Simple question: Will the Internet render classrooms obsolete, at the college level?
Robots replace factory workers, mp3 files replaced cassette tapes, and soon traditional classroom-style learning will go the way of the dodo bird, according to me. I arrive at this conclusion from my perspective as a businessman.
Traditional classrooms will continue to exist for students of high school age or younger, I believe, because part of the role of public education is to babysit.
However, for adult students, the benefits of the Internet are numerous and growing. First, consider cost. As the Internet advances and more people gain access, the prospect of college-educating every willing adult becomes increasingly practical and therefore likely. Second, the Internet offers an unprecedented access to informational variety, meaning each person's education can be tailored to their individual interests and requirements.
Finally, it has been my perception that our best and brightest spend entirely too many of their useful hours in school, and not enough time in the real world applying what they have learned. As education evolves to rely more on technology, students can spend more time actually working, either internships or full time positions, and can participate in their studies during non-business hours.
What do you think?
The college courses are about learning stuff (some of it useful).Who said anything about sex? You've obviously got a dirty mind. :2razz:
I think College/University has always been about more than pure education but about the wider development of a young person. The social interaction in and around the educational environment is as important as any lessons and lectures in creating rounded individuals rather than robots.
It might not be strictly necessary but I think some direct interaction with the people teaching you and the other people learning alongside you has a huge benefit in education. I don't think 100% remote learning can ever be as effective as something including some direct contact. I think this is recognised by the various remote learning institutions that already exist (at least the quality ones), who help arrange local study groups, events and co-ordination with conventional institutions for their students who would otherwise be learning alone.
No, the internet will not render classrooms obsolete at the college level. It will allow for some integration of non-traditional students through online classes; but that would be limited in scope. You can't get a physics degree online, well not from an accredited university worth its salt. The personal interaction with the professor and classmates is vital, you need to be on campus most of the time anyway, you'll do research in the labs, the laboratory portion of your classes are excessively important.
There are some subjects that can likely be taught solely on the internet, but there is a class of academia which cannot. And as such, the University and the University classroom shall continue to exist.
You are a college professor, Ikari, so you have your own job at stake here. I can understand your position.
Simple question: Will the Internet render classrooms obsolete, at the college level?
Robots replace factory workers, mp3 files replaced cassette tapes, and soon traditional classroom-style learning will go the way of the dodo bird, according to me. I arrive at this conclusion from my perspective as a businessman.
Traditional classrooms will continue to exist for students of high school age or younger, I believe, because part of the role of public education is to babysit.
However, for adult students, the benefits of the Internet are numerous and growing. First, consider cost. As the Internet advances and more people gain access, the prospect of college-educating every willing adult becomes increasingly practical and therefore likely. Second, the Internet offers an unprecedented access to informational variety, meaning each person's education can be tailored to their individual interests and requirements.
Finally, it has been my perception that our best and brightest spend entirely too many of their useful hours in school, and not enough time in the real world applying what they have learned. As education evolves to rely more on technology, students can spend more time actually working, either internships or full time positions, and can participate in their studies during non-business hours.
What do you think?
I'm just not quite ready to give up on the idea that there is a value to the ability to interact with a live human being in the same room; to gauge the reactions of your fellow students immediately in your own view; and to be involved in a personal discourse with someone you can see rather than someone on the other side of the world.
But technology is beginning to address these things. Just look at Skype, that didn't exist only a few years ago, now you can essentially video conference for pennies. I'm sure 5 years from now we will be far ahead of where we are today.
Also, I'm a big believer in human interaction as well - but the purpose would be to get students in to the workforce earlier. For example, I see no reason for anyone to be a full-time MBA student a few years from now. The new model ought to be to get a job, and take the MBA online on the side.
That way the person could A.) pay for their MBA and not go in to debt and B.) actually apply what they are learning.
There are courses that the internet cannot compete with the brick and mortar one. For instance courses with hands on practice exams such as dentists and other medical professionals, construction, etc.
BTW, why do you call it "brick and mortar?" Is it not a mortar a cannon that throws shells?
Traditional colleges will never go away for a few reasons. A) There is way too much money invested in them already for them to go away. I do believe some smaller colleges will go away. However, the larger state and private colleges are "too big to fail". States have put far too much tax payer money into the schools. Boosters have donated far too much money to the schools. Neither will allow their investment to fade away. B) Do we really see teacher unions letting this happen? C) Never underestimate the power of college sports, especially football. If college sports go away, so would baseball, basketball, every Olympic sport, etc, etc. This will NEVER happen. Football alone is a multi-million if not billion dollar enterprise. D) Some degrees, especially in the medical field and engineering, need hands on work to be done. They need equipment that simply cannot be provided to each student individually. This all leads to a traditional college set up being necessary.
