UNLV Distance Education

Online versus Classroom Learning
Which is Best for You?

We’ve consulted online sources including universities, student groups, and the Princeton Review for the personality traits best suited for online learning. Take the quiz for help deciding whether you’re better suited to learning on campus or online.

**This quiz is taken and adapted from the May 2008 edition of Decision Times, the career and education monthly edition of Military Times.**

Question 1: Are you a self motivator?

A. I set goals, and I always reach them.
B. I’m extremely focused – on the things I enjoy.
C. The best thing about the school is there is always someone around to tell me what to do.

Question 2: Are you apt to communicate online?

A. I live for e-mail. Check out my blog!
B. Aren’t chat rooms for dating?
C. I closed my e-mail account the day my cousin forwarded me "20 funny things about cats."

Question 3: How do you best retain new information?

A. I remember everything I read.
B. Assigned reading is useful, and a little discussion really drives the information home.
C. My eyes start to gaze over after too much book work, but I’m a great listener.

Question 4: What’s your preferred method of interacting with others?

A. I prefer to express my ideas in writing, leaving as little as possible to interpretation.
B. I don’t mind chat rooms, but face-to-face discussion helps me gauge others’ meanings.
C. I’ll take a face to face, heated debate over a message board any day.

Question 5: Do you procrastinate?

A. Never. Worrying about a task is way worse than just doing the job.
B. Only if I can’t see the point of an assignment.
C. I thrive under last-minute deadline pressure.

Question 6: How well do you resist distractions?

A. Once I start a job, I can’t be distracted until it’s finished.
B. My family understands when I need quiet time. My friends still haven’t caught on.
C. Between school work and the kids, I’d pick the kids every time.

Question 7: Is the “traditional” college experience important to you?

A. I’m way past joining a fraternity or sorority. This is strictly about getting a degree.
B. Pep rallies, no. Study groups, maybe.
C. Tradition is important to me.

Question 8: What is your ideal learning environment?

A. I prefer a quiet, tidy office where I control the thermostat.
B. As long as there’s coffee, I can work anywhere.
C. The lab. I want to show my employer that I have practical, hands on experience.

Grading Scale:

If your score does not appear below, you can check your score yourself by following the grading rules below.

For every A, give yourself 20 points.
For every B, give yourself 10 points.
For every C, give yourself 5 points.

Total Points	Your result
40-80	you’re better suited to a traditional college experience.
80-120	You’re likely to be successful either on campus or online
120-160	an online degree is ideal for you.