Net230Week7Essay

During our NET320 class we got real world experience by performing hands-on labs that were provided my Cisco. We also performed virtual labs that were provided by the DeVry class shell using OP-Net IT guru. Being since we did both the hands on labs and virtual labs I can honestly say that I retained more knowledge and received far more experience over the recommended virtual labs. From my understanding and method of learning, being able to touch the equipment and physically set up a real world network helps me gain a better understanding of how the devices work and respond to commands. The main reasons for the superiority of the hands on labs is that the students will run into real world problems that will require real world troubleshooting . The student will have the opportunity to select the appropriate equipment and cables that they see fit, and not just given exactly what they need. By doing this it makes the student think of other possible solutions and personally find out the reasons why something works or not, instead of just following along the line painted for them.

The freedom of a hands-on lab invokes creativity and deeper analyzation of one's own actions. Students in a hands-on networking program will remember the material better, feel a sense of accomplishment when the task is completed, and be able to transfer that experience easier to other learning situations. Being able to physically touch and set up labs causes students to rely on the evidence instead of upon authority or a predetermined script. Through "On-line" degrees we continually graduate students who do not yet have the ability to set up a simple experiments with controlled variables, collect and interpret data, or make correct interpretations of data outputs.

Another important aspect of doing hands on labs is that it provides students with a similar set of experiences so everyone can participate in discussions on a level playing field. The students will be there for one...