by Janet Gubbins
What’s so special about being involved in online education? Quite simply, the students. They are often an exciting mix of traditional and non-traditional, bringing a wealth of experience and different perspectives that bring to life my American Government class discussion board. They come from various states, other countries, cultures, and socio-economic backgrounds. Since there are no geographic limitations online, many location-based stereotypes truly disappear. The students are more likely to be very diverse in political beliefs and socialized experiences. They represent left-wing, right-wing, and everything in between, making for exciting debates on a wide-range of hot topic issues. Some argue for more equality and others for more freedom, with the majority coming to the conclusion that one really can’t have one without the other. The younger students worry about ISIS, while the older ones compare the fear to what they experienced as children being taught to hide under their desks when the air raid sirens went off. While some students voice their concern over federal financial aid, others are more concerned with veteran’s benefits, Social Security, or immigration laws. The nurses worry about healthcare reform while the nursing moms worry about education.
Since we are not tied to a traditional classroom’s time limitation, everyone has an equal chance to share their opinions and learn from one another’s unique perspective. Self-proclaimed introverts suddenly have a voice. Fresh out of high school students are awed as they learn firsthand from a classmate who describes the sadness that enveloped the nation when Kennedy was shot, the anguish of civil rights struggles, or the excitement felt when the Berlin Wall fell. Students have been moved to tears by the stories of their military veteran classmates’ descriptions of what it’s really like to be on the ground fighting a war and return to a nation they sometimes feel has failed them. Some students changed their position on immigration policies or whether they will vote or not in the next election, solely based on the atrocities and injustice some of their classmates’ families faced in their native countries.
By teaching online and working to support online students and faculty, I can make a real difference in the lives of many students for whom online education is their only option: There was the mom who was terminally ill and yet trying to earn her college degree before she passed away because she wanted to set an example for her middle school children; the young US Army veteran who was severely injured when shrapnel took his eyesight but remained stubbornly optimistic; the single working mom who stayed up late every night so that she could complete her work after the kids went to bed; and the youth who wanted to better himself while serving time in a detention center.
There are plenty of articles listing other advantages of teaching online. But, for me, it’s all about the students.
Janet Gubbins is senior director of UWG Online.
