Description: While faculty worry about the quality of online courses, the truth is that our education system, primarily designed to test rote memorization, is built to scale and be independent of teacher interaction.
Source: techcrunch.com
Date: Jan 15, 2013
Today, the largest university system in the world, the California State University system, announced a pilot for $150 lower-division online courses at one of its campuses — a move that spells the end of higher education as we know it. Lower-division courses are the financial backbone of many part-time faculty and departments (especially the humanities). As someone who has taught large courses at a University of California, I can assure readers that my job could have easily been automated. Most of college–the expansive campuses and large lecture halls–will crumble into ghost towns as budget-strapped schools herd students online. Read Rest of Story
Questions for discussion:
1. What is the premise of the article in regards to the future of on-line education?
2. What are the drivers pushing on-line education forward?
3. Is this on-line method one that you personally would benefit from?
Info Systems in Practice 
I feel that I would not benefit strongly from a online education, as I am used to the direct student to teacher teaching method that I have experienced all my life. I am currently taking an all online course, and feel lost as I am not used to working primarily on the computer without direct instruction. I am experienced in technology and run a business primarily online, but I still enjoy the classical education model. That being said, perhaps this is being pushed as a cheaper and more profitable model of education for the masses, and it may offer opportunities to those who cannot afford regular tuition but are bright and willing to learn. I do worry that an already flooded grad market will be further enlarged by graduates that have online pieces of paper, that may or may not be less useful than regular degrees in this prolonged economic downturn.
Online courses has just recently emerged and its gradually competing with the traditional college/ university. As time pass by, online education will continue to grow but in my own opion, universities or college will still be preferable to many people rather than online education.
Definitely there are both advantages and disadvantages in both online and college courses. Online courses saves time and energy especially tuition paid by students because it is cheaper than going to college. However, it’s not only about getting a degree or a future job, many people who take most or all of their classes online are more disadvantaged in social life or sharing experiences with ther people. Going to a college is not only for studying. Though our primary goal is to get a good education, there is more to life than just books.
There are some drivers that push this online education forward like working adults who wants to get a second or another degree. Many of them prefer online courses so they can both I balance their work, personal life and school life together because online education is more flexible. Some teenagers/ youths that had a bad experience in high scho will probably prefer to do online courses.
I would benefit less from online courses than the traditional courses. I prefer the physical teaching style mode rather than hearing a voice teach. It is also beneficial if a student needs help form their friends or professors. You learn everyday from people’s experiences, presentations and generally the world around you.
The premise of this article is that with the aid of technology now people can take online courses, they dont have to go to lecture rooms. This way of teaching students has its own advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are that online courses saves time instead of waking up early in the morning going for class one can just stay home and do their school work online. They are some people who go to work and are willing to takes courses too, this will be the best way for them to learn and achieve what they want in future. they can go to work during the day and at their own time do their online studies.
Online studies have drawbacks too. Not every student understands the context of the course through the web, some students like me understand better when there is a teacher standing in front of them giving out information to them and explaining stuff too. It is easier when one goes to class in case you have questions to ask. the questions will be asked immediately unlike online studies one has to send an email and wait till the instructor replies. Some students will decide to be lazy and decide not to do their online assignments, some need to be pushed every time hence going to class will be a good idea to them, while some forget about the deadlines of their assignments going to class will help them as the instructor will be reminding them of the due dates.
I believe that once an individual has finished high school he/ she is responsible enough to know whats good for them hence when one is responsible it wont be a bad idea for them to take online classes.
The premise behind this article is that online education is going to become the wave of the future and that it is going to drown out several aspects of many collages and universities. Due to increasing advancements in technology, the argument is made that one can learn just as adequatley if not better from online sources than from face to face interaction. The idea that online education studies have found in some cases that online students have performed better in online settings than in class. Most likley due to the fact that it requires less commitment in having to attend class and participate and social introverts dont have to deal with that element of conflict and communication. Also that it would be cheaper enrollment for the students part and also would save the schools money on having to pay instructures to teach all the class sections. The argument being that everyone would benefit from learning better convieniantley and saving everyone a little bit of money. I dont think I would personally benefit from this type of program, and alot of others wouldnt. Alot of the learning I get from my management classes is team oriented work that requires class participation and fellow student interaction. That element is lost with online classes. Also being able to acquire help and extra detail from an online instructor is really not possible or as effective as being able to seek help from a walking breathing profesor who cares about his students, I think the eleement of care for individual students education is lost in this movement and is really focusing on saving dollars more so than increasing the quality of education. I would also like to see online classes that teach students how to be automotive mechanics and carpenters. I seriously doubt that that type of online degree would have much credibility in the global workplace.
Personally, I would prefer online classes to scheduled face-to-face lectures for some type of classes. One is able to watch the lecture or cover the material at a desired pace and time of day, which theoretically sets the individual up for success! The statistics are behind this movement, although, it would be nice to see the methods section and more about the participants themselves. Some material that is covered in undergrad is excruciatingly simple and straight-forward where you feel as though you are dragging yourself to class. I believe there are numerous drivers for the online-course movement, such as convenience and ease of access (you can do it from your couch in pjs!), that will continue to propel this forward.
As a student my only concern would be whether or not these courses will contribute to an accredited degree. If they would be an equivalent of any other university course, I would definitely register for many. Too many benefits would outweigh the cons. Also, in response to the dwindling number of TA’s and students registered for their masters, I don’t think that will be an issue. Our society is placing a higher and higher value on higher levels of education, therefore, there still will be students studying for their masters. It will just become an issue of universities having to redesign their budgets or the individuals in those programs relying more on loans to cover expenses; most TA’s don’t get paid fantastic amounts of money anyway!