Checking the notes of the guy next to you for the bit you didn't hear? Flirting with the girl at the end of the row? Going for a drink with your friends to talk about the weird way the lecturer talks and how pointless the course is?
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for making best use of modern technology to support education but I don't think it can ever or should be attempted to completely replace real world, face-to-face human interaction.
But technology is beginning to address these things. Just look at Skype, that didn't exist only a few years ago, now you can essentially video conference for pennies. I'm sure 5 years from now we will be far ahead of where we are today.
Also, I'm a big believer in human interaction as well - but the purpose would be to get students in to the workforce earlier. For example, I see no reason for anyone to be a full-time MBA student a few years from now. The new model ought to be to get a job, and take the MBA online on the side.
That way the person could A.) pay for their MBA and not go in to debt and B.) actually apply what they are learning.
Wait, dinosaurs survived for 100 million years!You can have a class in real time on the computer now, with students 1000's of miles apart. I think the classroom will become less and less a part of college education until bricks and motar fades away. I suppose some labs will be necessary, but the lecture hall is a dinosaur now.
Education is not simply learning facts or obtaining specialized training on a single subject in a vacuum. The internet is simply a medium of information exchange, largely useless without the aid of a search engine, to guide one to any desried topic. The educational system takes that quite a bit further by establishing a lesson plan, including "related" support material and providing a context to tie seemingly unrealted ideas together. One can become trained be a fine carpenter, possessing all of the requisite skills for "wood welding" to build a fine house, and yet be totally useless unless they have a knowedge of local building codes, the ability to read the architectural plans for the desired dwelling, are able to communicate with the customer/material supplier and coordinate their building process with that of the other trades involved. Simply being an expert, or highly skilled/trained, in one narrow aspect of anything, is not what higher education is all about.
For certain classes and degree programs there might be some usefullness, but it's not something that I would be comfortable doing myself. That's for sure.
Maybe not, but the younger generations are very comfortable in front of a computer. It's pretty amazing, actually.
The purpose of education is debatable, but here is my take. If you're receiving an education on the public dime, then the purpose of your education is to turn you in to a productive citizen. Since we're not in the business of social engineering (I hope), that basically means the purpose of your education is to make you economically viable and productive.
If you're paying your own way, ie going to a private school and not getting taxpayer funding, then the purpose of your education is whatever you want it to be. It's like going to the movies.
I'm 38 years old, Peter. I am more than comfortable in front of a computer. What I am not comfortable with is the idea of a program where I cannot meet face to face with people. I HATE conference calls and web meetings. They're a waste of my time and I avoid them as much as possible.
Simple question: Will the Internet render classrooms obsolete, at the college level?
Robots replace factory workers, mp3 files replaced cassette tapes, and soon traditional classroom-style learning will go the way of the dodo bird, according to me. I arrive at this conclusion from my perspective as a businessman.
Traditional classrooms will continue to exist for students of high school age or younger, I believe, because part of the role of public education is to babysit.
However, for adult students, the benefits of the Internet are numerous and growing. First, consider cost. As the Internet advances and more people gain access, the prospect of college-educating every willing adult becomes increasingly practical and therefore likely. Second, the Internet offers an unprecedented access to informational variety, meaning each person's education can be tailored to their individual interests and requirements.
Finally, it has been my perception that our best and brightest spend entirely too many of their useful hours in school, and not enough time in the real world applying what they have learned. As education evolves to rely more on technology, students can spend more time actually working, either internships or full time positions, and can participate in their studies during non-business hours.
What do you think?
That applies to a single class, yes, but not to a degree/diploma. A college degree (or even a HS diploma) implies more than simple expertise in a single field. Without a solid, well rounded basic skill set, further trianing (acquiring more advanced skills) is very difficult. Idiot savants are very well educated (in at least one area) yet are not necessarily economically viable. The point of having an instructor and a broader course of study, is not simply for social engineering, but to become economically viable by not only acquiring a single skill to make money but those needed to function in more aspects of society as well.
OK, fair enough. Ask yourself this question, though. If you could get the same degree, with the same prestige and job opportunities afterward, but pay $100 grand less for it, wouldn't you take that?
The great thing about the internet is the diversity of options that could be on the table. You could take courses in literally anything, thus giving you as "well rounded" an education as either you or the university deem fit.
I think it's possible to learn outside of a classroom environment...but you lose one of the most important aspects of being jammed together with 30 or so like minded individuals...the connections you make.
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