I’ve taught online within the MnSCU system every year since 2004. I am not opposed to online education nor am I afraid of it… Simply put, the upside depends on well designed and rigorous course with regular faculty involvement. This means frequent appearances in discussion forums and daily postings of one kind or another on top of careful evaluation of written work and time for one-on-one communication via e-mail when requested. The downsides of online are many. Super high attrition rates are almost universal. Faculty have a hard time getting to know students, which limits mentorship opportunities and makes writing letter of recomendation difficult. Pressure to increase class size leads to limited rigor and less writing, thus weakening the best part of online education. Online is particularly ill suited to entry level classes and remedial level work. Sadly that is where it is being pushed the hardest by its advocates in government and in the business world.

Read full article [here].
by Jeff Kolnick, Hindsight 2020.

Posted: March 13th, 2013, by: admin. Categories: . Awaiting Comments.