What is online education?

The term online education refers to the use of the Internet (or an online service such as America Online [AOL]) to deliver educational materials and facilitate instructor-student interactions. Online classrooms are accessed remotely using computers with network connections. In addition to text content, they incorporate Message Boards, Chat Rooms, and audio, video, and multimedia technologies.

How does a UC Berkeley Extension Online classroom compare to a "traditional," face-to-face one?

• Location and time
  
  The biggest difference between an online and a traditional courses lies in when and where students participate. While a regular classroom exists in a real, physical space, a UC Berkeley Extension Online classroom is in "cyberspace" and can be accessed using a computer anywhere in the world. Also, although students must attend traditional classes at specific times, they have the flexibility to participate in online courses whenever they like.
  
  
• Interaction
  
  In both online and traditional classes, students interact with their instructors and other students to facilitate learning. While this communication occurs on a face-to-face basis in a regular classroom, students taking a UC Berkeley Extension Online course use e-mail, Message Boards, and Chat Rooms to communicate with one another across any distance.
  
  
• Presentation
  
  Another difference between Web-based and traditional classrooms lies in how instructors present material to students. Students in both types of courses are required to read supplemental material in textbooks, readers, and other sources. However, rather than attending in-person lectures and participating in real-time labs, online students access lecture materials via the Web and and can take advantage of audio, video, and multimedia technologies.
  
  
• Evaluation
  
  In both online and physical classrooms, students are expected to master specific learning objectives through readings and written assignments, and in both cases, are evaluated (graded) on how well they've done.

For links to sites elsewhere on the Web with more information about online education, please see the Resources page.

In the next part of the Unit 1 lecture, you'll learn about the qualities that are necessary for success as an online student.