Online Court Reporting Classes

BY KAY MOODY

Distance education for court reporters has arrived, and it is highly effective in developing the skills and knowledge students need so they can work as a judicial reporter, a CART reporter, or broadcast captioner. With today’s high cost for a college education, more and more students in all academic disciplines are discovering that the only way they can afford to get a college education is to enroll in distance education courses or, in other words, courses taught over the Internet.

A few years ago, the typical college student enrolled in post-secondary colleges and universities immediately upon graduation from high school, and mom and dad paid for all or most of the bill. That scenario is no longer true. Each year, the number of women who enter post-secondary education increases, and many of them take classes while working and caring for a home and family. The term “traditional college student” is being redefined, as is “traditional college.” Today, all major colleges and universities teach courses over the Internet. In the near future, average college students in America will take one or all of their course requirements online. Many students will never set foot on a college campus, but they will graduate ready to enter the workforce in their chosen professions.

There are many advantages to online courses. From students’ viewpoints, the biggest advantage is convenience and cost. Students can attend classes at home or at work during hours that fit into busy work, family, and social schedules. Students enrolled in online courses save considerably on commuting and childcare, as well as not having to adjust work schedules.

Online students are extremely positive and upbeat. Instructors and administrative staff members accomplish interaction with online students through discussion boards, virtual classrooms, chat rooms, and e-mails. Students and staff members are in daily communication with each other in one form or another. Students go out of their way to help each other, to share study tips, and to give each other a pat on the back. They share inspirational stories, secrets to success, study hints, and personal family situations.

In general, distance education students tend to be mature, to have strong academic and professional backgrounds, and to be very dedicated students. Many have experience in the legal field or have previously attended court reporting school. Some students work full time as court reporters who use electronic recording or other means of making a record. They’ve enrolled in online classes to become a realtime court reporter, frequently at the urging of their judges. Others plan to go into broadcast captioning or CART reporting.

Research indicates that many online students complete part of their assignments at work and the rest at home. Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays are the most popular days for submitting assignments, and many requirements are transmitted late at night — long after the average instructor has called it a day.

In conclusion, distance learning is an excellent way of educating people for a variety of professions. Because of the requisite technology used by court reporters, online courses are an ideal way for gaining the required court reporting skills and knowledge. 

Choosing a School

The first step in selecting an online program is to contact the schools that offer their court reporting programs online. Depending on their needs, students should find out if they can complete all the academic skills and requirements needed to be a reporter. Prospective online students need to research what is available in the marketplace so they can make an educated decision in selecting a school that meets their needs. Choosing the right school is the first step in succeeding in an online program.
 

1. Schools vary. Some schools offer individual courses for credit or a complete program online. Prospective students should check to see if the school meets state and national accreditation criteria.
    

2. Online courses should have the same course content as onsite courses. Court reporting students should attend an online court reporting school that offers all the academic, skill, and speed development that is needed to be a working reporter.
    

3. Performance and learning objectives should be the same for both methods of delivery. Dictation tests should be administered and graded regularly in an online program.
    

4. If the tuition and credits awarded for a given course are the same for online and onsite courses, then classroom contact hours should also be the same. Instructors must demonstrate that hours are closely monitored.
    

5. Class policies, such as grading criteria, attendance, and testing, should be comparable to onsite courses.
    

6. Instructor qualifications and experience should be equal to those for onsite instructors.

Skills Online Students Need

Prospective online students should not confuse online courses with correspondence or home study classes. Online students are required to be in structured classes for a specific number of hours, and they are required to complete homework assignments and specific skills and competencies each academic term. Prospective online students need to have the following qualifications and basic skills before enrolling in Internet-based classes:

1. Online students need to have basic computer skills and a familiarity with technology because most of the class work, interaction with instructors and other students, and skill development takes place online.
    

2. Online students must be self-directed and goal-oriented. Because students can access most classes any time during the week, they must have excellent self-discipline skills so that minor interruptions do not prevent them from completing course requirements and progressing in an appropriate amount of time.
    

3. Online students must be organized. Teachers are not standing in front of online students telling them where something is located or reminding them when to complete specific learning criteria.
    

4. Online students need to be able to follow directions. Because learning online is a new concept for most students enrolled in Internet-based courses, students have to follow detailed directions explaining how and when to complete assignments.
    

5. Online students must develop and be dedicated to sticking to a detailed time-management schedule. They must organize their work, family, and social schedules so that they meet specific online obligations every day. A chronic procrastinator will have difficulty succeeding in an online program.
    

6. Online court reporting students must plan to devote as much time as or more time than onsite students on skill- and speedbuilding activities. The time saved by being an online student is not from spending less time on school work; it is from not having to commute to campus, to wait for classes to begin, to be interrupted or distracted by other students, or to find that an instructor cancel class at the last minute. Time is also saved because online students are in class at their most productive time of the day, whether it’s 6 a.m. or 6 p.m.

Kay Moody, an MCRI, is the founder and director of the College of Court Reporting in Hobart, Ind.