Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your
contribution is not tax-deductible.)
PayPal Acct: 
Feedback: 
Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):
| [ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2 ] |
| Subject: Task 5- Final Version | |
|
Author: Luciano Valadares (Task 5- Final Version) |
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: 14:31:55 09/15/10 Wed Online Education: Opportunities and Challenges It is undeniable that modern society is facing the empowerment of high technologies. Among these, the virtual world, with all its sources and equipment, is imposing new methodologies on the educational field. However, the so called Online Education, that follows these transformations, exposes many controversial issues. This process is unstoppable, and like many other transitions, it brings approval from some and disapproval from others. Even so, it is imperative that people should acquire new technological skills if they intend to succeed in the virtual world. The internet can offer great educational opportunities, and for this reason it is becoming increasingly popular among people around the world. Well established universities are reviewing and looking for different ways of teaching. Some of the strongest pressures for changes are coming from students. However, besides the demand for increasing the number of online-courses, society is not completely ready to receive that technological education yet. A positive argument is that online education decreases the costs of the study compared to classical campuses, since people can access the courses from home or even work. For some schools, online education is even more expensive than campus-based courses. For reasons of their own, “many schools use their non-traditional and distance learning programs to subsidize their campus operations. However, in the interim, there are relatively few low cost alternatives among the top-name, accredited online schools.”(WIELAND, 2009). Yet, on-line education is positively beneficial to all age groups searching for a way to engage in a formal qualification and also promises to attend to a broader public rather than a traditional one. For instance, a disabled person or a housewife could easily study from home at their own pace instead of following a fixed timetable. On the other hand, some people do not seem to be able to manage their time by themselves; they prefer to take classes in the traditional way. Some other virtual students might find that the online environment limits their ability to learn in a way that matches their learning style. Especially for visual and auditory learners, who need the presence of the written or spoken word. On-line education also brings reasonable doubts about the credibility of the learning process and the discussion on the importance of the environment face-to-face for this process. A remarkable point presented by some critics is that, except when studying is made with visual contact through some specific media such as webcams, the teacher has no efficient way to be sure about who is really doing the tasks. For that reason, “the online education suffers a lot of prejudice from big companies that claim that it is not reliable, once the students could have paid somebody to do the tasks for them.” (VALENTINE, 2002) According to BREY ( 2003), “virtual universities cannot offer a wide range of extracurricular activities and social services because many activities and services cannot be reproduced in the electronic form.” In addition, “many authors have stated that a profound learning experience, which includes the transmission of academic values, requires a real-world setting in which people engage in face-to-face.” Moreover, the New York Times has reported that “the American Federation of Teachers …. critical of the sterility of distance learning, noted, “All our experience as educators tells us that teaching and learning in the shared human spaces of a campus are essential to the undergraduate experience”” (DREYFUS, 2001 p. 32) Along with new opportunities to study online, distance education also presents challenges to students that may not necessarily overshadow the prospects of distance learning. The point is, if society is dealing with a process that is far beyond its decision making, it is extremely important that this society, together with government commissions and academic communities, come up with valuable mechanisms to overcome the challenges that this modern technological world brings to us. References: BREY, Phillip. Ethical Issues for the Virtual University. Report for cEVU. University of Twente. The Netherlands. 6/26/2003. PDF article DREYFUS, H.L. (2001). On the internet. London: Routledge publishers. VALENTINE, Doug. Distance Learning: Promises, Problems, and Possibilities. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, Volume V, Number III, Fall 2002- State University of West Georgia, Distance Education Center. Accessed on Sept. 09, 2010. http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall53/valentine53.html WIELAND, Todd. Canis Learning Systems. Conversations About New Instructional Strategies. Education Online Degrees, Articles and White Papers. Challenges, 2009 Website: http://www.virtualstudent.com/html/articles.html. Accessed on Sept. 09, 2010. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |