| As Gerald Powless advanced in rank and | | | | class that requires keeping specific hours. |
| responsibility in the US Army, he found it | | | | Much like a traditional class that meets |
| harder and harder to attend traditional | | | | twice a week from 4.30-6.30 P.M. for example, |
| college classes. With longer hours, a heaver | | | | a synchronous course requires students to be |
| workload, and more responsibility, Powless | | | | online at certain times. This type of course |
| looked toward online coursework for the first | | | | is best for students with compatible |
| time in 2003. Enlisted in the Army for almost | | | | schedules. |
| twenty years, he is considering becoming a | | | | |
| history teacher when he retires from the | | | | Online Education Means You're Never Alone |
| Army. | | | | |
| | | | It is important to know that no matter the |
| Education opportunities have changed since he | | | | type of course, online classrooms are set up |
| began his Army career--today Powless takes | | | | to be as user-friendly as possible. Inside a |
| advantage of convenient and accessible online | | | | virtual classroom there are links to a |
| education options to earn a bachelor's degree | | | | syllabus with all of the necessary |
| in history. | | | | information, lessons divided by topic and due |
| | | | dates, communication systems, and discussion |
| Online Education in a War Zone | | | | boards. Students usually can log on at any |
| | | | time of the day or night to submit |
| "I decided it was perfect for me," says | | | | assignments or join group discussions with |
| Powless about online courses. "I was able to | | | | fellow classmates. In this way, there is a |
| work away at my classes twenty-four hours a | | | | dynamic community created in the virtual |
| day if necessary, even if I was on a | | | | classroom, much like the community created in |
| deployment, as long as I had Internet | | | | a traditional classroom. |
| access." His deployments have even included a | | | | |
| year in Iraq. Stationed in the northern city | | | | One of the things students worry about when |
| of Mosul from October 2004 to September 2005, | | | | taking online courses is the lack of |
| he completed a course in college algebra in | | | | student-teacher interaction in the virtual |
| the middle of a war zone. | | | | setting, but Powless says that has not been |
| | | | the case for him. "Of all of the classes I |
| Powless exhibits the kind of discipline | | | | have taken online, I always have my questions |
| needed to complete online coursework, though | | | | answered in a timely, accurate, and |
| in his case it seems extreme. Everyone is | | | | professional manner. Additionally, if there |
| busy with jobs, kids, and the normal | | | | is any information to be passed on to the |
| activities of adult life, but if students | | | | students, it gets disseminated quickly and |
| like Gerald Powless can complete a course | | | | proficiently." |
| while making history in Iraq it is certainly | | | | |
| possible for those of us with safer lives and | | | | The truth is, Powless and students like him, |
| fewer demands. | | | | whether they live in the center of New York |
| | | | City or in rural Iowa, are part of an |
| How the Virtual Classroom Works | | | | educational revolution. No matter where you |
| | | | live and work, college degree programs are |
| Taking college courses through a virtual | | | | available. |
| classroom is not as complicated as it might | | | | |
| seem, according to Powless. "Once enrolled, I | | | | Online Student/Active Duty Soldier |
| get on the school website that is e-mailed to | | | | |
| me, browse around for a while, and get | | | | "These courses work out perfectly for active |
| familiar navigating through it. I then locate | | | | duty soldiers who have rigorous, fluctuating |
| the syllabus and print it out and look it | | | | hours," he says. Even if you are not in the |
| over until I completely comprehend it. Next, | | | | service, follow this piece of advice: "One |
| I print out all of the lessons for the | | | | must be punctual and disciplined to be |
| subject. Finally, I put everything in order, | | | | successful." No doubt we can all learn from |
| prioritize everything, develop a plan, begin | | | | that kind of recommendation. |
| implementing the plan, and most importantly, | | | | |
| stick with the plan." | | | | As well as the algebra course he finished in |
| | | | Iraq, Powless has completed courses in |
| Sticking with the plan is great advice for | | | | humanities and the fine arts, business |
| students taking online courses. Though you | | | | management, and English literature online. |
| don't have to arrive at a classroom on time | | | | All of these will soon add up to a degree in |
| for most courses, there are deadlines that | | | | history, which he hopes to use to become a |
| need to be met, and it can be just as easy to | | | | teacher. With his opinions on discipline and |
| fall behind online as in a traditional | | | | punctuality, it comes as no surprise that |
| classroom. Each university offers different | | | | Gerald Powless is also considering completing |
| types of online classes. Some are | | | | the required graduate work to become a |
| asynchronous, which means that though there | | | | principal. He says, "I refuse to stop taking |
| might be deadlines for assignments, there is | | | | college courses until I graduate with a |
| no "live" component to the course. This kind | | | | master's degree, even if I have to take one |
| of course is best for students with schedules | | | | class at a time like I am doing now." |
| that change. A few courses of this variety | | | | |
| are asynchronous as well was "self-paced", | | | | Powless feels that with a bit of |
| which means you can turn in the assignments | | | | determination and discipline, almost anything |
| whenever you get to them, as long as | | | | is possible. As you begin your education, |
| everything is finished by the course end | | | | take this piece of advice from someone who |
| date. The final option is to take a | | | | knows, "The secret is to do your best, and to |
| synchronous course, which is the kind of | | | | never quit. |