Technology's benefit in schools

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With the advancement of technology throughout the past decade, education has taken steps in easier, more compatible directions.

With such a wide array of information, access and connection associated with the Internet, taking classes electronically have become a normal part of the college experience.
Such innovations did not exist 20 years ago and now that these options are available, professors and students are using the stability of working from home rather than doing exercises in the classroom.

In my opinion, taking an online class truly eliminates factors that may make a student hesitant to participate and applies a positive outlook on actions.

Typically, the act of physically getting up for class, preparing your books and organizing your school bag can be an annoyance when facing other obligations through the day.

Online classes allow students to do assignments, share ideas, write essays and even take tests all from the comfort of their own home whenever they are ready to.

I caught up with professor Beth Kanagy of the communication journalism department to better understand a different perspective of the subject.

“I think students can feel a little more relaxed when they’re doing online work,” Kanagy said, “I also believe online work bolsters what happens in the classroom, giving students much of the information they need to have success.”

The process of sharing important files, documents and readings online is much more efficient now for professors at universities around the country. The distribution of information so quickly can provide for faster updates, better communication and an overall productive relationship between the student and professor.

On the other hand there are classes like Spanish and mathematics that require an online access code from a textbook in order to pass their courses.

Such codes can cost a student $90 more than $100 for one-year of usage, putting pressure on those who may not be able to afford such luxuries.

Personally, I believe such a high cost for an access code is out of the question.

Students struggle to pay for meal plans, tuition, books, clubs, fraternities, sororities and other fees without these online codes.

The sheer debt these students are placed under is bad enough, so why not make codes more accessible, or at least lessen the price in order to get more students active in those classes?
Overall, Shippensburg University offers great online classes that are easily accessible for everyone, creating a healthy learning environment in the process.