A recent survey of 186 UNA students indicated that 48 percent of those surveyed have taken four or more online classes.

The survey also indicated that only 7 percent of students marked having never taken an online class before.

“When a student takes an online course and has a positive experience, as many of our students do here at UNA, they see how convenient it is to complete assignments and exams by the instructor’s deadlines but on their daily/weekly schedule,” said Bonnie Coats, coordinator of Distance Learning Outreach at UNA via email. “Having this positive experience encourages students to take more online courses.”

The survey was conducted online by Distance Learning services in order to get a better understanding of the online learning experience, said Brenda Wilson, also a coordinator of Distance Learning. UNA held a Distance Learning and Technology Conference last week, after which Wilson said she would write up the results in a formal report.

“There’s really not one answer as to why students take more than one online class — the reasons are pretty varied from student to student,” Wilson said (via email). “It is sometimes just a matter of scheduling — a student might choose to take an online class because of conflicts in face-to-face classes or because of work or family obligations.”

Wilson said the demand for online classes has increased, meaning more classes will be offered in the future.

“Some students take online classes because they are truly ‘distant’ distance learning students — it’s simply too far to drive to campus or they prefer to limit their drive as much as possible,” Wilson said. “Some students prefer online classes because they are independent learners who like the online environment. Some students may take a class online because it’s only offered online.”

Corbett Kessler, a junior at UNA, has taken multiple classes online. He said he took his first online class because it was the only form of the class available.

“In other cases I take them for convenience,” he said. “They are a good alternative to face-to-face classes when you have multiple responsibilities other than class such as a job.”

Kessler said he knows many other students who take online classes and believes their reasons often vary from wanting more credit hours to laziness.

“I think most students take them because that is one less class they don’t have to wake up and go,” he said. “I haven’t seen very many other benefits personally. I feel like I do not learn as much in online classes and typically do the bare minimum to get by.”

Justin Lynch, also a junior at UNA, said he has taken six online classes while at UNA and strongly encourages other students to take courses online.

“Most online classes don’t require nearly as much time or work,” Lynch said. “You do an assignment weekly or every other week and then take a test. I’m currently taking three courses online and I enjoy them.”