Could online education replace the formal style of education we have today? No I don’t believe so. As a student who has experienced what it is like to do online education having done a few distance learning courses in high school I know that it is a very un-ideal form of education. It was a lot harder to learn and I found I was less motivated to study, do assignments and homework in a timely matter because I had no one telling me what needed to be done and when it needed to be done. I feel like the drivers push this online education is the high tuition costs of in class education, the increasing class sizes, the dwindling class sizes and the low graduation rate. The fact that only 48% of entrants have graduated from this university is something that’s wrong with that school and not necessarily the style of the education system. I personally do not believe I would benefit from this style of education system. For the reasons I mentioned above and because I prefer the hands on fast paced style of a traditional college or university learning environment. I feel like you could learn in one hour with a teacher in a lecture what you could teach your self in 3 hours. The online environment doesn’t have as much authority as I would need to benefit, learn or be motivated to learn.
With the more and more expensive tuition, courses, and a large number of the potential students who want to finish their college, on-line education seems to be a useful way to solve this problem. In my opinion, the on-line education has its advantages and disadvantages. First,some students are working while they are having school, so the regular troditional education are not suitable for them. if they can choose the on-line courses, they will have more freedom to arrange their studying time according to their own schedule. Second, with the growth of the tuition, more people would like to choose the on-line course to save some money, becouse many students they are earning their tuition by themselves, and we know that is not that easy. For the disadvantage, since the students are not having classes face to face with the teacher, they will not get their problems about the courses immediately, or i think some of the students will forget what they want to ask after class.
TThe premise of this article is that in a short time online teaching will be the main form of teaching for university and college students. The reason why online classes seem to become more popular than the traditional sense of face-to-face teaching is because of the lower tuition rate as well as the higher percentage of students getting better grades. Also based on the fact that there are 300 students that can be enrolled in a class this exceeds the amount that many students see today. This would allow students to be better able to get into the class that they would like to.
I think that there are advantages and disadvantages to online education. One major disadvantage that is apparent is that without the face-to-face traditional standard then who is going to help you through the material you don’t understand. Is this going to go as far as having a Professor doing webcast or skyping to answer the questions that the students have? One of the advantages that is present is that this would allow students to have a job but also be going to school at the same time because everything is set to their own pace. As well as the tuition payments are not as high so the students would not have to pay as much money to get their education. I think that for myself I would not benefit because I like to have a Professor I can ask questions too if I do not understand the material and it is more personalized to have the traditional style.
I think that I, as a management student, could benefit and lose out from taking online courses. There would be many beneficial factors that would help me out. Like the article states, taking a course would not be as expensive, saving me some money. And I’m sure every student has also had to endure a professor that may teach a very routinely boring class that almost makes you not want to go to the class. If the online lecture was a podcast and not just streamed so you had to watch it at a specific times, you could spend more time working on other homework or other class material that may have more importance then the online class, and then just watch it right when you have available time. This may also not be as beneficial for me in some ways. One way that it might not be beneficial is because you don’t get the class experience. The professor may go over a question, and if you do not understand, you simply cannot raise your hand and ask the professor to possibly help you. And if you are going into a career that requires you to have good social skills, this may make yourself less social and willing to meet new people. Another way it might not be beneficial is because if you are like me, I get distracted very easily. If I was to watch this in my room, I would be doing a thousand other things, and miss most of the online lecture.
The premise of this article in regards to the future of online education is that it will replace the typical college experience. Students will begin to flood these online classes instead of enrolling in colleges. It is broken down into 2 main reasonings; firstly cost and secondly statistics.
Cost is definitely a key point in why these online classes are such a threat to on campus classes. Thousands of students are in great amounts of debt due to high tuition, textbooks, parking passes, etc. These online classes are being offered for substantially less at $150.
The other key point is that the online education has a high passing rate. According to the article more than 50% of entering students do not meet basic requirements and only 48% graduate from SJSU. The article than goes to state that when blending the SJSU classes with the online education offers the number of sudents who recieved a C or lower was reduced by 31%.
These two reasons are extremely appealing to me as a student. If someone told me I was able to take the same courses and get the same degree for a fraction of the cost with a better chance of passing it would be impractical for me not to consider it. It comes down to personal preference. I personally would not benefit from this online opportunity just because I learn better face-to-face. It is pointed out that there will be a range of mentoring and monitoring services, but it does not compare to having an actual person there for me. There are many people who might learn better from home, looking at a computer, but I am not one of them. Not only do I get distracted easily by outside influence I also do not want the option of Youtubing while taking a class that impacts my future.
The points made in this article highlight many advantages of online education, pointing out many threats for campus based classes. Technology is a part of our every day lives, it only makes sense our education would recognize that. Certainly the “typical college experience” will take a new shape, On campus and Online will have to find a balance to suit the needs of all students.
The main premise of this article the transition of higher education from a lecture theatre located on a college or university campus, to the computer. It seems that there are many drivers pushing towards this trend. First is cost. The cost to run such an academic program would incur far less overhead then the traditional methods of post-secondary learning. Fewer teachers would be needed, less physical infrastructure would be needed, and less physical facilities employees would be needed. The costs go way down overall for the institution. Also the cost for the students go down in suit with the lower operating overhead of the institution. Second, it seems from the studies that have gone into this pilot that academic performance improves with this method of teaching. I would personally benefit from and enjoy this method of learning. I am not a fan of traditional post-secondary education. I feel there is a lot of unneeded filler added in an effort for the “business designed to make money”(the school) to make more money. I also feel that the difficulties associated with teaching styles of certain teachers and the learning styles of certain students would be done away with. For example in the traditional setting if a student was taking a class with a particular instructor and was having difficulty learning from the instructors teaching style, there typically is not much to be done, especially if the instructor was the only one to be teaching that specific course. In this new method of learning, it seems that such problems could be done away with, especially if access to a database of recorded lectures were provided.
The premise of the article is stating that the future of face-to-face education will become obsolete and on-line education is a more affordable with higher grade results. The author states that an online course will be $150 oppose to the hundreds of dollars spent to attend a class at a college or university. The author also states that due to enrollment of online classes that there will be a decrease in the needed faculty to run secondary education facilities. This will lead to school cuts such as arts programs and extra circular.
