I don’t know whether my students pay any attention to the required readings in this online English class that I teach. Or “teach.” I did not design the course. I do not get to choose the primary resources or readings for the course. All I get to do is participate in the discussion thread, the topics of which I do not get to choose. I get to post announcements, in which I am allowed to offer supplementary resources. I am quite sure students ignore these for the most part. And I get to grade and give feedback on their work.
Truth be told, it is this part, the feedback on their written work, where the real teaching in the class actually takes place. That is, if there is any real teaching in the class that takes place.
They insist that instructors have at least a masters degree in the subject area of the course they teach. I have a doctorate. Quite frankly, a below average high school English teacher who cared at all to do this job well could do it as well or better than most people who currently are doing it, I am quite sure.
The course seems intentionally designed to make it impossible for any student who completes the assignments—no matter how poorly—to fail. The course design makes it impossible to deliver a truly great course. But it probably also makes it impossible to deliver a complete clunker or disaster of a course.
Unless this is the only possible way for you to get a college education, I would not recommend it.
