.
Likewise, the socially inclined select discussion forums while their more practical colleagues go for 3D simulations. Better still, these aids remain online for you to review until you understand them.
3. Greater Interaction
As you’ve just seen, the traditional class setting allows for little interaction between the dictating instructor and the struggling students. Worse still, the students busy themselves so much with taking notes they rarely interact with each other when they’re in class. Because of the pressure, it’s everyone for himself or herself.
What about the online classroom? Regarding pressure and interaction, how does it compare to the conventional one? Since students get to choose when, where, and how they learn, the pressure levels are definitely lower. Interaction is also lower. After all, every student studies from home.
Here’s where you’re wrong. Online students never rush to keep up with the pace of teaching, so they have more time to interact and collaborate with each other in class. They do this using live chats, video conferencing, and discussion boards. So effective are these communication methods, especially the discussion boards, interaction has now become the center of an online class.
As a result, each student gets a chance to contribute to the discussion without the instructor needing to pick any out at random. Furthermore, online schools, such as nursing@georgetown, require their students to do joint fieldwork, allowing them to physically meet and interact.
4. Mentorship
Largely unknown in traditional schools, mentorship thrives in online ones for one reason – the greater interaction. The school first assigns to every few students a faculty member, meant to challenge, guide, teach, and unite them. In short, that faculty member mentors them
The mentor then meets the students online at least once a week to discuss case studies, to do coursework, and to gauge their progress. Sometimes, he or she pushes their limits by getting them to do fun yet relevant activities.
Conclusion
By getting an online family nursing degree, you don’t have to attend a mortar-and-brick campus. So regardless of your busy schedule, you decide when and where to study. Also, you choose how to study, be it through visual, audio, tactile, or social teaching aids.
In addition, because you aren’t always under pressure like conventional students, you have more time to interact with your colleagues and instructors. Finally, the greater interaction between you and the instructors lets them mentor you.