I think that there are both advantages and disadvantages to taking classes online, but I do not think that online classes will take over face-to-face education. An advantage of online classes would be the schedule for students that want to continue working full-time. This would allow them to take needed class that could fit in their schedule and earn a degree to advance in the workplace. I think that the major disadvantage would be the socialization issues developing amongst youth. It is becoming a growing trend to speak less and less to each other and interact with a computer or even text messaging. This is creating problems in the work place where people need to collaborate and work together because these are valuable skills that are learned through interacting in other students and teachers in a face-to-face class atmosphere.
The premise of this article is that in the future online education will replace in class education. This is only possible because many intro or lower level classes are designed to be based on rote memorization meaning that the professor as a medium for education is not necessary. One of the main drivers that are helping online classes gain in popularity and use is the cost. In the article an online course costs only $150 per course. In comparison to take the same courses in a classroom setting it can cost a student thousands of dollars before the finish their education. Another driver pushing students to use online courses over traditional classes is a higher rate of students completing the course with a passing grade. In the article it was stated 31 per cent more students using the online course passed with a C or higher than the same course when done in a classroom setting. As for if I would personally benefit from taking an online course. This is because I am currently in small classes which are personally engaging. Those who tend to take online classes are in those classes which are large and tend to be depersonalized and where the professors do not tend to learn their name.
The article states that in the future only a small percentage of students will want face-to-face university education and many will choose on-line courses. This will lead fewer students to obtain PhD’s and master’s because there won’t be any need for professors teaching in universities face-to-face. On-line courses are cheaper than the traditional method of attending university classes in lecture halls. The article also says that fewer enrollments will be seen in the arts and humanities department while science department will see increased enrollment. The driver for this ‘wave of the future’ is an increase in the success of students who are taking courses online compared to the traditional methods. There seems to have a relationship between on-line education and improved grades. I have personally taken a few online courses and have done well. The course I took involved discussion boards that we had to participate in everyday, thus making professor and student interaction possible. The final exam was written physically in a classroom so there has to be some sort of physical interaction between the professor and the students and not everything can be on-line. Through taking courses on-line does enable a student to be flexible if they are working part-time. They can manage their time and study whenever convenient.
The article is stating that the future will see an increase in on-line courses, an increase to the point that only a small percentage of students will attend college or university in the traditional sense – face-to-face. This has been suggested by the author due studies that show many students succeed more when attending post secondary education through online learning. On-line learning will also be more cost-effective for students and will likely result in more students completing their education. The article discusses how increased on-line learning will lead to faculty lay-offs, school closures, reduced extracurricular activities, less humanities and arts departments, and increases to science enrollments. This will also lead to fewer students obtaining their master’s and PhD’s.
I believe that the on-line method may work well for some classes for some people and not well for others. Education is not only to test for rote memory but is also to help prepare students for their future careers. If a student is looking at a career where people skills will be very important and their entire education is received on-line, they may be missing out on some key learning opportunities.
I personally would not benefit from on-line learning. I have had some great professors who are very good at what they do and teach with excitement. Learning on-line would not offer the same benefits as the classroom experience. I would also think that it would be a shame to see extracurricular activities eliminated. Student athletes learn a great deal from participating at a college or university level. College and University sports are also a great way to bring together a school, the fans, and the community.
The premise of this article is that on-line education will become the ‘wave of the future’. This article states that on-line education will quickly become the norm once a school experiences a successful on-line learning experience. The drivers pushing on-line education are numerous. On-line is cheaper than traditional post-secondary education. It is also structured to be able to work with and around the students life. If the student works, has a family, or has anything come up suddenly, it is very easy for them to work their education around their lives and situations.
The on-line method however, is not one that I would choose for my educational purposes. This is because the dropout rate for on-line courses and education is 50% and I would not want to risk that. Another reason why I would not utilize an on-line education is because the student does not get the interaction with peers and professors. It makes it more difficult to experience normal relationships in a very important time in an individual’s life when they are exploring and learning with other people in the same situation. Being able to do school at home would limit the interactions that students would have with their peers and getting help from professors and asking questions would be much more difficult. For these reasons, I do not believe that on-line courses would be beneficial for me.
I think that online education is a wonderful opportunity for the next generations of students but it can also become a threat if it’s not use rightly. First of all, I believe that putting course of well-known professors on the Internet can be a good way to spread the knowledge. We all know that the education system in the world has the tendency to be elitist. This kind of new education can allow all young people of the world (who have access to Internet) to learn from prestigious teachers without paying huge fees.
However, I don’t think that all the courses of a curriculum can be given through Internet. For example, it’s seems not possible to make scientific exercises without needing any help or additional explanation from a teacher. I also take with a lot of cautious the information that e-learning brings better results than traditional teaching. Indeed, in my university I have the possibility to learn some of my course on Internet and for some of them, I have some difficulties to study it without traditional presentation.
I am also a little bit afraid about the fact that this kind of teaching will become predominant in the future. As I have already said, I don’t think that online education is convenient for all students and for all courses. It can bring to the situation where some students will keep some educational deficiencies without getting the opportunity to delete them because no teacher will be there to help them. In fact, I believe that this kind of education can be favorable if it’s uses as support of traditional teaching or if it’s available for everybody for free.
The premise of the article that the author is attempting to promote is the idea of online education and how it is, and will eventually develop into a phenomenon, as the traditional face-to-face lectures diminish and become obsolete in post-secondary institutions. Increasing tuition rates, poor academic achievement, budget difficulties, and positive feedback from online education pilot projects are some of the contributing factors driving the practice of online education.
