Advice for Online Classes at Marist
Marist offers its students a wide variety of different online classes to take, ranging in all different majors and minors. Photo by Lex Photography via Pexels
Whether you love them or hate them, online classes have become an increasingly popular option for college courses. Online classes allow students to take classes from anywhere.
Many may think of online classes as a last resort developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some students enjoyed them because they provided more flexibility, others did not because they could not focus. Regardless of transitioning back to in-person learning, most colleges continue to offer online classes.
A recent Forbes study revealed a significant surge in colleges and universities offering online courses after the pandemic. A drastic increase in online education was observed in the fall of 2022, with 54% of college students enrolled in at least one online course, a nearly 50% increase from the 2019 academic year. The study also found that online classes tend to be fast-paced and cheaper, which may be the main reason a lot of students are choosing to take online classes.
Marist College offers several online classes for introductory courses, select electives, as well as for various professional programs.
Online classes can be stressful due to the lack of interaction between the professor and their peers. Marist alumnus and criminal justice professor Sarah DeLucca has been teaching online classes since 2018. This semester, she is teaching Introduction to Criminal Justice.
DeLucca keeps her students engaged by using PowerPoint slides and providing check-in assignments to view student progress. She uses the data to tailor her future lectures and assignments based on where each student is when it comes to understanding and applying the concepts taught in class.
DeLucca said she understands the overwhelming experience of taking an online class. “Not all students are criminal justice majors, so I try to keep the lessons relevant,” she said.
Most professors have important deadlines on their syllabi. “When most of your classes are in-person, it is easy to forget about an assignment for that one online class,” DeLucca added. When approaching any online course, DeLucca encouraged students to be mindful and keep track of deadlines, “especially if it is during the middle of the week."
As a Marist alumnus herself, DeLucca uses an online calendar to keep track of her assignments and events. DeLucca noted that the hardest part about teaching an online course is the lack of face-to-face interactions. She strongly recommends students take advantage of office hours and reach out if they have questions or find themselves struggling with an assignment.