WTOC, Savannah, Georgia, news, weather and sports | Online Classes Benefit Full-time Students
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Andrea Bailey uses computers a lot as she studies sound design full time at the Savannah College of Art and Design. But she says it's really about the art. "It's much more art than it is science, I mean sometimes I feel like I'm a trained monkey when it comes to just using [computer equipment]," she told us. "You learn what works for you, what's a good technique for you, but it really just comes down to understanding the gear that you're working with and how it operates, and the rest of it is all artistic."
Now she even has to use computers for her contemporary art class, since she does all of the coursework over the internet. It's called distance learning, or as SCAD has it, e-Learning.
"Initially it was not my first choice, said Bailey. "I had some reservations about taking an online course. Obviously it was a new subject matter. I'd never taken an online course before."
Circumstances left her with no other choice. "I actually ended up having to take an online course because I received a scholarship from the school as well, which means that I had to maintain full-time status, taking three courses...the third course that I needed conflicted with one of my prerequisites that's being held on campus that's not being offered online."
Now, she has this to say: "But it's really turned out to be what should have been my first choice."
While students who aren't in Savannah have a pretty obvious reason to take advantage of distance learning, more and more local students with busy lifestyles are finding this another way to get the job done.
Also busy with a half-time job, Bailey enjoys the flexibility of working at her own pace online. "The quality of the course content is wonderful," she said. "And for a student that is self-motivated, that can get online and make sure that they're keeping up with their studies, it really is a great forum."
She says she still can get to know her virtual classmates from around the country, and around the world. "You really just kind of know them and get to know their personalities by whatever name they have online, but you really over the course of time get to know the students' personalities, I wouldn't say...better--but as well, in a different way."
It's everything contemporary art, but on her own time, and on terms she's used to. "In this day and age, e-learning is a great option for a lot of students because most people in our culture are using the internet," she said.
Reported by: Charles Gray, cgray@wtoc.com