Personally, I would not benefit at all with the concept of online education; particularly because of the social aspect. How the hell are you supposed to meet new people and develop relationships?! Post-secondary institutions have a cornucopia of activities, events, and people that should be explored by students. Honestly, if I just stay at home all day with my computer it would discourage me to get out and be active. University is one of the best parts about life, and it would be detrimental to have to miss out on social opportunities such as hands-on experience in the classroom, socializing and meeting new friends. And on top of that, universities are filled with amazing professors who have real world experience and who want to help students succeed with their life after university. Overall, online education appears that it will be come a thorn to one’s social life, and will impair one’s ability to understand the real world and all of its complexities.
From my point of view, there is definitely an unethical dilemma in this case. It is not so much that outsourcing is unethical, because it’s actually quite wise in most situations, but for the simple reason that Bob was cheating the system entirely. Bob was being dishonest to his organization by continually telling them that he was the one doing the work when in fact he was not responsible even though the work that was getting done was excellent. He was making vast amounts of money off of someone else, and not doing any of the work.
There are major benefits to outsourcing as a company. If outsourcing is done ethically and responsibly, it can significantly reduce costs and allow more time for things that the organization is more constructive with. Outsourcing can greatly increase the productivity of a firm and as a result increase profits. With that being said, there are also major drawbacks and severe ethical concerns if a company is outsourcing such as Bob did by outsourcing his work to China without the organizations consent and other examples such as Nike and their outsourcing projects to third world countries. The other major pitfall of outsourcing a product or service is that the origin company has limited to no control over the final product and this in itself may lead to further issues.
The author of the article is suggesting that brick and mortar universities are about to become obsolete–to be replaced by online tutorials. There are several drivers behind this including: sky-high tuition rates; poor retention and average academic achievement; budget problems; and positive feedback from pilot projects.
To be brutally honest, this article made me puke in my mouth. I, for one, would definitely not have even considered university if I had to take it online. I can’t think of anything more depressing than plugging away at a computer by myself all day. One of the main things that makes university appealing to most people is the social aspect of it. Going to university facilitates the creation of lifelong friendships and business connections. This social interaction also helps individuals develop a superior emotional intelligence that will serve them well throughout their life. If classes were online, most kids would probably stay living at home while doing their classes. This would stunt their development, as they could rely on mom and dad to do everything for them well into their 20’s. They would also miss out on the clubs, fitness facilities, concerts, and parties that go along with University.
I can’t even express how much disdain I have for the thought of online universities. I realize that online classes would save me a great deal of money, but the non-monetary benefits of a brick and mortar university are priceless to me. Some friends and I were also talking about the negative stigma attached to an online degree, and all of us felt it was significant–significant enough that it seemed like a crackerjack box degree to all of us. Also, if I see another University of Phoenix online commercial, I may throw one of my beautifully tangible text books through the TV screen!
The article suggests that online education will be the way of the future, and that online classes will largely replace the primarily face-to-face educational experience that exists today.
This change is being driven by a number of factors, including the high costs and low budgets for education. Reducing the number of professors and teaching assistants required for courses would significantly reduce the expenses of educational institutions, as well as expenses for the students who attend them. In addition, online education has proved more effective than traditional classroom education in increasing the grades and performance of students.
While I can see the benefits of lower education costs, and the potential for higher grades that could result from this form of education, I don’t feel that the benefits would outweigh the costs for me. Personally I find that the most important aspect of my university education to this point has been the valuable face-to-face interactions I have had with professors and other students. I think that simple memorization is far less valuable than the ability to have classroom discussions, or thought-provoking interactions with professors and peers. Students may perform better on tests through online education, but I think that there is less value in those higher grades than there would be in slightly lower grades earned in a classroom setting. In addition, I think that attending a postsecondary institution in person is an extremely important transition period for most high school students before they enter the workforce. I think that it is a time for significant growth and maturity, the effects of which might be lost without all of the interpersonal interaction experienced by physically attending a university or college.
The main premise of the article is that online education, made possible through Information Technology is changing the face of education. Online classes is a technological revolution making education to more people, at the same or different times, with greater flexibility and convenience.
Reading the article, the main drivers for this mode of education is the fact that droves of unprepared teenagers are graduating out of high school but they are not able to pass elementary Math and English placement tests in order to be admitted into Colleges; having on-line remedial classes might help bring the student up to speed and better prepared to face the rigorous challenges in the four walls of a traditional university. I was in class once in an Economics class in the University when a student asked the professor how to calculate slope.
If this remedial courses are undertaken by the student, then less college resources would be freed up to teach college grade topics rather than going through the basics of what should have been already learnt in high school. Furthermore, this remedial courses could also help the student to really learn his passion and discover what he or she is good at rather than rolling the wheels in the University, paying bills, getting into debt only to later discover that he or she has no passion for the course and then switching courses or even dropping out, which is worse.
On-line courses as a remedial course path would benefit me but a four-year degree on-line? Probably not. I tend to prefer the tranditional come to a physical class room system; for me it’s more engaging. On the flip side on-line classes would be more flexible but there is a greater tendency to slack along the way.
The article states that the reality that online education is becoming more popular could pose problems for the future of classroom study. It states that “computers can- and have- effectively replaced teachers.”
The things pushing online education forward are that schools have lower budgets for hiring teachers, the tuition is high, and there are fewer teacher assistants which makes teaching at the university level less desirable. Because of low budgets and fewer teachers, courses offered are dwindling. There is also the argument that our current educational system is teaching students by simple memorization which doesn’t even require teachers to be involved.
I have tried online education, but found it difficult because I learn by interaction with people who know me personally and value the efforts put into learning. The value in personal relationships with teachers is a huge motivator for me to try to do my work well. A classroom allows personal interaction which means teachers and students can actively share information and come up with dynamic results more quickly. There is not that same kind of banter online and the learning is therefore more static. A teacher can learn from students’ experiences and vice versa. The personal interaction is very important for higher learning because it allows both teacher and student to contribute to each others opinions and see quick results. There may also be more commitment to learning in a classroom because there is the personal relationship that is built between teacher and student that can challenge students to go further, faster.
