<div dir="ltr"><div><div><div><div><div><div>While not always the case, for the most part basic microeconomics theory alleges that it is the price of a product, not necessarily its quality, that determines its demand (sales/use as a practical measure). For some products purchased by large organizations, such as governments and large corporations, political influence/skullduggery can prevail over price or quality.<br>
<br></div>The online environment offers tremendous opportunity for delivery of quality education to many, though not all, students, on many, though not all subjects. It is an area where the public should demand quality; unfortunately it is an area where political influence will most likely be strongly wielded with some very results as the article at issue alleges.<br>
<br></div>Another factor must be considered: individual learning styles. Not everyone is going to learn well watching a video (or a live lecture). some of us learn faster and better by reading and working through material, and then using lectures as a supplementary resource for reinforcement or comprehension of difficult material. It's a matter of using time effectively. <br>
<br></div>I took a course as a graduate student at the University of Minnesota from one of B. F. Skinners most famous disciples entitled Behavioral Theory. The text was Skinner's <i>Analysis of Behavior</i>, a programmed text. The professor at the first lecture advised the students to read the text over a day or two, then take a test. Those passing the test were excused from the first half of the course lectures. I passed the test easily, the text is a very well designed programmed learning text, but went to the lectures anyway since they were lively and informative. The combination of the text and lectures have stuck with me and served me well.<br>
<br></div>On the other hand, I have taken many courses where the lectures were less than stellar to put it mildly, and for some students diminished or killed their interest in a subject.<br><br></div>Education is complicated -- unlike prostitutes, one size does not fit all.<br>
<br></div>w.<br></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Feb 19, 2013 at 12:11 PM, Kenneth Marcy <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:kmmos1@frontier.com" target="_blank">kmmos1@frontier.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
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<div>On 2/19/2013 6:26 AM, Art Deco wrote:<br>
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<div> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="The New York Times" align="left" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0"></a> </div>
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<div>February 18, 2013</div>
<h1>The Trouble With Online College</h1>
<div><[snip]><br>
<p>
The online revolution offers intriguing opportunities for
broadening access to education. But, so far, the evidence
shows that poorly designed courses can seriously shortchange
the most vulnerable students. </p>
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<br>
On the other hand, there are exceptions to these problems. For
example, I know there are local University students who are, in
addition to their live class attendance and homework, are listening
to online lectures from the likes of MIT OpenCourseWare in the same
subjects in which they are enrolled in local classes.<br>
<br>
Even some of the locally-prepared on-line courses can be interesting
and informative. For example, the U of I English department's
English 175, Introduction to Genres, seems to be well-received by
students to whom it is mentioned, and I thought it a worthwhile
on-line presentation when I took it. The thick Norton anthology
used as a text for that course continues to hold more reading
material to extend the course should a student elect to persist with
it.<br>
<br>
After a student has some subject-matter foundation, then independent
study may continue at a student's self-assigned pace. For example,
William Shakespeare wrote about 38 plays, which, at the rate of one
play per month, a person could read, study, and enjoy over a period
of just over three years. Such a relaxed schedule will fit into
most people's lives comfortably, and not seem such a duty-driven
exercise as reading all of the Bible within a year.<br>
<br>
On-line education has a place in the scheme of things, but
prerequisite preparation better fosters its success, and its utility
as preparation for subsequent autodidactic activities.<br>
<br>
<br>
Ken<br>
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