Customer Reviews

A Classroom of One: How Online Learning is Changing our Schools and Colleges

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If you're looking for a good overview of the online learning industry, this is it. A thorough explanation of all of the issues and a good look at some of the key players. I particularly like how Maeroff compares online learning to other forms of distance learning -- mail, sattelite and other types of correspondence courses -- that have been around for years. So far, the Net has not overcome all of problems of distance learning -- as some supporters promised it would. But neither have online programs diminished the quality of instruction on a wide scale, as critics were sure it would. This is great background for anyone studing the issues of online learning.

As a current online student who has been an Internet user for the past 20 years, I found Gene Maeroff's "A Classroom of One" to be a fairly good overview of the different types of online learning. He discusses the various aspects of cyberlearning and tries to give an unbiased view showing both the pros and cons. The first few chapters gave some insightful information on online education but as the book progressed it seemed to lose its focus. I agree with one reviewer that this book is geared toward the professional educator, but it has good information for the novice as well.

Online learning is not for everyone. There is a certain amount of self-discipline involved. However, the convenience makes it particularly appealing to adult students who work full-time and could not attend regular campus classes. With good instructors and the right balance of technology and online interaction, it can be a rewarding and enlightening experience. "A Classroom of One" examines how different educational entities deal with the challenges and problems involved with cyber learning and how it is indeed changing the way teachers teach and learners learn.

I found Gene Maeroff's Classroom of One to be excellent reading. I recommend this book for anyone interested in understanding the many concerns and benefits of online learning as an alternative to educational choices.

What I most appreciated was the care Maeroff took in looking at the details of online learning from a non-biased perspective. Through deliberate focus on the aspects of this new educational choice Maeroff successfully informs the reader what to expect from the providers of online learning, as well as offering an honest look at the responsibility of the student to achieve the most from this type of educational system.

Classroom of One is the kind of book that supports both student's and parent's investigation and decision making regarding ways to get the best education based on individual student schedule and family needs. This is a book that is easy to read and leaves the reader feeling a better awareness of the many educational environments available within today's technological environment.

I have been working in and around the fields on information processing and science for over 30 years and have seen and heard all the hype about how the latest technology will completely overhaul learning, education, instruction, the academy and the student. The reality is that individuals do the learning an may (or may not) be aided by advances in information technology. Maeroff's work is exceptional in its coverage of the technological, social and educational aspects of learning and instructing, especially as it applies to "distance learning". In one, rather concise volume he covers the complete waterfront. I have incorporated this text as a primary source for the distance learning courses I teach.

Instruction, learning and the display of knowledge with the aid of information technologies is an entirely different matter than learning at a distance. If you want an example of truly distant learning, try sitting in the top row of an auditorium of several hundred students listing to a lecture.

J.J. Hayden
March 19, 2003

Gene Maeroff examines the challenges facing the future of online education. It has become increasingly popular in the last few years. Maeroff looks at the main issues confronting it. For instance, many people are concerned about the legitimacy of degrees earned online. Can people learn as well through the internet as they do in a classroom? Is the personal contact that students get in the classroom a vital part of the education process? Despite these problems, internet education is growing in popularity, not only for college students and professionals, but also for high school students as well. This book looks at how this is affecting the world of education, and it examines what problems face learners and instructors in implementing this new style of education.

Basically, Maeroff comes to the conclusion that online education is mostly suitable for professionals looking to improve their job skills. It's not very suitable for liberal arts students who need more personal contact to discuss abstract ideas or high school students who tend to have trouble motivating themselves to keep the schedule required for online study.

If you're looking for a guide to online programs, this is not the book for you. This book is for education professionals who want some insight into this new educational method, or for students who want to learn about online education from the inside perspective.

Being an online student for four years, I found Maeroff's book to be informative, especially the history of on-line learning, but a bit "deep" for the average reader. Hey, I am already sold on the benefits of long distance education! I would strongly recommend this book to students exploring the on-line education option and for parents who either home school or just want to learn more about the cyber learning experience.

The book "A Classroom of One" fairly outlines both the benefits and pitfalls of nontraditional learning, allowing the reader to make up their own mind regarding this topic.

To become a truly successful cyber student, a person must be organized and be able to work with minimal instruction, so needless to say, this form of higher education is not for everyone. But it is a perfect environment for those who work a full time job or for whatever reason cannot attend a traditional classroom environment. If this option were not available, many people would never be able to earn their degrees and advance within their chosen careers.

This book allows us to open our minds and challenge the more traditional learning methods and embrace technology and in ever changing world. Although the book explores many negative questions regarding on line degrees and certifications, it proves what I have always known - the rewards you reap depend on how hard you work, no matter the setting.

This book was quite informative concerning the history and evolution of online communication and learning. It is full of information that I would not have discovered had our professor not assigned it to us. I was unaware of many of the major advancements over the last twenty years or that online learning was even a concept in the 1970's. Though bits of it seem to meander over the same topics and say the same things, the book as a whole is quite effective in its mission to introduce online novices to the new "society" in which they are beginning to take part.

I know about online education,it does work, but it is not for everyone. One must be willing to work hard, as well as dish out alot of money when taking courses because the education one receives is not low priced, but in the end it is worth it. Rule number 1: Make sure that the school is accredited. Rule number 2: Know your computer well. Get this book. Recommended. Goodluck! Social prejudice does exist online. Regardless of what people say, it does exist. But this type of learning has more benefits than disadvantages.......

Gene Maeroff does an exceptional job of covering every aspect of online learning in this book. With technology comes change, and this book goes indepth into how online classes are impacting colleges and universities, giving professionals an alternative to the traditional classroom setting. Yet, Maeroff does not fail to inform the readers of the challenges that accompany online learning. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants a more indepth look at online learning.

This is a good book to read on the partial history of online learning. Maeroff is predicting that in the coming years Â"online courses will edge closer to the mainstream Â... so that eventually few distinctions will be made between courses taken online, courses taken in the classroom, and courses that incorporate attributes of both settingsÂ" (xii-xii). But Maeroff should have added URLÂ's for the reader to easily assess.