Also, the face-to-face interaction is important because you can tell a lot about how a teacher will mark you by their reactions to comments and questions posed in class. Online courses still require teachers to mark the assignments and exams, and a grade is highly dependent on what the teacher likes. It is much easier to get a feel for how they will mark something by observing them in a classroom than it is online.
This article simply speaks of how online learning is becoming more and more popular and how this will affect post-secondary facilities. It is apparent that online learning is here to stay, but finding the ‘blend’ of online and face-to-face is the tricky part.
I could see online learning being useful in my post-secondary education career as often times at university I simply go to class, sit and listen to a lecture that may as well be given by a robot. I am then required to store this ‘useful’ information for a few weeks and regurgitate a summary back in 75-180 minutes. I am then graded on my memory and ability to memorize, rather than ability to adapt, control, implement and solve. So if this is what post-secondary education is meant to be then a computer could teach it just as easily and effectively as a person.
However, I feel that the most important things to learn in life cannot be taught solely by a computer and that face-to-face interaction is necessary to businesses and social skills. I would argue that as we go forward it is time to re-vamp post-secondary education into being more than just a cycle of sitting, absorbing, memorization, and regurgitation; thus, making the education and educational experience more valuable and not able to be done by a computer as in the future it seems that if your job could be one by a computer, it eventually will be.
I conclude that there needs to be a mix of online based learning and actual ‘face time’ learning to be successful, but that the ‘face time’ learning needs to be a different than traditional approach to achieve this success.
The premise of this article is that technology is affecting the way young teenagers and adults learn in this generation. As students, we are relying more and more on technology on a day-to-day basis.
Students are a major driver pushing on-line education forward. Technology has become a big part of this generation, and thus, students appear to do significantly better with on-line education. Since on-line education is much more cheaper than attending university and learning through lectures from professors and paying ridiculous amounts for overpriced textbooks, I can see on-line education taking over. It not only benefits students, but will also professors as well.
Personally, I am not sure I would completely benefit from the on-line method. I am considering taking a few courses on-line over the summer to reduce the amount of course load during the fall and spring semesters, but I would be not able to complete my entire education on-line. I find that in the on-line world, there are too many possibilities and distractions that would take away from my learning. I would prefer to physically go to a lecture, knowing that my objective for the next seventy-five minutes is to learn. Although, the tuition would be significantly cheaper, I believe that an on-line method would be more time consuming.
The premise of the article is that on-line education is getting used more and more. The author informs us that it is gradually taking the place of actually going to school that lecture halls will become empty ass more students look this this method. California is a main player in the American educational system, and if they change, others will follow suit eventually leading to only a small elite population in universities.
The study that was taken that informed of students doing better with on-line courses is a driver in this situation. Also lower tuition costs and apparent higher enrolment. It would also probable cost the universities less if they expanded this program as they would not need as many teachers or have to maintain many lecture halls.
To be honest, I am not sure if I would benefit from this method or not. It would benefit me because it would allow me to work as well as school and it would be a lot cheaper than my tuition currently. At the same time I highly doubt I would take the extra time to study. I like the classroom setting as I believe that I learn more. I don’t mind summer on-line classes, but a whole year round would not be good for me. In class courses also give the opportunity to network and make friends; this would not be available in an on-line setting.
1. What is the premise of the article in regards to the future of on-line education?
The premise of the article is that while this institution chooses to cut down on costs and automate their lower-division courses, a lot of things will ultimately change in the long run. Kids will see school differently, economic gains will drop, it spells out a lot of good, but equally a lot of bad.
2. What are the drivers pushing on-line education forward?
The dwindling profits that institutions make are pushing for the development of online education. There is a belief that because salaries won’t need to be paid out, the universities and colleges will see greater gains.
3. Is this on-line method one that you personally would benefit from?
Personally, being that I am a visual person who more often than not needs repetitive teachings, I believe that I could benefit from this method as a SUPLIMENTARY element to traditional teaching. One gets bored looking at the computer screen all day. There needs to be some form of stimuli that keeps the viewer intrigued and until there’s people dancing around and doing silly things and they all relate to the work I am doing, my attention will be hardly captivated for such a long period of time.
The premise of this article is following the way that society is leaning towards, definately that of technology. By going the way of more online secondary education classes would open up alot more doors to those who can not meet the required scheduled classes due to financial stresses or whatever it may be. It offers much more to those who would like to further their education but maybe dont have the time or structurein their daily lives to go to classes. Society is becoming ever more depentent on technology. There are pro’s and con’s to this of course. I personall like the traditional face to face interaction with professors in a school setting. I feel like I learn better when i am being taught in a classroom setting rather that an online class, and having to teach yourself. There would be somedays that I would benifit from taking on-line classes forsure, i could work more and not be as financially stressed with making ends meet while trying to attend my daily classes at the University. But then again it is a catch 22. There are somedays that I would like to come to class and partake in that environment. On-line classes would definately be a more cost effective way to get a secondary education, with todays costs of tuition and books being as high as they are.
Basically what the author of the article is saying is that computers and “on-line education” for that matter have already begun to replace teachers in the workplace and will only continue to do so. The article points out the students on average who have taken on-line classes as opposed to face to face classes with a given teacher present fair better on average. The numbers do not lie. On-line education is coming on stronger than ever and teachers are beginning to worry if they will be needed much longer in the classroom.
On-line education is definitely a cheaper route for students to go as opposed to the conventional textbooks that are being sold at bookstores on campuses and based on numbers and statistics it has seen a higher success rate in terms of final grades that students are able to accumulate throughout the duration of the course. It provides easy, free access whenever students wish to use it, so they can coordinate their daily schedules as need be without having to show up for class at a specific, designated time every day. Also by universities putting in on-line education into classrooms across campuses nation-wide it will begin to eliminate the need for teachers to be present in the classroom and with that also comes their salaries as well, so I can see where the schools are coming from on this one.
