By: Hailey Miller, SFU Student
SFU needs to reimplement more online courses into the academic calendar. The majority of courses shifted to an online delivery mode at the start of the pandemic, allowing for flexibility with course schedules. Virtual courses provide students with better time management and reduced accessibility barriers. That’s not to mention the stress of having to commute to campus on a regular basis, wasting gas, or transit fares. I would know these things, as I’m one of those students who thrives when it comes to distance education and online courses.
There are many pros to having an abundant selection of online courses to choose from. Online courses give students more options when planning course schedules. This eliminates time commuting between campuses, which reduces course conflicts and time gaps between classes. It’s nice to have more academic flexibility and the freedom to choose your courses without the added barrier of scheduling conflicts.
Regarding accessibility, some students have difficulty manoeuvring around campus, especially during extreme weather conditions. Online courses eliminate this barrier, along with any potential struggles accessing transit. Some students also have medical priorities outside of their studies. These are often difficult to schedule around classes, especially when appointment times are limited. Attending to health matters such as chronic pain and medical conditions can make course scheduling, completion, and regular in-person attendance quite arduous. Online courses allow for more flexibility around these priorities.
When it comes to the online environment, I enjoy asynchronous courses the most, as this mode allows studies and assignments to be completed on my own time. I also enjoy the flexibility of not having to chalk out a designated time to get my work done.
Having more options is always the better idea — at least when it comes to course scheduling, planning, and availability. Obviously, taking online courses isn’t for everyone, and that’s OK! I have to admit, I like taking in-person courses, too. The socialization factor plays a role in this — I don’t want to be a student hermit all the time. That said, the above-listed limitations with in-person courses are still problematic. Having more distance education options available on a regular basis — occurring each semester — is non-negotiable.
Some courses might work better in an online environment than others, and there are many courses and programs that work seamlessly when given online options. When it comes to some laboratory or studio formats, online delivery might be more challenging, but it’s certainly not impossible, as we’ve seen from our previous online endeavours. The university already has the technological resources to run more online courses. Courses that are heavily lecture-based (like arts, social sciences, and communication) can easily be shifted to an online format.
Course scheduling is difficult enough. Having more available online courses allows for better flexibility, greater academic successes, and hopefully, a more positive university experience. I, for one, would very much appreciate a significant increase in available online course options, and I know many other students would, too.
