For those of you who are interested in this online class, I can truthfully tell you that it is a class that will provide you with an experience that is different from your average classroom experience. This is a class that studies learning, but through the course you will learn more about yourself than you will in any other. It teaches you self-discipline, communication skills, and most importantly, it shows you how to apply yourself to learning.

Let me start off by saying that this is not a class for everyone. Those who want to take the class must be adept at the Internet basics. This includes, using and browsing websites and checking email. If these requirements can be met, then you will have no problem fulfilling the requirements of the class.

If you decide to take the class, the first thing that will surprise you is the absence of a strict meeting time. What this means is that you can choose where and when you want to participate, as long as you have some connection to the Internet. You can participate at school, at home, at the library or even on the train at anytime that is convenient for you. Though it sounds like there is a lot of freedom, you will find out that this class will ask you to break your typical student habits of procrastination.

This class is demanding in that it asks for you to write. Every two weeks, there is a reflection due and every 4 weeks there is a 5-8 page paper due. These assignments are assigned at the beginning of the semester, so there is no excuse for late papers. If this seems like a lot, you are also asked to participate in the forums, adding in your thoughts and opinions on topics you and your peers bring up. Though this seems like a lot, don’t feel frightened by the work. Much of it is fun, and you will find that you can relate to the topics through your personal experiences.  Often you will find yourself browsing the forums and the website for fun, instead of feeling that the class is forced on you.

Another aspect of the class that will surprise you is how much you will learn by yourself. In a typical classroom, a professor lectures and guides a class through a topic but in this class, the opposite is true as students are set in motion by the professor’s guidance. Every two weeks, a mini-lecture is posted which asks us to explore a topic on our own. We give ourselves our own lectures and through the forums, we share our ideas. Most of the “talking” does not come from the professor but from you and your peers.

To give an overall evaluation of the class, I have to say that this was one of the most enjoyable classes of my semester. It was fun to contribute to discussions and to bring up topics that interested me. I liked seeing the class shift away from the professor and the topics were always enjoyable. I highly recommend this class to those who want to try something new.