Now, do I believe on-line education would benefit myself? Personally I am torn on this one. Reason being is that yes, I do like to be independent and have the freedom to complete my assignments, papers and tests online but at the same time, I still do not think it provides the same effect as having an actual person present. I love the face to face interaction process that you are able to experience with a professor being in the room with you, and because of this I feel for myself personally sometimes I am able to comprehend lectures better than reading text online. It is a complex issue and one that I may have to address in the near future if the on-line education process starts to spread globally in the next few years.
The article makes the premiss that online education is the future of schooling. I think this is very realistic considering that many universities are increasing the amount of classes they offer online in conjunction with their traditional courses. They are also increasing the distance learning opportunities for their students. If this trend continues, I think it is very possible that post secondary institution move with the trend to online education.
Some of the main things pushing online education is the cost of post secondary education. Online education removes the cost of the professional educators needed at any other institution as well as the cost of maintaining buildings to hold classes in. Also, you are able to do it from the comforts of your own home so it is more accessible. Technology is also a major driving force. Modern generations are surrounded by technology and are continuously finding new way to use it in day to day life.
I feel like I personally would not benefit from this form of education. I feel that I need a designated place to go, away from distractions in order to fully learn the things that are being taught. Although I enjoy technology I don’t think this method would provide me with enough motivation to learn on my own.
The premise of all of this is that online courses are getting more and more sophisticated, and they are actually more engaging and require more investment from the student. Almost every class I had last semester had an online portion to it, and my profs all talked about how the online quizzes and flashcards and books have been proven to improve test results. It seems like most of my classes could be taught online with video lectures. I have actually tried watching the free video lectures from Harvard, and although I wasn’t invested in them and mostly put them on as background noise, I could see how they would be effective. They are edited with multiple camera angles and have shots of all the slides that the prof put up on the projector, and for all intents and purposes, it was like being in the classroom with the rest of the students.
I don’t know if there would be a total collapse of colleges, as I can imagine something akin to our computer labs where everyone goes and does their work at a certain time, with the added benefit of being able to talk to other students and experts face to face. However, there is the potential for people to interact from their home with other students and professors through video chat such as skype. I personally have worked on collaborative documents with other students through Google Docs, where you have the opportunity to type with the person you’re working with on-screen. In addition, you could easily establish a Skype conversation to enhance your communication while you are typing together on a document. The ability to interact and communicate online across the world is expanding, and so it is easier for your average person to conceptualize a world where you can put in a hard day’s work at your own computer, in your own home, simply dealing with information. At the end of the day, it is easy to imagine taking my courses online, and watching and listening to my professor talk through video and completing assignments through online applications.
The article talks about a new way of high education, and the one that we still see will no longer exist because of the continues changes on it. I think it might have a part of truth but not at all. Many things have changed since technology has appeared but I do not think universities will disappear because of online classes.
One of the most important drivers that push on-line education forward is time. Many people cannot go to the University and they prefer to study on-line because they want to work or they have family or other responsibilities.
If i would benefit from the on-line education will depend on the situation, because if I would be a very busy person and do not have the enough time to attend to classes and that is an impediment to study my career i think i will be benefit of this way of studying. On the other hand if I have enough time this method will not satisfies me at all because I would like to have the experience and interaction with teachers and classmates to get other people´s opinion. and also it helps to get new contacts for business or other important things.
While I see the benefits of creating more online courses, I also see the negatives. It would be beneficial to lower income students to save substantial amounts of money by taking lower-level classes online rather than paying for the class. It also gives the student more control in their time management as they can (I’m assuming) go at their own pace, and easily spend more time on the things that might be more tricky for them, as an individual, to learn. It eliminates the distractions of a classroom and the possibilities of sick instructors and classmates who either miss class or make it unbearable. In our University now, most professors post lecture slides online anyways, so students are more apt to not pay attention while they are in class, telling themselves they will “do it later”. By providing the courses online, the instructors time would perhaps not feel as wasted by lecturing to students who aren’t paying attention.
Some negatives of having online courses, like the article states, is that the jobs in post secondary institutions would greatly dwindle. By only providing lower-level classes online, students may feel that their major is less important than others that require full class time. There is also the possibility that without an instructor reminding you about assignments, and without a fixed class time, the student may forget their obligations to the course and end up leaving things until the last minute, or until it’s too late. By having more online courses, students are slowly cutting out their time for socialization with new people. Part of the whole University experience is meeting new people and making new friends. By taking away class time from the students, you are also taking away their interactions, and possibly the chance of friendship.
All in all, online courses aren’t for everyone. Some people can learn from reading endless amounts of notes and information. Others require the face-to-face interaction with their peers and instructors to grasp information content. The people that like online courses will continue to take them, while those who prefer to be in class will continue to be in class.
The premise of the article is that a large change in the way we receive education is coming soon. That change is going from face to face teaching, to online teaching. It also states that many online course actually increase the final grades of students versus the traditional method of face to face. The article is saying that online education is going to become very popular, so popular in fact that many school with actually shut down because of the low competing tuition costs and loss of jobs because of fewer students. It is a pro or con depending on your viewpoint of the situation.
The online method has its pros and cons in my opinion. I don’t enjoy sitting in front of the computer to learn everything I need, and feel the interaction with a human is important when you need real help and concepts explained. I do enjoy the ability to work at my own pace, and not have to show up to a lecture that a lot of the time seems pointless because I could have just read the powerpoint slides myself instead of the teacher reading them verbatim! It is more cost effective, which for students is a big motivator to sign up online!
1. What is the premise of the article in regards to the future of on-line education?
The Premise of the article in regards to the future of on-line education is that, it is prone to be successful whether Faculty is in favor or not. The reason being that more students are getting used to that system of education in the sense that more success is being derived from that system than the well know face-face type of education. Either ways the issue of on-line education will cause a change in the education system.
