Online Mathematics courses: A New Paradigm in teaching and learning

Online education influences the educational process and the individual learners in different ways. As more and more colleges and universities embark on offering courses to geographically scattered populations of students, it is best to know how to create learning environments that engage students in interacting with one another while learning and applying the course material. It is certain that by re-organizing and adapting the ways materials are presented to students, instructors can create an environment in which knowledge retention is significantly increased; needless to say that such situation require the cooperation of students as well. One of the best methods to do so is to implement active learning. This means that instead of simply receiving information, students are receiving, participating and doing. It involves putting students in situations which compel them to read, think deeply, and write. Transition to an online course that focuses on active learning requires attention to planning and organization. An interactive online learning environment requires an integrated design rather than a collection of disconnected and unrelated learning activities