What are the Benefits of Online Learning?

Online courses in the School of Nursing offer all of the benefits of a rigorous Penn education, with the additional benefits to students, faculty, and the university:

Students and faculty enjoy flexibility, access, and convenience in courses that can be taken and delivered from any location. Faculty and students often travel while participating in online courses, especially in the summer.
Interaction and engagement can be seen from all class participants and not only the few who are comfortable raising their hands. Faculty members often report that students tend to write better by the end of an online course and they were capable of more meaningful discussion on course topics because they can reflect prior to writing a response.
Successful online programs can also lead to increased satisfaction, higher retention and enrollment for students who are able to satisfy requirements and pursue interests from home or while traveling or pursuing other opportunities.
Incentives are also available for faculty for first-time course transitions, including monetary stipends toward first-time course development and additional TA support during the online course delivery. Please note that a department support and approval is required before a course can be offered online.
The benefits of online learning to the University of Pennsylvania are myriad. Online learning expands access and extends reach to a global audience. Online learning enables a more active environment for campus teaching, as well as the possibility of hybrid courses. Online learning contributes another teaching tool and platform to the ongoing development of rigorous, research-based undergraduate and graduate education, while allowing for student and faculty flexibility and experimentation, and positions Penn as a leader in the growing field of online and open education.

What are the Challenges of Online Learning?

Online courses can also be challenging.

Faculty members often need to rethink their course design and use different strategies for teaching, engagement and assessment in the online environment. Unlike a campus course that meets once or twice per week, an online course is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and learning happens continually in the asynchronous environment.
It is challenging to build a comfortable environment for learning or a sense of community in the online environment. It will be important to think about ways that students and teachers can get to know each other and stay connected.

Students who are new to the online environment or who have lower motivation and drive may fall behind or get confused. Creating a structure for the class and clearly communicating deadlines and due dates for assignments can help to overcome this challenge.

Although it is not necessary to have advanced technical skills, it is important to feel comfortable using a computer and navigating the Internet. Slow connections can also make accessing course platforms and materials frustrating.

Click "Next" below to see a short video tour of an online class that uses synchronous and asynchronous platforms.

After that, click "Next" to read about how to determine if online teaching is right for you.