2. What are the drivers pushing on-line education forward?
The major drivers pushing the on-line education are how well students have become susceptible to that kind of education, in the sense that grades are becoming better than the normal face-face sessions. Secondly its is less expensive than the normal in class education.
3. Is this on-line method one that you personally would benefit from?
Personally, I prefer the traditional face to face sessions. why because I feel I have a better chance of asking for help from the Professor in terms of issues I did not understand during the lecture. But if I have to consider cost, I’d prefer the on-line session to the traditional face- face session.
3. Is this on-line method one that you personally would benefit from?
Yes and no. The point I find that this article fails to address is that university (as much as academic may like to disagree) is not just about the curriculum offered in the classroom. While I absolutely would benefit from engaging, flexible online learning (and in fact have been frustrated numerous times at the UofL’s lack of online offerings), I still do not think that a superior online learning system can replace the comprehensive university experience, which occurs both inside and outside of the classroom.
If university and education has really become something that everyone should aspire to, then it needs to be offered in more flexible mediums, and online is perfect for that. It simply isn’t practical to expect everyone to put their lives on hold for four years to attend full-time classes. Online offerings to replace lower level classes sounds like a great idea to me, especially if it means getting rid of the un-engaging professors and focusing on retaining the high-quality ones that help facilitate upper level thinking.
So while personally I would love to replace some of my current, boring, un-engaging professors and classes with an interactive online course, it would only to be supplement my physical university experience, not replace it. No matter how advanced social networking sites become, they still can’t erase the value and quality of person-to-person interaction, which is so critical to the overall university experience: personal and professional development.
With facts showing only 48% of SJSU students are graduating, and 50% don’t meet the basic requirements, perhaps the faculty at SJSU took the wrong approach to solving these concerns. The author of this article paints the image of “faceless lecture halls” and “remedial courses”, stating that online education provides more substance and value to the student. I think this is a very relative statement. The appeal that online courses bring is the dominant use of technology. As students are exposed to various technological tools throughout their lifetime, using these tools becomes crucial. However, the structure of current online curriculum does not provide adequate supports for most students to succeed. It lacks the insight and depth that only a professor can provide. The author suggested that Masters and PhD students would become obsolete. But in Canada, the trends would suggest exactly the opposite. Education is, and should be, more available to all individuals. As it becomes typical for most to obtain a degree, Masters and PhDs become much more necessary for excelling in the workplace. As jobs become attainable from a worldwide perspective and the competition pool increases, it will become crucial to have a higher education to put yourself above the rest. This level of education cannot be replaced, and can only thrive off of the mentorship of professors. I would also argue that arts and humanities will become highly sought after skills. These will be the skills that will become difficult to replace through technology.
Online education is not new, but the degree to which online education is offered is increasing now more than ever. Looking at the results of Udacity in the small amount of time they have been operating, it is easy to see how online education is going to be a full fledged way of getting a post secondary degree and possibly even higher a level of education in some time.
Online education is cheaper, grades appear to be higher (according to their research), and if California is planning to approve the notion of allowing lower level online classes, the rest of America will soon follow suit. With the addition of more and more online classes, students will be ‘saved’ from long lectures in huge lecture halls with hundreds of classmates. As mentioned in the article, students will not face incredible amounts of debt in the years following receiving their education. The increase in online students GPA’s would increase their motivation for doing their classes, and continuing their education.
Personally, I have done classes through correspondence online, and have seen similar results to the students in the study. I believe online classes would have been a great substitution to the long lectures and large class sizes in the first two years of my university career, however, the smaller class sizes, more interaction with professors and classmates, and a more professional environment found in the last year of getting my degree could not be substituted with an online class. In summation, I think online classes would be very beneficial for students early in their undergrad careers but not so much in the later parts of their post secondary experience.
Online education has some advantages for students . First, it can save students money from the cost of commuting to the school, because students can access the education in their own house. Second, students can save money for buying clothes for going to school, because some school and universities are required their students use uniform. Third, it is convenient for the students because students can access the material anywhere and anytime, during their holiday overseas or during their spare time.
But,there are some disadvantages in online education. Students will stay at home and they would loose opportunity to socialize with friends and do not have communication with other people. Online education also not healthy because spend long time in front of computer can cause eye problems and back pain. Other limitation is online education, which based by technology, using internet and computer, not everyone have the capability to operate technologies. Additionally, in some places the internet connections are slow, consequently they have limited access to study.
Online education isn’t a match for me because I like to participate in class discussions . Also , some professors relate different topics with each other and tells stories which makes the classrooms entertaining and side by side , we learn from them a lot. I feel that in spite of all advantages , Computers are not as flexible and creative as much as mankind.
Let’s face it. If we could be guaranteed online diplomas whose weight was equal relative to the degrees we are working toward now, we wouldn’t be at the Uof L. Offering online degrees would do many things to the economy; so many in fact that it’s a little scary to think about. The immediate draw to online education is the monetary benefits. Post-secondary costs two arms and a leg at a time when College and University beneficiaries’ bank accounts are at their all-time lows. To get an online education you wouldn’t need to leave from your hometown of 1,300 people, which brings up another great benefit; proximal education. Harvard is one of the most well know higher learning institutions. Imagine if they were offering online degrees and Masters Degrees or imagine taking a class at a college overseas whose teaching capabilities far exceed any offered in your own country. This type of post-secondary teaching platform would level the playing field and allow the lagers to drop out and the winners to shine. The world’s net education would escalate for quicker than historic levels. Smart-er people teaching the world. That makes sense.
The availability of online courses is definitely changing the education system. The cost of getting an online education versus classroom courses is very appealing. I am sure there are many students who would take online courses for financial reasons alone. This kind of education could also be attractive to working students and students who are currently unemployed but would like to work. Because there is no scheduled class to attend, students can go to work and do their classwork on their own chosen time. I see many advantages in online education, but I have concerns about it as well. As the article mentions, the benefit of having a graduate degree would be decreased greatly as students with master’s degrees and PhD’s realize there are less jobs for them now- whatever jobs that are available will be very competitive.
