RJA #13b: Presentation Plan

Argumentative Paper Outline

Online Classes Provide More Educational Value than the Traditional Classroom

          I.      Introduction

                  A.  The new technology of online classes has allowed for a substantial increase in the value of distance education and is starting to challenge the value of the traditional classroom.

                  B.  A technological wave is sweeping our education system. Online classes have seen a huge increase in not only the number of students enrolled online but also in the amount of colleges offering their classes online.  Time constraints in people’s lives today created a need for distance education and our education system is scrambling to fill that need.

                  C.  Advances in technology have made the educational value of online degrees just as valuable as or better than the traditional classroom experience. Recent surveys and statistics show that online students get better scores and have better memory retention, most employers consider an online degree the same as a traditional one, and technological advancements such as IM and video bring online degrees on par with the traditional classroom.

        II.      Reasons

                  A.  Most employers consider an online degree the same as a traditional degree and in some IT jobs online degrees are preferred.

                        1.   Online article from U.S. News details how some employers, especially in the IT field, prefer online degrees. (Burnsted)           

                              a. Student views on technology and the classroom show preferences for the newer technologies over the traditional classrooms. (Meuter)

                        2.   Online degrees gained a wider acceptance as the majority of college grads, as well as employers, have taken some of their courses online. (Burnsted)

                              a. Article in Money Talks News showing five reasons that technology is helping K-12 students score better on tests and get better grades overall. (Ballenger)         

                        3.   A recent survey by Morgan Hunter a corporate headhunting company showed that 83% of employers thought an online degree was sufficient for an entry level job and over half thought an online degree was acceptable for a mid-career position. (Hunter)

                              a.    A blog by a distance educator states ten reasons why online classes either match or surpass the traditional classroom. (Kassop)

                        4.   Article on MSNBC details the changing way that employers look at online degrees. (Tahmincioglu)

                  B.  Instant Messaging, video and other technologies have helped bring better value to online education. (I. Elain Allen, Class Differences: Online Education in the United States, 2010)

                        1. Studies show that recent technologies and visual aids enhance the learning experience of online students more than the traditional face to face method.

                  C.  Recent surveys and statistics show that online students get better scores and have better memory retention. (I. Elain Allen, Staying theCcourse, Online Education in the United States)

                         1. Recent studies show that online students statistically receive higher scores and have longer memory retention than students in traditional classrooms.

       III.      Objections and Refutations

                  A.  1.  Some reports and surveys say that online education is still lacking in vital areas.

                              a.   Some online reports suggest that there are some hurdles left to overcome in online education. (Kim Parker)

                              b.   Some audits show a higher dropout rate among online students. (Weber)

                  B.  Social issues are starting to arise including social atrophy by online and distance education students. (Eitzen)

                  C.  Large increase and shady practices of for-profit online colleges leads to less acceptance of distance education by both employers and students. (Schoetz)

       VI.      Conclusion

While there are still some problems with online education, the majority of students, professors and educators feel that it is comparable to, if not better than, traditional education systems. Statistics show that with new advancements in technology, online students score higher and retain more knowledge than students in the traditional classroom. There are still problems to be overcome but society is showing a growing need for distance learning and educators are stepping up to provide it.

Works Cited

Ballenger, Brandon. "Going to School Online: Better Education, Lower Cost?" Money Talks News 7 Sept 2011. Online Article. 1 Nov 2011. <http://www.moneytalksnews.com/2011/09/07/going-to-school-online-better-education-lower-cost/>.

Burnsted, Brian. "Online degrees don't impede job searches." U.S. News 29 March 2010: 2. Online article. 1 Nov 2011. <http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2010/03/29/online-degrees-dont-impede-job-searches>.

Eitzen, Stanley. "THE ATROPHY OF SOCIAL LIFE." 2008. http://www.cabrillo.edu/~lroberts/TheAtrophyofSocialLife.pdf. Colorado State University. 30 Oct 2011. <http://www.cabrillo.edu/~lroberts/TheAtrophyofSocialLife.pdf>.

Helland, Jillian A. Peat/Katherine R. "The Competitive Advantage of Online versus Traditional Education." Paper. University of Tennessee, 2004. Online Submission, Paper presented at the Academy of Human Resource Development International Conference. 1 Nov 2011. <http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED492477.pdf>.

Hunter, Morgan. "Should You Hire A Cantidate With an Online Degree?" Morgan Hunter Corporate Search (2011). Blog from Corporate Headhunting Company. 1 Nov 2011. <http://blog.morganhunter.com/2011/06/hire-candidate-with-online-degree/>.

I. Elain Allen, Jeff Seaman. Class Differences: Online Education in the United States, 2010. The Sloan Consortium, 2010. Report. 23 Oct 2011. <http://sloanconsortium.org/publications/survey/pdf/staying_the_course.pdf>.

—. "Staying theCcourse, Online Education in the United States." Ongoing Study. The Sloan Consortium, 2008. 30 Oct 2011. <http://sloanconsortium.org/publications/survey/staying_course>.

Jeffries, Michael. Research in Distance Education. N/A, n.d. online article. 23 Oct 2011. <http://www.digitalschool.net/edu/DL_history_mJeffries.html>.

Kassop, Mark. "Ten Ways Online Education Matches or Surpasses Face to Face Education." 4 Nov 2005. Online Blog. 1 Nov 2011. <http://interwise.blogspot.com/2005/11/online-education-vs-traditional.html>.

Kim Parker, Amanda Lenhart and Kathleen Moore. "The Digital Revolution and Higher Education." Pew Reserach Center, 2011. Online report. 1 Nov 2011. <http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2011/08/28/the-digital-revolution-and-higher-education/>.

Meuter, Deborah Brown McCabe/Matthew L. "A Student View of Technology in the Classroom: Does It Enhance the Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education?" Journal of Marketing Education Aug 2011. Article in Journal of Marketing Education. 1 Nov 2011. <http://jmd.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/02/28/0273475311410847.abstract>.

Schoetz, David. "For-Profit Colleges Under Investigation." ABC News 19 Aug 2010. Online Article. 1 Nov 2011. <http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2010/08/forprofit-colleges-receive-f-in-ethics/>.

Tahmincioglu, Eve. "Online Colleges Earing Respect, to a Degree." 7 Sept 2008. Online Article. 1 Nov 2011. <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26458424/ns/business-personal_finance/t/online-colleges-earning-respect-degree#.TsGiH3I7zkY>.

Weber, Tom. "State audit finds lower completion rates, more dropouts among full-time online students." MPR News 19 Sept 2011. Online news report. 1 Nov 2011. <http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/09/19/state-auditor-online-classes-report>.