Although many students would benefit from an online education, it is not something I would consider for myself. Some students may find it difficult to stay on task while doing online courses, myself included. I could see myself losing motivation to get things done before the very last minute as well. Personally, I enjoy learning course material more when I am presented with an opportunity to discuss and interact with other students and my professors.
As the cost of tuition is rising every year this seems like a very feasible option to what can happen with the future of postsecondary education. It has become so costly that many people cannot afford to go to school or are not eligible for student loans, so wind up working some crummy job at Wal-Mart. But if this is what is going to happen to the University system there will be many implications, I mean how many people go to university/college for the experience (parties) gained? With the many layoffs of the instructors, many people that were employed would now be jobless, and no one would even bother to get into the postsecondary education sector.
Personally I do not like the whole online learning, as I would procrastinate to the point where I cram it in to get the assignment complete.
Another issue can be the regulation of exams and information, of course since it would be at there own time and pace and probably done in the students home every exam would be open book, and there would be no social interaction with any fellow students or instructors. So how would these home taught individuals react when they complete their degree, where will the social skills be developed in a professional setting?
Personally this form of education doesn’t appeal to me. Even with the large savings in money that would be involved I know I do not have enough self discipline to succeed. The structure and routine involved with the current school system is critical to my success. Also it prepares its students for the routines involved in the work force. I do believe a lot of students would find this form of education very appealing though I do not.
This could very well be where post secondary education is heading. Governments are always looking for ways to save money. This would be a serious cost cut, especially in Canada. But this would make the job market all that more competitive. With this being offered the amount of people receiving a degree would increase. Basically a degree would no longer set you apart, it would be a requirement. This could lead to society where the man flipping your burgers at McDonalds has a degree in chemistry. Do the positives out way the negatives? I do not see this trend taking off in the near future.
The future of online schooling could very well happen because of the rising cost to the university itself for example hiring all the faculty to teach the courses which in turn makes tuition more expensive for us students.Students are become more entrenched in computer technology and there are alot of benefits for online classes. It will allow more free time for the students to work to earn some more money, its cheaper, you don’t have to attend the regular class times all the time. Many students would probably prefer to take their courses online. However, I feel that online courses are definitely not right for me because after two years of university my productivity for some unfortunate reason decreases day after day, so if I didn’t have a scheduled class to attend I may never get my work done. It is also nice to have a structered class room, syllabus etc to follow to know how well you are keeping up and how well you are understanding things. Education has a lot to do with how much work the student will put into it and I think online classes kind of make it easy or easier for a student to slack off. The study says it improved student grades so maybe students perform better without the pressure of a prof starring down at you, who knows. I just don’t feel like its a traditional way of teaching and lots of people may not want to stray to far from the traditional learning styles.
The education system is trying to find a more affordable way to get their potential students ready for undergraduate studies. It seems that less than half of the students applying have the basic education needed to succeed in University. I think the on-line upgrading idea is great. I have taken 2 on-line courses and I enjoyed both of them. There are assignment deadlines to keep you on track and a teacher with whom you communicate via e-mail. My daughter has taken some on-line courses that include weekly webinars so there is peer to peer as well as teacher to student interaction. I think it is technology that is driving on-line education forward. McGraw’s on-line supplemental “connect” teaching tools are interactive and engaging. We are a society that connects with our smart phones and tablets regularly. I like the idea of someone taking an on-line class on their iphone while commuting 45 minutes to work. It is the freedom to integrate higher education into a busy life
It’s definitely easy to see the benefits of online education. The biggest being the lowered costs for students. Tuition and textbooks are becoming increasingly expensive, taking a toll on budgets and leaving people student loans to pay off. The flexibility students have to set their own schedule so they can have more full time work also has great appeal.
Personally I think it would be unfortunate if online education completely replaced the typical university and college experience. While some professors don’t seem to care about the success of their students, many others do care and put in a great deal of effort to enhance their education experience. Stories and experiences shared by professors make education entertaining and show how the topics being learned actually pertain to the real world. Online education also lacks the face-to-face networking opportunities for meeting potential employers, colleges, and friends.
Online education has it’s place, especially in the technological world we live in. But I believe that the typical university experience also has it’s place.
The article suggests that online education will become a more popular option then the traditional class room approach. The growth in the popularity in online education can be associated with the rising cost of education. The online classes are considerable less costly to the students but they risk harming the traditional schools because of the lack of income from the physical classes. It is also seen as being beneficial to the student to be enrolled in online education because of the trend towards higher grades.
Online education is not something that I could benefit from. I personally find that there is a portion of information that I learn from professors that is based on their working history. The stories that are brought to the class room make the education both more relatable and entertaining. The online class room would be able to teach the text book but it would not be able to bring any relatable content to the course. I also enjoy being able to ask questions in class and partaking in class discussions; there is a great deal of knowledge to be learned there that is not available in the text book. There is more to learning then just being able to recite a textbook.
I believe that I would personally benefit from online education. School is becoming very expensive-tuition increases every year and there are so many extras that students have to pay for. Parking passes, gym memberships, textbooks and other school expenses that are added to tuition costs. If all my classes were online I could work at my own speed and create my own schedule. This would give me the option to spend a whole day on one subject and work ahead or choose which subject I want to work on and when I want to work on it. My job schedule is inconsistent so it would be nice to have a cushion for completing certain things or doing my readings. It would also help me financially because it is cheaper to take online classes but also enables me to work more and earn more money to pay for the other expenses that life has such as rent, food, gas and so on. Throughout my university career I have discovered that there are very few teachers who actually care about the success of their students and post their lectures online anyways. These teachers usually teach for a small amount of time and assign a lot of independent work to do outside of class time. I feel that online education would not be much different than this.